Seminary Highschools And Such

[EJames]

[quote name='Aloysius' post='1266392' date='May 6 2007, 07:36 PM']so say I want to raise my future family somewhere where the following would be available and plausibly visible options for my children:

-seminary high schools
-fully habited (so they'd be visible hehe) religious orders

is that possible anymore? are there any seminary high schools left on the earth? I don't want the only possible option for one of my children who might receive the call of God to the seminary to be to wait until after high school or after college before the seminary would even consider allowing him to discern through study.[/quote]
There is a all boys Seminary international Highschool. ..junior high /senoir and minor /major Sem, run by Good Benedictines here about one hour from Vancouver, Canada. it si next to the monastery..and if a boy later wants to become a monk, he only has a 2 week postulancy, due to his school at the Abbey experiences.

Edited June 21, 2007 by EJames

[Norseman82]

[quote name='Norseman82' post='1292015' date='Jun 10 2007, 04:01 PM']Speaking as a Quigley alumnus, may I ask you to elaborate?[/quote]

for -I---Love

[jiyoung]

I don't know how I'd feel about sending my sons to a high school seminary, necessarily, but I think sending them to a school run by a good religious order where they'd be in constant contact with religious would awaken their curiosity without pressure. And of course I could stress how wonderful religious life/priesthood is to them without pressuring them...I don't know, I think putting children under pressure would guide their decisions too much, rather than allowing it to be from a steady desire God puts into their hearts. But I definitely think that exposing them regularly to good, faithful religious would help that to happen on their own. On my own part, I've been being pressured by my family to get married, because it really is just the "Korean way"--so I'm opposed to undue pressure on either side. I've grown to have a love for marriage having seen my parents' loving marriage, and I've got an appreciation for the Carmelite sisters' way of life because of my interaction with them.

So what you could do is send your children to such religious-run schools. I know for boys there's a boy's prep school run by the Norbertines, who are a great order. It's not a high school seminary but a boarding school, and they go to Mass with the order and are taught by the fathers and such as well. The school's site is [url="http://stmichaelsprep.org/"]http://stmichaelsprep.org/[/url] and the order's is [url="http://abbeynews.com/"]http://abbeynews.com/[/url] --they're in southern California. They're also supposed to be an excellent school, I think almost all of their graduates go on to college, except for the ones who end up joining them.

[Aloysius]

[quote name='Veritas' post='1298548' date='Jun 19 2007, 04:59 PM']+

Have you ever spent time in the seminary, studied with seminarians, or had friends, who were or are seminarians? Young men, especially good Catholic teenagers, are apt. to do things to please their parents -especially their fathers. When young children and young men know something of what will make their parents happiest and what will garner the most respect, they are very easily led to do something that they aren't really called to do. This causes a lot of suffering. This, in addition to the reasons you mentioned above, led many men into the priesthood without the real foundation -namely, the call- to sustain it. My point is, let's avoid that mistake. Let's encourage discernment, let's encourage God's will, recognizing the very real possibility of priesthood or religious life.

Perhaps it's only semantics, and we are on the same page.[/quote]
my problem with that is that it assumes the parental prestige and encouragement is not PART of the calling. everyone's running around expecting to get knocked off their horse before it's a real calling to the priesthood and too often that causes them to fail to see the very human elements God uses to call people to vocations: including the idea of prestige from parents.

there are a lot of people in the world who have come to the decision that they are not really called to the religious life because they didn't have some profound experience that convinced them that they had been called by God. being called by family and society and church is often the only way God calls people, though. they're looking to be called by something miraculous or at least awe-inspiring, or by something within themselves, when it shouldn't necessarily originate within themselves, and it won't necessarily manifest in anything awe-inspiring.

[kenrockthefirst]

I've been praying about this since this discussion started. My prayer first of all is that my boys would be open to whatever calling God has for them, and that my wife and I would support them in whatever call they had. Secondly, I've been praying generally for an increase in vocations, that God's people might be served and God's Name glorified.

For me, the idea of exposing them to religious, to a religious life, without necessarily pressuring them resonates with me. This fits in with our "modern" style of parenting, to expose our boys to opportunities in order for them to find out what they like, what they can do, what their gifts are, without living vicariously through them (by projecting our desires, wants, ambitions onto them). Exposing them to the possibility of a vocation is only fair in terms of exposing them to opportunities to discover what are their gifts.

I'll keep you posted.

[Norseman82]

[quote name='Norseman82' post='1292015' date='Jun 10 2007, 04:01 PM'][quote name='-I---Love' post='1278008' date='May 20 2007, 11:53 AM']
I spent some time on the Quigley website - quite disappointing. I could be wrong, but from the website I certainly wouldn't send my kids there.[/quote]
Speaking as a Quigley alumnus, may I ask you to elaborate?
[/quote]

[shortnun]

Very interesting conversation thus far....

