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anon64704623
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I don’t understand what you mean.
Do you agree seminary education should be free? (excluding living expenses)
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joeybaggz
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Don’t know the ins and outs of diocesan funding, but I am wondering if one diocese only has one candidate and another has four, would a seminary sort of average cost for 5. And if a seminary needed 12 candidates per year and had 16, would they allow for the difference between dioceses with 5 and those with 1?
Edited to ask. If the yearly cost of running the program is $750,000 and they had eighteen potential candidates each assessed at $50,000 per year. An overage of $150,000 would exist. Could a diocese with only one candidate having only $30,000 be accepted as all costs have been covered?
Edited to ask. If the yearly cost of running the program is $750,000 and they had eighteen potential candidates each assessed at $50,000 per year. An overage of $150,000 would exist. Could a diocese with only one candidate having only $30,000 be accepted as all costs have been covered?
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SuscipeMeDomine
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I think you would need to identify threads. Do you know that this is verified or is it that you heard that someone else heard from yet someone else that this is the case?
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Xanthippe_Voorhees
Guest
You stated if the amount that the public donates is insufficent than the insitution should just eat the costs.
But that dosn’t make any sense
Dioceses Seminary fees $30k per year per student
St. John’s parish sets aside $60k for seminarians. They have 2 great. Enough money
St. Mark’s parish sets aside $130k. They have 3. More than enough.
St. Philomena’s parish sets aside $40k. They have 3 seminarians…what now?
Seminaries have fixed costs. Building costs, staff costs, training costs. They can’t operate at a loss.
Let me clue you into something. While the cost of higher education is getting higher, for the most part, colleges are not making money hand over fist. Most private NPO colleges today are steps away from disaster and dumping their endowments into improvements that attract students.
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tweedlealice
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Tell him to check w the LEGION OF CHRIST! We donate…
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Cor_ad_Cor
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Here’s a prediction based on the OP’s model of seminary funding: the newly ordained will probably not have as much priestly formation or study in theology or pastoral care, but I’d be willing to bet they’re darn good fundraisers.
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anon64704623
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I think you misunderstand. For example, in my country, there is no religious institute at all. My church will have to send me to another country to study for my priesthood. If my church does not have enough money to cover the costs, the foreign institute will be chasing after me and my church.
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anon64704623
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I have a strange feeling this will happen. Lol!
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Xanthippe_Voorhees
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Chasing after you?Xanthippe_Voorhees:
I think you misunderstand. For example, in my country, there is no religious institute at all. My church will have to send me to another country to study for my priesthood. If my church does not have enough money to cover the costs, the foreign institute will be chasing after me and my church.
You make a decision to purchase a service.
First, it wouldn’t be the seminary “chasing after you” it would be whatever company you took loans with.
Second, you need to figure out costs like an adult rather than complain.
Third, if you need to be sent to another country anyway, why not comparison shop? You speak English which means that you have Ireland, Brittan, Canada, America, Australia, New Zeeland and a few other countries to choose from…with thousands of options. I’m guessing that one of those would have something closer to what you need.
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anon64704623
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anon64704623
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Are you angry?
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Xanthippe_Voorhees
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No, why?
You seem to be set on complaining about a process which you appear to know very little about.
Most dioceses require a candidate to have a 4-year education already–so I’m making the assumption that you have successfully navigated the educational process before.
If not, I think you ought to take a hard look at yourself. Are you really stating that you feel your entire higher education should be free because you want to be a priest? Should we also then make musical education free for our choirs and organists? Should we give a free education to our DRE’s? What about the church secretary? Should he or she go to trade school for free?
And what would happen to the costs if a young man discerns out?
And what about the very big financial burdan of all the medical and psychological tests beforehand?
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brian_custer
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i agree seminary education should be free
is that financially possible? … most likely not
is that financially possible? … most likely not
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anon64704623
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I never said I wanted to become a priest. I am just asking should an institute that teach religion be charging money instead of charity. For example, a Buddhist monastery do no charge those who want to ordain as a monk.
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anon64704623
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This I agree but it feels wrong. That’s all.
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brian_custer
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seminarians can/should pay for their room & board
but a theological education should be paid for on the account of the catholic community
but a theological education should be paid for on the account of the catholic community
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guanophore
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Education has costs. They have to be paid somehow.
Why would you think there would be a difference? Education costs, no matter what the field.
