Life in seminary

[curlycool89]

I personally “dropped out” of engineering after 2 years because I was sure God was calling me and figured that if that is the case two years would be better spent in ministry later on than completing a degree.

I did the opposite. 2 year into engineering and I decided to continue for (3 more years incidentally). Overall, it will be the same amount of time in school, because it would have been do a 4 year BA (because I expect that very little would have transferred over) vs. do 3 more years of engineering plus 1 year of philosophy. It also gave me a chance to volunteer to assist the campus ministry and Catholic student groups for a few years (something that I will not have time to do in Seminary, assisting on the university campus), which gave me a lot of good advice and experience in what you might call a “non-traditional” setting.

It helped that I did co-op too, so I graduated debt-free.

In my home diosese they don’t take people straight out of high school. My archdioses says that you have to have a college degree first before entering the seminary. Well, at least what the priests who’ve told me.

It’s not a bad policy. You gain a lot of life experience, especially if you go to university away from home because it forces you to learn how to live (to do mundane tasks like laundry, cooking, cleaning, pay an electric bill, managing your savings, setting your own curfew, and managing your own academic career for success away from nagging parents and teachers), things that you can’t necessarily be taught in a seminary.

 

[Iaamiccwint]

I did the opposite. 2 year into engineering and I decided to continue for (3 more years incidentally). Overall, it will be the same amount of time in school, because it would have been do a 4 year BA (because I expect that very little would have transferred over) vs. do 3 more years of engineering plus 1 year of philosophy. It also gave me a chance to volunteer to assist the campus ministry and Catholic student groups for a few years (something that I will not have time to do in Seminary, assisting on the university campus), which gave me a lot of good advice and experience in what you might call a “non-traditional” setting.

It helped that I did co-op too, so I graduated debt-free.

It’s not a bad policy. You gain a lot of life experience, especially if you go to university away from home because it forces you to learn how to live (to do mundane tasks like laundry, cooking, cleaning, pay an electric bill, managing your savings, setting your own curfew, and managing your own academic career for success away from nagging parents and teachers), things that you can’t necessarily be taught in a seminary.

Any person can learn these tasks without being in a university and away from home…I commute to my college from my hometown and I can very much do those tasks while going to school from my hometown. (I live in the city and universities are only a bus ride and subway ride away. Plus, dorming expenses are way to expensive.)

Teachers, parents, and other older adults have never nagged or bothered me. They always supported me.

Btw, do you have to pay for the seminary when you attend and what if you come into the seminary with different degrres and / or massive student debt? Do you have to pay it while in the seminary and / or while a priest?

Can you work as in have a secular job while in the seminary?

How did you graduate debt free?

 

[curlycool89]

Btw, do you have to pay for the seminary when you attend and what if you come into the seminary with different degrres and / or massive student debt? Do you have to pay it while in the seminary and / or while a priest?

Generally, you have to pay for any undergraduate studies (so I will have to pay for my 1 year of philosophy), but the diocese usually pays for the graduate studies (the theology).

Can you work as in have a secular job while in the seminary?

No, that would be impossible. During the day you are at school, and other time there is important formation (communal prayer, meals, community activities, and other spiritual formation). Although they do recommend that the seminarians get jobs in the summer.

How did you graduate debt free?

Combination of co-op (full-time work terms between academic semesters), scholarships, and RESPs, and I guess good money management (I didn’t go and buy a new car for example, I have an old used one).

 

[MPSchneiderLC]

I did the opposite. 2 year into engineering and I decided to continue for (3 more years incidentally). Overall, it will be the same amount of time in school, because it would have been do a 4 year BA (because I expect that very little would have transferred over) vs. do 3 more years of engineering plus 1 year of philosophy. It also gave me a chance to volunteer to assist the campus ministry and Catholic student groups for a few years (something that I will not have time to do in Seminary, assisting on the university campus), which gave me a lot of good advice and experience in what you might call a “non-traditional” setting.