[quote name='thedude' post='1267832' date='May 8 2007, 12:42 AM']I think the way I would go about it is having sure they had a lot of close interaction with religious. As long as they are around them and know they are normal people, I think they would give a religious vocation serious thought. I think that is mostly what we need - to tell young people that religious are not "different" people unlike ourselves and that it is a wonderful vocation that should be considered by all. I think there is a tendency to view it, even among the lay faithful (not just the world at large), as weird and something that is to be somewhat discouraged for their children. I'm not sure we need to necessarily say "I hope one of you becomes a religious, but if you don't that is fine," but let kids explore all that the religious life is. I think the problem is that too many Catholic parents don't understand it either, which is the root of the problem.[/quote]
I would very much agree--as you stated in your initial post--that exposure and interaction with a number of religious (men, women, diocesan, order, etc) is KEY. And like thedude said above, it's great to know that you (and your wife) are educating yourselves in the process. I have a cradle catholic (pre Vat II) mom and a non-denom Dad... and perhaps the greatest obsticle we've had as I've discerned religious life is that we know VERY LITTLE about it.

[quote name='Veritas' post='1297772' date='Jun 18 2007, 01:33 PM']+

1. Invite your priest over to dinner, seriously. All my good Catholic friends with kids have priests over for dinner. The priests love it, and it is good for the kids. This way they grow up naturally realizing that it is an option.

2. Have your boys be altar servers. Again, they see the priest in a low pressure environment. Cut flowers with your girls and bring them to Saint Joseph, protector of Virgins and say a little prayer.

3. Have your kids do lots of activities on/about/with the saints. Coloring books, stories, paper dolls... Most of them were priests or religious. No pushing here, just room for natural inclination to grow.

4. PRAY FOR YOUR LOCAL PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS, SEMINARIANS and the POPE! Have pictures up and pray WITH YOUR KIDS for Father so and so and Sister so and so, in their ministry of such and such. Again, no pressure here, just involvement and good exposure.

5. Bring your kids to daily Mass once or twice a week. This way, they learn it is not something we "have" to do on Sunday, it is something we "get" to do!

6. Pray the Rosary with your kids (not the whole thing while their little). There is an awesome EWTN tape/dvd you can order. Pray for vocations.

7. At dinner, have everyone ask for the intercession of a saint after the meal prayer.

Yes, SUGGEST that they might have a calling, but you must encourage your children to discern. DO NOT PUSH THEM INTO A VOCATION. That is part of the reason we had so many priests leave the priesthood in the 1970's and so many bad priests right now pushing for married priests and women "priests".[/quote]
Veritas gives some very concrete suggestions. I would second her post. And if you would allow me to go toward the abstract... teach your children to discern the will of the Holy Spirit in their lives. When they have an important (be it great or not) decision to make, allow them to bring it up to God. Teach them critical thinking and reflection. How have they already been blessed by God? (BTW, children as young as 3 are able to pray prayers of thanksgiving to God). As they grow, allow their prayers to be those of petition and wisdom and clarity as they strive to know God's will. This sort of reflection, combined with a "general" exposure to all vocations in life--married, single, religious--can allow them to examine what path God has in store for them.

[quote name='kenrockthefirst' post='1301083' date='Jun 25 2007, 10:18 AM']I've been praying about this since this discussion started. My prayer first of all is that my boys would be open to whatever calling God has for them, and that my wife and I would support them in whatever call they had. Secondly, I've been praying generally for an increase in vocations, that God's people might be served and God's Name glorified.

For me, the idea of exposing them to religious, to a religious life, without necessarily pressuring them resonates with me. This fits in with our "modern" style of parenting, to expose our boys to opportunities in order for them to find out what they like, what they can do, what their gifts are, without living vicariously through them (by projecting our desires, wants, ambitions onto them). Exposing them to the possibility of a vocation is only fair in terms of exposing them to opportunities to discover what are their gifts.

I'll keep you posted.[/quote]
These are beautiful prayers that you and your wife are lifting up to God. And if it's not too forward, I'd like to join you in praying for your family. I would wish to pray especially for patience--for both you and your wife as you parent--but also for your boys, as they grow to know more and more what God has in store for them. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Edited June 30, 2007 by shortnun

[adt6247]

[quote name='kenrockthefirst' post='1301083' date='Jun 25 2007, 11:18 AM']For me, the idea of exposing them to religious, to a religious life, without necessarily pressuring them resonates with me. This fits in with our "modern" style of parenting, to expose our boys to opportunities in order for them to find out what they like, what they can do, what their gifts are, without living vicariously through them (by projecting our desires, wants, ambitions onto them). Exposing them to the possibility of a vocation is only fair in terms of exposing them to opportunities to discover what are their gifts.[/quote]

If there is no internal pressure of prestige, or something similar, how will they effectively discern a call to a contemplative order? The Church teaches (albeit, not so vocally lately) that a calling to the priesthood or the religious life is a higher, more advanced vocation. There is prestige inherent in this teaching. You can expose them to all the priests and active religious that you want, but if you do not stress the benefits of contemplation, and how much that would make you happy if they went that route, how would your children desire the call to a contemplative cloistered order?