The way to heaven is found by grace, through faith. Jesus paid the price of our salvation on the cross. This has no relation to whatever vocation to which a person is called. Would you equally say that the expenses related to marriage and raising children are “buying our way to heaven”? I don’t understand.
The faithful have the obligation to support the ministers.
While this is true, living in this world has expenses.
Luke 10:7 “And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house.”
There is plenty of knowledge available “free” on the internet, and in books available to everyone. I have learned more about my faith since joining CAF than I have in decades of being a “baptized Catholic”. There are resources available to anyone who wants to study their faith.
What I think you are missing is the spiritual formation of priests. This is not just a matter of
“knowledge” but of prayer, discernment, spiritual direction. Seminarians become part of a community in which they are housed, fed, clothed, and their medical needs addressed. They
have travelling expenses between semesters. While the “knowledge” is freely available, it is not the only expense.
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Xanthippe_Voorhees
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You still haven’t answered.
What if a person discerns out?
Education is no longer relegated to those of a certain class…which is a good thing. Most people are afforded a K-12 education for free in most first and second world countries. This makes the old model of priestly education very different than it has been for centuries. No matter how holy a 15th-century peasant unless he got very lucky there was no way for him to become a priest. There was a time when seminaries were generally full, but education was very different and there were oppurtunities for young boys to opt out of general education into more directed religious studies.
We’re in a time that’s different than all of humanity. We also no longer have “simplex” ordination which complicates matters a great deal as priests basically have to be well educated with no other options.
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guanophore
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I think you lost me here. What doe any of these expenses have to do with becoming holy? All of us are called to be holy, regardless of one’s state in life. A person who is desiring to become a priest and is at a public university studying philosophy still has expenses.
Are you suggesting that you should personally foot the bill for every student who is accepted at Seminary that believes they may be called to the priesthood? If they or their spiritual directors discern that they are not called to the priesthood, or they wash out of school, who should pay the bills?
It appears that you have a very primitive view of the educational system.
And what are you, personally, doing about your beliefs?
No, but what is meant by “pick up the cost”? Those of us in the diocese pay for the support of the seminarians. It is not “free”. Just because the student does not get stuck with the bill does not mean someone does not pay.
I do agree that a person who feels called should not be impeded by financial considerations, but someone is going to be responsible for them.
How does this happen?
No seminarian is “forced to pay” anything. If they are not personally able to shoulder the expense of their education, there are options. You seem to believe that education does not cost anything. I have yet to read a post of yours that suggests another alternative (rather than making the student responsible).
It is not the duty of the priest to “spread the word of God”. That duty belongs to the laity. The duty of the priest is to support the laity to do the work of the ministry.
It is not about “refusing” to teach. It is about having one’s bills to pay. How are educators to pay their own living expenses? Honestly, you seem to have your head somewhere that the sun does not shine!
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HolySpirit1
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60 replies thus far, I havent read the opinions, though im sure the same has been said that, pending on the diocese that the tuition is paid for on top of a stipend for living expenses. A candidate for the priesthood wont be rejected due to lack of money. Bishops and a diocesan panel, look for candidates that have held a job for more than 2 years, have been established in their diocese for two years, have good grades in highschool or college which ever applies, is in good physical shape ( candidates have been rejected for being too over weight as it is a health insurance liabity that the diocese doesnt want to fit the bill on ) and have no mental imparements . And have the ability to follow rules. Drug Free, understand that they are not to be having relationships with women that could lead to any kind of romance.
what else… that is really it , i mean one could have a criminal history as long as it wasn’t severe and the person has done their time and is back in good standing with the social world, and working etc as stated above, money is not an issue for those candidates who actually meet the critieria a bishop and diocese are looking for.
IF anything, i think mens seminary education should be open to all men , who may not be sure if they have a calling or not, and want to give the college classes a try and pay out of their own pocket. Not all bishops/ Dioceses or seminaries allow this and even if they did, it wouldnt guarentee that the student would even be accepted as a seminarian candidate.
what else… that is really it , i mean one could have a criminal history as long as it wasn’t severe and the person has done their time and is back in good standing with the social world, and working etc as stated above, money is not an issue for those candidates who actually meet the critieria a bishop and diocese are looking for.
IF anything, i think mens seminary education should be open to all men , who may not be sure if they have a calling or not, and want to give the college classes a try and pay out of their own pocket. Not all bishops/ Dioceses or seminaries allow this and even if they did, it wouldnt guarentee that the student would even be accepted as a seminarian candidate.
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