Father?

[ThyWillBeDone]

Well seems like I got here to late and all your questions were answered. Anyway I know how confusing it can be to discern/apply to a seminary so you will be in my prayers
God Bless

[Veritas]

[quote name='catholicinsd' post='1066838' date='Sep 19 2006, 02:04 PM']
My diocese has seminarians all over the place. And I's really like to attend St. Thomas, which has a Seminary called St. Paul's.
[/quote]

Do you mean the major seminary -St. Paul Seminary, in St. Paul MN at (near) the University of St. Thomas? Or another St. Thomas?

I can vouch for Monsignor Callahan, Rector, Fr. Peter Laird, Vice Rector, Dr. Christopher Thompson Academic Dean, and a handful of the new staff e.g. Fr. Andrew Cozzens. It was suspect over there for a few years, but they are fixing things up BEAUTIFULLY!

[catholicinsd]

[quote name='ThyWillBeDone' post='1066844' date='Sep 19 2006, 04:07 PM']
Well seems like I got here to late and all your questions were answered. Anyway I know how confusing it can be to discern/apply to a seminary so you will be in my prayers
God Bless
[/quote]


Thanks. Exactly how long does seminary take? Also do you choose the the school or does the diocese?

[quote name='Veritas' post='1066850' date='Sep 19 2006, 04:12 PM']
Do you mean the major seminary -St. Paul Seminary, in St. Paul MN at (near) the University of St. Thomas? Or another St. Thomas?

I can vouch for Monsignor Callahan, Rector, Fr. Peter Laird, Vice Rector, Dr. Christopher Thompson Academic Dean, and a handful of the new staff e.g. Fr. Andrew Cozzens. It was suspect over there for a few years, but they are fixing things up BEAUTIFULLY!
[/quote]

That's the one.

Edited September 19, 2006 by catholicinsd

[Veritas]

[quote name='catholicinsd' post='1066853' date='Sep 19 2006, 02:15 PM']
Thanks. Exactly how long does seminary take? Also do you choose the the school or does the diocese?
That's the one.
[/quote]

+

Right SJV is the Minor Seminary there and SPS is the Major. Your VD may want to send you to either. As far as who chooses, usually a diocese has a seminary where they primarily send their men. However, it sounds like your Diocese has a bit more flexibilty so you may be able to "make a request" for SJV/SPS.

I'm a recent graduate of St. Thomas and have friends at SPS and SJV. So, if I can answer questions about any of that PM me

[Veritas]

[quote name='Veritas' post='1066873' date='Sep 19 2006, 02:25 PM']
+

Right SJV is the Minor Seminary there and SPS is the Major. Your VD may want to send you to either. As far as who chooses, usually a diocese has a seminary where they primarily send their men. However, it sounds like your Diocese has a bit more flexibilty so you may be able to "make a request" for SJV/SPS.

I'm a recent graduate of St. Thomas and have friends at SPS and SJV. So, if I can answer questions about any of that PM me
[/quote]

As I thought about it I realized, I don't think they would send a man your age without an undergraduate degree to SPS... you need to have to many pre-reqs in philosophy and theology to begin, which you would do at St. Thomas. In all likelihood, they would send you to SJV (accross Campus) and here's what they have to say:

Becoming a Seminarian

1) Contacting Your Vocation Director
If you feel that the Lord is calling you to explore the vocation of priesthood, you should first get in contact with the vocation director of your diocese. Your vocation director will be closely involved with you and your development while you are discerning your vocation. Usually your pastor will be able to help you get in contact the vocation director of your diocese. Otherwise, the vocation director?s contact information is usually listed on a vocations page on the website of your diocese (see Links). The vocations page of your diocesan website is also a great place to learn more about vocations in your diocese in general. (To see what diocese you are in, go to www.diocesenet.com)

2) Learning About Vocations
Once you get in contact with your vocation director, he will be able to give you more information about the priesthood and help you discern what path God is calling you to follow in life. Your vocation director will tell you about any special events in your area sponsored by your diocesan vocations office that are aimed at promoting the vocation to priesthood, and helping men hear the call of the Lord in their lives. Such events may include discernment groups, special dinners with the bishop, vocation retreats, guest speakers, and visits to seminaries. Many dioceses come to St. John Vianney Seminary for our bi-annual Vianney Visits. (If you are a young man of the St. Paul ? Minneapolis area, come to Team Vianney!)