It helped that I did co-op too, so I graduated debt-free.

As someone else pointed out, there is no ONE way. I spoke to the diocesan vocation director and he was basically suggesting that path to me if I were to become a diocesan priest.

 

[curlycool89]

As someone else pointed out, there is no ONE way. I spoke to the diocesan vocation director and he was basically suggesting that path to me if I were to become a diocesan priest.

Of course not. I just thought I’d give the opposite perspective since that’s what I did.

 

[SeminarianK]

As someone who goes to St. Charles, I say welcome! I’m a third year student now in college. Hope you are looking forward to attending.

Furthermore, St. Charles IS in Pennsylvania. Smack dab in the middle of the most Jewish part of PA I’ve ever been in. Ironic, yet pleasant.

 

[datritle]

A bit like a dorm in a College, except instead of a bar there’s a chapel!

true…but at Mt. Saint Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md, there IS a bar right when you enter the recreation room. i mean…a BAR. not a few bottles, an actual bar. lol

 

[smak_84]

St. Charles is a fairly strict seminary, run by the Archdiocese of Philly which is in the middle of a mess at the moment. It’s an absolutely huge campus (for a seminary). They have a TON of financial resources for someone who really wants to learn. In the end, as with any number of resources, the seminary environment will ultimately depend on the orthodoxy and psychological makeup of who’s running the thing (the rector, vice-rector, etc.).

Generally I’ve heard that the academic formation is orthodox, and that you will undoubtedly get actually get the church’s teaching there (and a large dose of Fr. Raymond Brown’s scriptural work). However, the human formation (i.e. can you function as a healthy human being and as an integrated male in the real world with dysfunctional and manipulative men and women?), and the spiritual formation seem to leave something to be desired. You may have to make sure that you supplement these yourself, or that you make a group of friends who will make this happen. I know nothing of their pastoral formation (how you function in an official capacity in ministering to others).

I don’t know what age you are, but make sure that you develop the ability to have healthy, normal relationships with both men and women. If you don’t, then once you are introduced to the real world, it may not end well - I’ve heard of this happening time and time again (and St. Charles has a tendency to create a really artificial environment, so this caution goes double for anyone there).

I hope this helps.

 

[smak_84]

I once wanted to become a priest, but I later realized I want to have my own job where I make money, keep my own money, etc. I don’t think theres anything wrong or selfish with that. Also, I’m deeply connected to my hometown and my family and friends and to be shuffeled around to different communities doesn’t fit into my lifestyle. I’m deeply involved with my community and I believe my services would be better suited to my city than some random neigboorhood that I’ve never been too. I decided I want to become a permanant deacon. I’m studying political science right now and plan on getting a nursing degree after. I also found out that you have to be a much more older person in order to be a permanant dea[c]on…which I don’t quite understand. I do know that don’t want to or plan on getting married. So, yeah…Women aren’t for me…advice?

The permanent deaconate carries a requirement the people be well settled in their lives (this is why the minimum age for married deacons is 35, and requires the consent of their wives). Celibate, permanent deacons are a rarer case, but the minimum age according to Canon Law reflects that of a celibate priest: 25. If the idea of being configured to the image of Christ the Servant is attractive, then find a spiritual director, and he will help you.

You may want to look into that issue of women as well - you need to honestly ask yourself why you have this attitude toward women. Ultimately with a celibate vocation, you need to find out what God wants you to do. As part of this discernment, you need to realize that celibacy will demand a very high level of sexual integration either as a priest or as a deacon. You need to be at peace with your God-given sexuality and not trying to run from it - celibacy is no place to hide unresolved issues.

Celibacy is only possible in a fairly integrated human person - it can only be done with grace (because it is a super-natural mode of living). The more damaged one’s sexuality is (or the more repressed it is - in the psychological sense), the less grace will be able work in that life, and the greater the chance of disaster.

Hope this helps.