Struggling Seminarian

  • Thread starter Thread starter Crepusculum
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Crepusculum

Guest
Dear all,
I’d like to ask you to help a friend of mine (besides praying) who is just beginning new year of seminary and is being bullied by his superiors. I am trying to find him saints he can relate to who also struggled with persecution from within - I have so far found St. Josemaria Escriva, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John of the Cross and a very obscure reference to the prelate of Hungary who I believe is currently Blessed or they’re working on it - it wasn’t too clear. Are there any other examples I can give him?

Thanks so much for your time and God bless.
 
Not trying to sound flippant here but another who struggled with persecution was Jesus. The cost was his life and he gave it.

If it helps…
I was once given as my penance, the requirement to say “Thanks be to God”, for everything, good, bad and indifferent that happened to me, for 1 entire month. Those four words have changed my outlook and my life. I am now sometimes able to see the “why”… that I used to wonder about. And even when I can’t understand that’s ok too as I know that it is all for God and not for me…so “Thanks Be To God”.

(And THANK YOU FATHER for that penance 🙂 )
 
Blessed Solanus Casey is an American priest who struggled much to get ordained and actually was never able to hear confessions - did have full priestly priveleges because he wasn’t “smart” enough. But he was able to help so many people, letting them know if someone was to be healed or not. People stood in line for hours to speak to him. His story might be especially inspiring as he is a recent American in the process of beatification. EWTN did a story on him and there are a couple of books about his life.
 
Its also important to remember that there are two sides to every story (or if you are a Babylon 5 fan three sides to the sword, yours, mine, and the truth).

What is meant by “bullied”? If this being done by the leadership of the seminary then he may wish to contact his vocation director and his bishop.

He should also have a spiritual director that he can work though this with.
 
Wait a minute! This does not call for pious devotion to saints. That’s toxic spirituality. If someone is being abused in a seminary or a religious house of formation, you don’t hand them a biography of a saint. That’s how people get hurt, no one finds out about it, later it explodes and scandals occur. If a seminarian feels that he is being bullied, he has a chain of command that he can go through and has a moral duty to do so. The same is true, if he’s a religious in formation.

Do more than give him a biography. Give him an appeals map. There is such a thing in both diocesan seminaries and religious houses of formation.

Those holy people, who from our pespective were “bullied” were very happy people. If someone feels that they are being targeted, they are unhappy. Unless the situation is rectified, they will be very miserable priests or religious. In which case, they would be better off going to another place. The situation has to be reported and discussed between the individual and his superiors.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
St. John Bosco was someone who faced persecution from his bishops. He was a great loving saint. And my personal idol.
 
I want to know, did this young man report his problems to the proper authorities? Has anyone suggested that he do that?

This is serious business folks. I do formation work. You can’t just not encourage a semianrian, novice, postulant or other person in formation to report when he’s struggling due to his superior. Praying and reading saints is not the answer here. Praying will help, but there is such a thing as using your resources and the chain of command. You pray your way up the chain of command that God will help you say what you need to say and be understood.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
JReducation said:
I want to know, did this young man report his problems to the proper authorities? Has anyone suggested that he do that?

This is serious business folks. I do formation work. You can’t just not encourage a semianrian, novice, postulant or other person in formation to report when he’s struggling due to his superior. Praying and reading saints is not the answer here. Praying will help, but there is such a thing as using your resources and the chain of command. You pray your way up the chain of command that God will help you say what you need to say and be understood.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
Click to expand...
I’m with JReducation on this. This does not sound right, and should be dealt with.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top