3) Applying to Your Diocese
Once you feel that you are called to enter the seminary, your vocation director will help you begin the process of becoming a seminarian. First, you will usually have to submit an application with some referrals to your diocesan vocation office. Then, your vocation director (and/or others) will try to get a better picture of who you are by interviewing you. Most dioceses require applicants to take a psychological examination sometime during this stage. Again, your vocation director will provide particular information about requirements for becoming a seminarian in your diocese.

After your diocesan vocation office reviews your application, interview, psychological exam, and any other information they may have collected, they will decide whether they feel you are a good candidate for the seminary. If they accept your application and sponsor you, they will forward your application information to the seminary along with a letter of recommendation. To complete this part of the process, you will probably need to fill out a short application to the seminary itself.

4) Applying to the University of St. Thomas
Each diocese decides which seminaries they send their seminarians to, and not all send their seminarians to St. John Vianney. If your diocese does send their college seminarians to St. John Vianney, you will need to apply to become a student at the University of St. Thomas (for more information, go to www.stthomas.edu/admissions/undergraduate/index.cfm).

5) Acceptance
When your diocese and the seminary both accept your application, and when the University of St. Thomas accepts you as a student, you will then have officially become a seminarian for your diocese at St. John Vianney Seminary!

~http://www.vianney.net/content.asp?id=12

[catholicinsd]

[quote name='Veritas' post='1066897' date='Sep 19 2006, 04:38 PM']
As I thought about it I realized, I don't think they would send a man your age without an undergraduate degree to SPS... you need to have to many pre-reqs in philosophy and theology to begin, which you would do at St. Thomas. In all likelihood, they would send you to SJV (accross Campus) and here's what they have to say:

Becoming a Seminarian

1) Contacting Your Vocation Director
If you feel that the Lord is calling you to explore the vocation of priesthood, you should first get in contact with the vocation director of your diocese. Your vocation director will be closely involved with you and your development while you are discerning your vocation. Usually your pastor will be able to help you get in contact the vocation director of your diocese. Otherwise, the vocation director?s contact information is usually listed on a vocations page on the website of your diocese (see Links). The vocations page of your diocesan website is also a great place to learn more about vocations in your diocese in general. (To see what diocese you are in, go to www.diocesenet.com)

2) Learning About Vocations
Once you get in contact with your vocation director, he will be able to give you more information about the priesthood and help you discern what path God is calling you to follow in life. Your vocation director will tell you about any special events in your area sponsored by your diocesan vocations office that are aimed at promoting the vocation to priesthood, and helping men hear the call of the Lord in their lives. Such events may include discernment groups, special dinners with the bishop, vocation retreats, guest speakers, and visits to seminaries. Many dioceses come to St. John Vianney Seminary for our bi-annual Vianney Visits. (If you are a young man of the St. Paul ? Minneapolis area, come to Team Vianney!)

3) Applying to Your Diocese
Once you feel that you are called to enter the seminary, your vocation director will help you begin the process of becoming a seminarian. First, you will usually have to submit an application with some referrals to your diocesan vocation office. Then, your vocation director (and/or others) will try to get a better picture of who you are by interviewing you. Most dioceses require applicants to take a psychological examination sometime during this stage. Again, your vocation director will provide particular information about requirements for becoming a seminarian in your diocese.

After your diocesan vocation office reviews your application, interview, psychological exam, and any other information they may have collected, they will decide whether they feel you are a good candidate for the seminary. If they accept your application and sponsor you, they will forward your application information to the seminary along with a letter of recommendation. To complete this part of the process, you will probably need to fill out a short application to the seminary itself.

4) Applying to the University of St. Thomas
Each diocese decides which seminaries they send their seminarians to, and not all send their seminarians to St. John Vianney. If your diocese does send their college seminarians to St. John Vianney, you will need to apply to become a student at the University of St. Thomas (for more information, go to www.stthomas.edu/admissions/undergraduate/index.cfm).

5) Acceptance
When your diocese and the seminary both accept your application, and when the University of St. Thomas accepts you as a student, you will then have officially become a seminarian for your diocese at St. John Vianney Seminary!

~http://www.vianney.net/content.asp?id=12
[/quote]

Ok, so St John isbasicly an undergrad school? And St. Paul is a grad school?

