Priesthood after college?

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4givemeasinner

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I’m going to college in NYC this fall. If I majored in Theology, how long would I be in seminary afterwords for the Archdiocese of NY? And how do they handle college debt?
 
4givemeasinner said:
I’m going to college in NYC this fall. If I majored in Theology, how long would I be in seminary afterwords for the Archdiocese of NY? And how do they handle college debt?
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The answer is, it depends - refer to post #2. My nephew went to college and got a business degree before studying to become a priest. The business degree was on him, the theology degree he received in the seminary will be paid by the church.
 
SamH said:
The answer is, it depends - refer to post #2. My nephew went to college and got a business degree before studying to become a priest. The business degree was on him, the theology degree he received in the seminary will be paid by the church.
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I would agree with this, as it is how it usually works in my diocese also.

OP, here is a link to the Program of Priestly Formation. In addtion to talking to the vocations department, I strongly suggest that any man considering the priesthood read it.

Peace be with you on your journey. 🙂
 
4givemeasinner said:
I’m going to college in NYC this fall. If I majored in Theology, how long would I be in seminary afterwords for the Archdiocese of NY? And how do they handle college debt?
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It is also possible that, If you are accepted as a seminarian, the diocese will also pay for your undergrad. But as previously mentioned check with your diocese.
 
4givemeasinner said:
I’m going to college in NYC this fall. If I majored in Theology, how long would I be in seminary afterwords for the Archdiocese of NY? And how do they handle college debt?
Click to expand...
You are in my prayers. I am at the moment inquiring into the Society of Jesus and the Diocese of Brooklyn. I am going to college this fall. Contact your vocation director. God bless!
 
In college, you may want to focus more on philosophy than theology. Though individual dioceses and seminaries vary slightly, most want you to have around 30 credits in philosophy and 12 credits in theology before you’re admitted to the Major Seminary.
 
Remember, if you’re going to a Secular college (e.g. Non-seminary college), then the diocese will only know that you have received academic knowledge… they would not know if you have received Pastoral, human, and spiritual formation…

I asked my priest about going to Notre Dame for my minor seminary, and he told the exact same thing… It would take longer for me to be ordained if I didn’t go to a minor seminary.

So just go where the Diocese sends you.
 
4givemeasinner said:
I’m going to college in NYC this fall. If I majored in Theology, how long would I be in seminary afterwords for the Archdiocese of NY? And how do they handle college debt?
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It would depend in part on where you studied. As others have noted, a minor seminary may be a better idea in part because academic studies is only one part of seminary formation. If anything doing theology before seminary doesn’t make easier, if anything it just makes them more complicated. You’d still need to do (or re-do) any theology courses which you hadn’t done (or which the diocese didn’t consider sufficient for credit) and you’d also be doing different classes from the others in your year at the seminary.
 
JD27076 said:
Remember, if you’re going to a Secular college (e.g. Non-seminary college), then the diocese will only know that you have received academic knowledge… they would not know if you have received Pastoral, human, and spiritual formation…

I asked my priest about going to Notre Dame for my minor seminary, and he told the exact same thing… It would take longer for me to be ordained if I didn’t go to a minor seminary.

So just go where the Diocese sends you.
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Actually any Catholic college should be sufficient . Going to a college seminary is not required to enter the theologate. One of our priests went to ND for his undergrad and was immediately accepted in the major seminary. Same with others who went to Catholic colleges as long as they had the required prerequisites in philosophy and theology. Even if you didn’t go to a Catholic college most men only have to do one year to 1 1/2 years longer to make up the prerequisites. The men in our college seminary study at local Catholic colleges but they still have to do the 4 years in the major seminary. They don’t get a shortened formation period. The only men I know whose time was shortened were ones who already had a Masters in Theology or an M. Div. BTW Notre Dame is where all the men studying for the Congregation of the Holy Cross study, I was in theology classes with some of them.
 
L_Marshall said:
In college, you may want to focus more on philosophy than theology. Though individual dioceses and seminaries vary slightly, most want you to have around 30 credits in philosophy and 12 credits in theology before you’re admitted to the Major Seminary.
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This. Seminarians study philosophy in minor (college) seminary and theology in major (equivalent of grad school) seminary.
 
4givemeasinner said:
I’m going to college in NYC this fall. If I majored in Theology, how long would I be in seminary afterwords for the Archdiocese of NY? And how do they handle college debt?
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Please talk to your Diocesan Vocations Director as soon as possible. He can answer your questions much better than any of us can. I would not advise you to get into huge amounts of college debt, as to my understanding, this might be a problem for your entry into seminary. But again, check with the Vocations Director.
 
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