Traditional Seminarian

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cue said:
Well said. However, Bob, you opened this can of worms.

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Yes I did. I should have not commented on the first post telling him to find another seminary and perhaps it would have died out. I sincerely apologize to Matt for imperding his chance of getting honest answers to his questions.
 
Our answers are honest. Tradition is what I would honestly recommend for someone seeking to be sincerely traditional at seminary.
 
I agree with whomever said this is O/T from the OP question – but this O/T query is fascinating and I’ll be happy to dive in when someone decides to move it to a new thread.
 
What seminary will you be attending and for what diocese or community will you be studying? That will, in part, answer your question as to “what else” you should have. If they are open to traditionalism, you can go a little more full bore in living traditionalism on your sleeve. If not so much, you may actually need to use discretion and find more subtle expressions.

My primary answer, however, would be to bring your devotion with you. That will speak louder than anything else of extrinsic signs or handbooks.
 
Hey Matt!

If you haven’t run screammng from the building yet… 🙂

Priests for the Third Millenium, by Msgr. (then) Timothy Dolan
  • He was rector of the North American College in ROme and he writes from experience concerning the challenges you’re about to face
True Devotion to Mary, by St. Louis de Montfort (Or anything on the same topic by St Maximillian Kolbe)
  • I have never known a priest with a deep devotion to Blessed Mother who succombed to heterodoxy. If you have not already, prayerfully consider consecrating yourself and your vocation to Mary.
God bless you.
 
estesbob said:
Since the overwhelming majority of Catholics in this country are not interested in the Latin Mass the need for priests to minister to small groups like the ICRSS or FSSP is not nearly as urgent as it is for the diocese.
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From my own personal experience - and from the words of his grace ArchBishop Burke - the ICKSP is serving the archdiocese of St. Louis greatly and producing much fruit.
At present, the Archdiocese of Saint Louis has a most effective apostolate on behalf of the faithful who are attached to the extraordinary form of the Rite of the Mass, that is the Roman Missal of Blessed Pope John XXIII. Saint Francis de Sales Oratory is the center of the apostolate and serves well the faithful who desire the celebration of the Mass and of the other Sacraments according to the rites which were in force in 1962…
(ArchBishop Burke, “Be Not Afraid”, July 20, 2007)
estesbob said:
It is a shame that a seminarian cannot come into this forum and ask questions without being drug into an ongoing forum dispute.
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The original poster stated that he was seeking to “live as a traditional college seminarian at a diocesan seminary” - hence a logical question would be why the diocesan seminary rather than a FSSP or ICKSP seminary. I don’t think anyone is trying to turn this into a dispute - that was just an honest question.

For my advice to the OP, I would just suggest that he make sure his time in seminary will include a good dose of Latin and also compentant training in offering the extraordinary form of the Latin Rite.

Again, from Archbishop Burke…
…The seminarians at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary will be provided the liturgical formation necessary to celebrate the Mass according to the extraordinary form. Their studies of Latin will also give attention to the texts of the extraordinary form.
(ArchBishop Burke, “Be Not Afraid”, July 20, 2007)
I hope seminaries around our country (and the world) will follow suit. Couldn’t hurt!!!

Peace in Christ,
DustinsDad
 
estesbob said:
Yes I did. I should have not commented on the first post telling him to find another seminary…
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The post in question did not “tell him to find another seminary”. It asked him if the diocesan seminary would offer training in the extraordinary form and in Latin - and, if not, then why not seek out the FSSP or ICKSP. A logical and completely charitible series of questions. I think you took it the wrong way.