[Veritas]

[quote name='catholicinsd' post='1067488' date='Sep 19 2006, 09:39 PM']
Ok, so St John isbasicly an undergrad school? And St. Paul is a grad school?
[/quote]

Right. SJV is "minor" aka undergrad and SPS is "major" aka graduate. Since you're coming right out of high school, it seems they'd put you in at SJV. Phatmasser Pio Nino is an SJV graduate, who is at Mundelein Major Seminary now. I'm sure you could pm him. Pmer daf is in the processes of applying to SJV (I think he's up there making a trip with his vd and another guy now actually) and he'd be good to talk with as well.

Best,
V

[catholicinsd]

[quote name='Veritas' post='1067675' date='Sep 20 2006, 12:41 AM']
Right. SJV is "minor" aka undergrad and SPS is "major" aka graduate. Since you're coming right out of high school, it seems they'd put you in at SJV. Phatmasser Pio Nino is an SJV graduate, who is at Mundelein Major Seminary now. I'm sure you could pm him. Pmer daf is in the processes of applying to SJV (I think he's up there making a trip with his vd and another guy now actually) and he'd be good to talk with as well.

Best,
V
[/quote]

thanks

[catholicinsd]

I'm trying get the nerve to email the diocese's VD

[shortnun]

[quote name='catholicinsd' post='1070013' date='Sep 22 2006, 12:33 AM']
I'm trying get the nerve to email the diocese's VD
[/quote]

[Veritas]

[quote name='shortnun' post='1071165' date='Sep 22 2006, 06:19 AM']

[/quote]

+

Honestly, there's nothing to fear. He's (vd) all about helping --no committment!



You can do it!

[catholicinsd]

[quote name='Veritas' post='1072331' date='Sep 23 2006, 12:14 AM']
+

Honestly, there's nothing to fear. He's (vd) all about helping --no committment!

[/quote]

I don't if I can or not. I'm much to shy.

[LouisvilleFan]

I just became Catholic this past Easter Vigil. Through the RCIA process, I became increasingly serious about the priesthood, although the only step I made was expressing interest with the Conventual Franciscians at my parish. Then back in April I met this girl and we dated for three months, so naturally the priesthood slipped farther and farther back in my mind during that time. Even though we're no longer dating, I'm pretty torn between marriage and priesthood, but I feel the calling towards the latter is strong enough that I'm going to get in touch with my diocese's vocations office about discernment (along with looking into the Franciscans). More than anything, they should help me be more sure about whatever decision I make.

[puellapaschalis]

[quote name='catholicinsd' post='1075540' date='Sep 26 2006, 06:16 PM']
I don't if I can or not. I'm much to shy.
[/quote]

Some of the best priests I know are very, very shy and still battle with it years after ordination. They see their shyness as something they have to live with but not be afraid of.

If you really believe the Spirit wants you to contact him - despite your nerves - then take courage and jump. Chances are you'll look back and realise the fall was hardly anything to worry about, and there was no chance of being hurt when you got to the bottom.

Love and prayers,

PP

[Maria]

catholicinsd, are there diocesan events you can go to (without too much difficulty) to get to know the people who work for your diocese and your diocesan seminarians? I read that in some diocese the bishop was having the children in the Catholic schools be pen-pals with the seminarians. It's a cool idea, and you might want to consider it. It's never fun to try to contact people you don't know.

I live in a city (I don't know if you do), and ever since I joined my diocesan-wide youth group and went to WYD 2002, I've really started to go to diocesan events and know the people involved in the diocese.

As for your being shy, you might want to consider becoming a catechist. When we started a catechetical program in my parish, we needed catechists, so I got drafted (my aunt and my mom were the other ones that first year). It really helped with my shyness and with my ability to express myself. It would give a bunch of other skills that would be useful as a priest. I started teaching when I was 17, and one of my sisters started some years later, when she was 15, although she had been a helper from the beginning. If you don't feel you're ready to teach, you can start by helping, which is a good way to get into it in any case.

Anyway, those are just some suggestions of what you can do right now:
-get involved in your parish,
-get involved in your diocese,
-get to know the other people who are involved, including priests and seminarians.

Oh, and of course, pray everyday (say a Hail Mary everyday for your vocation, or something).