Seminaries

[ConfirmPassword]

Is there a specific age that one has to be in order to join a seminary? Can someone go to a seminary instead of high school?

 

[Ad_Deum]

For age requirements…
From what I know as long as the seeker is not over 30 years old and not below 20 in age.

Seminary or High School…
Some seminaries have Minor Seminaries or Preparatory Schools for High School Students.
Requires High School or some College level.

For more accurate answers you can ask your local church priest or if you are called to serve to a Traditional Catholic Socities (In communion with Rome) check out the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) and the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.
Those religious groups are in-full communion with Rome, and follows the 1962 Roman Missal.
There are other “Traditional Catholic seminaries/group,” you can check them out at this website address uder Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communities_Using_the_Tridentine_Mass.

I hope you find what you are searching for.

Pax
Laudater Jesus Christo
Instaurare omnia in Christo

 

[Ad_Deum]

If you are looking for a seminary or you want to know more about Catholic Church’s seminaries or religious orders (Traditional) you can visit this site:

thenewliturgicalmovement.blogspot.com/#Organizations

Pax
Laudater Jesus Christo
Instaurare omnia in Christo

 

[Timmay]

For age requirements…
From what I know as long as the seeker is not over 30 years old and not below 20 in age.

Actually, while that may be the policy of some orders and possible some dioceses, that’s not an overall rule. You will find that some orders and just about every diocese will accept older vocations. You’d have to contact the diocese or order you have in mind to find out their policies on that.

In fact, late vocations or “second-career vocations” are happening more and more these days. People who either ignored the call when younger or didn’t hear/didn’t recognize the call are discovering it years later and leaving behind their lives to pursue the priesthood. There have even been several cases in the past couple years of older men–with grown-up children and even grandchildren–whose wives have passed away going on to be ordained. Though from my understanding, these older vocations don’t go through a traditional seminary program. I may be wrong on this, but I believe there are a few houses of formation for older vocations that take the men through a shorter formation process. Someone correct me if I’m wrong on that, please.

But… Since the OP is inquiring about seminary instead of high school, I’m guessing he’s not too concerned with older vocations.

As Ad Deum said, there are some prepatory schools out there. I wouldn’t expect to find a minor/high school seminary, though. Those have almost all shut down over the past few decades. (With Quigley in Chicago closing, I don’t even know of any left.)

My advice to the OP, if he is considering seminary or is asking on behalf of someone, is to contact the vocations director for whatever diocese or order you are considering. Or if you don’t know who to consider or how to contact them, go to your parish priest or any priest you really trust and talk with them. A good priest will help you get in touch.

By the way, there is an entire sub-forum dedicated to Vocations here. It’s under the “Catholic Living” heading. Check it out. There’s a number of other people, young and old, pursuing vocations around here. There’s a lot of people who can offer advice and help you out.

Good luck, and God bless you.

 

[chicago]

As Ad Deum said, there are some prepatory schools out there. I wouldn’t expect to find a minor/high school seminary, though. Those have almost all shut down over the past few decades. (With Quigley in Chicago closing, I don’t even know of any left.)

There are a few remaining (Quigley was the largest and most notable), but they are few and far between. Basically, unless one happens to be in your area or a boy would be willing to move perhaps far from home, there is little in the way of discernment programs for youth left.

One would not go to “seminary instead of high school”, of course. Rather, one would attend (if it were available) a high school seminary. Such a preparatory program if essentially a high school which emphasizes more proufoundly prayer and discernment of call, with emphasis upon the priesthood. Upon graduation, the student is prepared to continue on to more dedicated higher levels of seminary, which include (but is not limited to) philosophy and theology. This typically takes about 8 years post high school.

More prevalent these days are college level seminaries. Essentially, these are houses or schools which try to accomplish some of the same sorts of things that the already discussed high school seminaries do, just at a higher level of study and to a more dedicated degree of discernment and involvement.

In other places, seminary study of essentially the same degree may begin more formally at this college age for students at the major seminary. But it is still going to take just as long as with the distinct college level schools.

 

[chicago]

I must add that it is never too young to explore a priestly vocation. Indeed, traditionally, such seeds are planted, particularly, in boys at an early age. Even St. John the Apostle is an example of this.

 

[Ad_Deum]

Actually, while that may be the policy of some orders and possible some dioceses, that’s not an overall rule. You will find that some orders and just about every diocese will accept older vocations. You’d have to contact the diocese or order you have in mind to find out their policies on that.

In fact, late vocations or “second-career vocations” are happening more and more these days. People who either ignored the call when younger or didn’t hear/didn’t recognize the call are discovering it years later and leaving behind their lives to pursue the priesthood. There have even been several cases in the past couple years of older men–with grown-up children and even grandchildren–whose wives have passed away going on to be ordained. Though from my understanding, these older vocations don’t go through a traditional seminary program. I may be wrong on this, but I believe there are a few houses of formation for older vocations that take the men through a shorter formation process. Someone correct me if I’m wrong on that, please.

But… Since the OP is inquiring about seminary instead of high school, I’m guessing he’s not too concerned with older vocations.

As Ad Deum said, there are some prepatory schools out there. I wouldn’t expect to find a minor/high school seminary, though. Those have almost all shut down over the past few decades. (With Quigley in Chicago closing, I don’t even know of any left.)

My advice to the OP, if he is considering seminary or is asking on behalf of someone, is to contact the vocations director for whatever diocese or order you are considering. Or if you don’t know who to consider or how to contact them, go to your parish priest or any priest you really trust and talk with them. A good priest will help you get in touch.

By the way, there is an entire sub-forum dedicated to Vocations here. It’s under the “Catholic Living” heading. Check it out. There’s a number of other people, young and old, pursuing vocations around here. There’s a lot of people who can offer advice and help you out.

Good luck, and God bless you.

Thank you for a clearer information

Pax
Laudater Jesus Christo
Instaurare omnia in Christo

 

[Melanie01]

I know of a seminary in Oz that has a Minor Seminary that allows young fellas the opportunity to be educated in an environment that promotes a solid Catholic formation. The boys have an opportunity to gain a first class education and discern whether or not they are called to the priesthood.

No doubt they exist elsewhere…

 

[PKinsale]

Is there a specific age that one has to be in order to join a seminary? Can someone go to a seminary instead of high school?

Are you looking for a high-school seminary program? I was a “Junior Seminarian” here for two years at their boarding high school in California. It’s a terrific program.

 

[NewUlm1976_2000]

Well, the IHM Seminary in Winona, MN requires you to get your Bachelor’s degree first, you can be in but they require you to go 4 years to St. Mary’s University (right next door) for a Bachelor’s degree and then you continue on from there to fulfill other requirements.

ihmseminary.org/apply.htm

 

[domineutvideam]

There is a high school seminary (locally referred to as the “minor seminary”) located at Westminster Abbey in the Archdiocese of Vancouver (Canada). It’s run by a solid Benedictine community. They also run a college seminary. The seminarians live at the Abbey and participate in the liturgy of the hours and the Mass with the monastic community. I know several seminarians in both the “minor” (highschool [grades 8 - 12]) and “major” (college) seminaries.

The seminary is called Seminary of Christ the King and you can find contact info and more information at:
sck.ca/pages/home.htm

A popular vocations video that has surfaced on the internet was made by some of the seminarians there.
youtube.com/watch?v=EL0gTh9ECLQ