Finally, why would you want a style of parenting that reflects, in ANY measure, the modern age?

[kenrockthefirst]

[quote name='shortnun' post='1305952' date='Jun 29 2007, 06:55 PM']These are beautiful prayers that you and your wife are lifting up to God. And if it's not too forward, I'd like to join you in praying for your family. I would wish to pray especially for patience--for both you and your wife as you parent--but also for your boys, as they grow to know more and more what God has in store for them. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now, and will be forever. Amen.[/quote]
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I'll never say "no" to someone praying for us.

[quote name='adt6247' post='1320329' date='Jul 9 2007, 10:05 AM']If there is no internal pressure of prestige, or something similar, how will they effectively discern a call to a contemplative order? The Church teaches (albeit, not so vocally lately) that a calling to the priesthood or the religious life is a higher, more advanced vocation. There is prestige inherent in this teaching. You can expose them to all the priests and active religious that you want, but if you do not stress the benefits of contemplation, and how much that would make you happy if they went that route, how would your children desire the call to a contemplative cloistered order?

Finally, why would you want a style of parenting that reflects, in ANY measure, the modern age?[/quote]
Perhaps. All I'm saying is that there's a fine line between "encouragement" and "pushing."

As for the "modern age," as CS Lewis notes, every age has its strengths and weaknesses, no less our own. Certainly, I make no apology, for example, for not physically disciplining my children, which was acceptable in previous ages. We are blessed to live in a 21st century, first world country, which means that we can think of and plan for things beyond, "Where's my next meal coming from?" Amongst those possibilities is a calling from God. I would be remiss as a parent if I did not expose my children to the possibility of a vocation. However, I will never direct them to a vocation -- I will only provide the framework insofar as I can for them to discern whatever calling God has for them.

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='Aloysius' post='1267209' date='May 7 2007, 06:28 PM']I think seminary high school should be an open option... I don't like the way things are done now; ie, put it off till you've tested every other water, gone to college, prepared for a possible career, and had a taste of what life would be like outside of the seminary... et cetera et cetera. A great number of holy vocations come from children who receive the call and at that point are fostered in that direction.[/quote]

I dig what you're saying, but the model of seminiary high schools we had a few decades ago is definitely unreasonable in our society. However, it seems that a different model could be worked into existing high schools, where classes and extracurricular activities were offered to those who are discerning religious life while keeping the doors open to college, military, and other secular vocations. It's very rare that high school students are confident about what they'll be doing in ten years, and those who think they do will almost certainly change their minds.

College used to be where you prepared for the career you had already chosen, but anymore most college students are just as clueless as they were in high school It's more like a phase of career discernment, where you get to make friends who are studying different things and change majors pretty easily. Testing the waters elsewhere doesn't mean that your ultimate vocation is a "second" choice because nothing else felt right. Those who choose religious after college are living testimonies that they found something higher and more fulfilling than those wordly pursuits. Besides, within the religious vocation, the possibilities for following different career paths are virtually unlimited. Most priests are obviously pastors and teachers, but others could also be professors, writers, filmmakers, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, social workers, investment managers... etc. Since the priesthood isn't a profession in itself, but the context in which men practice their profession, college is a great time for men to explore how they would like to serve God as a priest or brother while continuing to discern their vocation.

Of course, what I'm suggesting isn't the only way, but in our society, it's the more common path.

[Norseman82]

[quote name='LouisvilleFan' post='1320454' date='Jul 9 2007, 12:20 PM']I dig what you're saying, but the model of seminiary high schools we had a few decades ago is definitely unreasonable in our society. However, it seems that a different model could be worked into existing high schools, where classes and extracurricular activities were offered to those who are discerning religious life while keeping the doors open to college, military, and other secular vocations. It's very rare that high school students are confident about what they'll be doing in ten years, and those who think they do will almost certainly change their minds.[/quote]

What is being set up here in Chicago is a "Quigley scholar" program for those in high schools that are discerning priesthood at that stage of life. However, I doubt it can recreate the support structure of having scores of teenagers all in the same boat, as well as having a common curriculum.

Besides, how many of those high schools teach Latin, and if they did I don't know if a transporter accident could somehow clone Fr. Sheridan for all those Latin classes (without splitting him into good and evil clones).

[Norseman82]

[quote name='Norseman82' post='1302954' date='Jun 27 2007, 12:34 AM']Speaking as a Quigley alumnus, may I ask you to elaborate?[/quote]

for I---love

[brendan1104]

Besides the Legion's 3 in the US, there's also an SSPX boarding school, a private Franciscan school, and 3 or 4 independent trad minor seminaries.