Our seminary is producing many great priests

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rob_in_Oregon
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Rob_in_Oregon

Guest
My family and I live in the Archdiocese of Portland, in western Oregon.

In the past 15 years, we’ve had seven or eight assistant priests in our parish who were newly ordained. Every one of them has been outstanding! Devout, 100% faithful to Church teaching, respectful of the sacraments (especially mass) and wonderful preachers.

I hear that our archdiocesan seminary in Mount Angel, Oregon, currently has about 50 more good young men studying for the priesthood, with even more in religious order formation programs elsewhere who will minister here.

We baby boomer post-Vatican II Catholics have suffered a lot in the past 45 years, but I think the long walk through the desert is coming to an end, at least here in Oregon.

Perhaps the days of suburban mega-parishes with 4,000 families and one or two priests are coming to and end, too. As more and more good priests are ordained, parishes can become smaller, more numerous, and less impersonal.

I may not live to see the fullness of the restoration of the Church, but I think it’s well underway. Thank you, almighty God, and thank you Pope Benedict! And especially, thanks to all of you who kept this situation in your prayers and offerings all these years.

Do you see signs of hope in your location, too?

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth!
  • Rob in Oregon
 
Ah, I remember my days at Mount Angel as a college student ('90). They’ve grown and gotten even better since then.

Our diocese currently has on man in formation there.

I think there has been a change in many seminaries across the nation. I am excited about what is happening in the area of vocations and in our seminaries.
 
So glad to hear that your area of the World is doing so well. That’s, actually, the first I’ve heard someone reporting a plentitude of new, young, priests. Seems that in my own diocese (Buffalo, NY) that parishes keep closing and consolidating and the poor pastors keep taking on more and more responsibilities. I’m not sure how they manage to fit it all in. I don’t think I’ve seen two priests or a deacon at my church in 20 years.
Well, we’ll just keep spreading the good word. Sounds like you’re reporting that there are very respectable, thorough, and faithful seminaries these days for these men to attend. That’s positive news.
Peace,
Darrin
 
Yes, the Benedictine Abbey at Mt. Angel, Oregon, is a beautiful setting for our seminary. It’s been a while since I’ve visited the Abbey. The farming community of Mt. Angel has a harvest festival they call Octoberfest. Perhaps I’ll head down there from Portland this fall and take in a beer garden and polka music.

William Cardinal Levada used to be the archbishop of our diocese, 20-something years ago. I heard that he was responsible for many positive changes at our seminary.

I also hear that Bishop Fabian Bruskewicz (sp?) in Nebraska is running a wonderful seminary that cannot accommodate the large numbers of good, young, orthodox men who wish to study there. He recently made a large expansion of the school, and still doesn’t have room for them all.

The trendy, “with it” modernist dioceses are still having a terrible time with lack of vocations, from what I hear. I think this fact was not lost of John Paul II, and Pope Benedict is also well aware of it. Dissenting, rebellious Catholicism has a way of not renewing itself, don’t you think?

Continuing to pray for the restoration…
  • Rob in Oregon
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top