DustinsDad
 
Seminarian_Matt said:
I am starting seminary in just two weeks. I have a cassock, Christian Prayer (the one volume LOTH book), and a handful of Catholic books in addition to standard college supplies. What else would you recommend I obtain since I seek to live as a traditional college seminarian at a diocesan seminary?
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A surplice for Mass? Also, its a running joke that you can always tell American Seminarians because they wear pants under their cassocks. Can I suggest long stockings?😛

And am I stating the obvious by saying Rosary beads?😃

A spiritual director, humility and heaps of people praying for you…

Oh and a “Latin for Dummies” book.😉
 
Everyone, thank you for the suggestions. And I am certainly not at all offended by the suggestion to join the FSSP or Institute of Christ the King. I am a Traditionalist - I love, prefer, and wish to one day learn the TLM.

I have rosary beads 😃 , a cassock, and some of the books suggested such as Story of a Soul. I will definitely keep the other suggestions in mind 👍 I have also not stop discerning a vocation to a traditional seminary either.

If you wish to read my vocation story, it is here:

acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2006/01/my-vocation.html

Some of my beliefs (so that you can understand why I am a Traditionalist) are in the first post here:

websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/apologia/vpost?id=1869981
 
I think, no matter what angle anyone is coming from, they can read your statement of beliefs and see hope for the Church. God always seems to raise up good men in the midst of chaos. Thankfully, Matt is the typical male aspiring for seminary. The next 50 years will be one of the more exciting times to be a Catholic.
 
Seminarian_Matt said:
Everyone, thank you for the suggestions. And I am certainly not at all offended by the suggestion to join the FSSP or Institute of Christ the King. I am a Traditionalist - I love, prefer, and wish to one day learn the TLM.

I have rosary beads 😃 , a cassock, and some of the books suggested such as Story of a Soul. I will definitely keep the other suggestions in mind 👍 I have also not stop discerning a vocation to a traditional seminary either.
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God bless you, Seminarian Matt, for your spiritual journey towards the priesthood. You are in my prayers.

A few years ago we had a newly ordained diocesan priest who was permitted to celebrate his first mass as a TLM at our Cathedral. He wasn’t allowed to “publicize” it because it was a TLM, but for those who did know about it, they got the word around and between 1000-1500 people in our area appeared to support him. I believe he is now at a traditional parish that only does the TLM.

So, if you do decide to stay within the diocesan seminary, you should still be able to say the TLM after you are ordained. It will probably be much easier to do now, than for that other young priest, since the Motu Proprio.

P.S. Many of our diocesan priests at our cathedral wear their cassocks regularly - at least when I see them every week. 🙂 One already knows the TLM, another is enrolled to learn it.
 
Matt, I am reading an incredible book by St Alphonsus de Liquori (given to me by an aspiring seminarian friend). It is called “Duties and Dignity of the Priest.” I highly recommend it. My copy is dated 1927, but I think it might be available from Tan Publishers. I wish everyone would read that book, even though it is targeted toward priests. I can’t recommend it enough.
 
Good luck to you!

If we message you via your blog, would we be able to get your mailing address to send you letters and goodies while you are in seminary and away from the compy?
 
PatienceAndLove said:
Good luck to you!

If we message you via your blog, would we be able to get your mailing address to send you letters and goodies while you are in seminary and away from the compy?
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I will still be able to email from the seminary 👍
 
On a lighter note…

Take some Febreeze. Seminaries = full of guys which tends to = not so clean smelling after a semester.
 
ChemicalBean said:
On a lighter note…

Take some Febreeze. Seminaries = full of guys which tends to = not so clean smelling after a semester.
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And smelly-good man wash. As a girl, it’s amazing how good you feel after taking a smelly-good shower.
 
Seminarian_Matt said:
I am starting seminary in just two weeks. I have a cassock, Christian Prayer (the one volume LOTH book), and a handful of Catholic books in addition to standard college supplies. What else would you recommend I obtain since I seek to live as a traditional college seminarian at a diocesan seminary?
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Get a copy of the Imitation of Christ.

Get a copy of the The Four Last Things.

Get a good little “Examination of Conscious” booklet, use it often, go to confession frequently.

I am reading your posts regularly and have some advice that is going to raise some eyebrows but it comes from the heart and experience. It comes with my sincere hope that if priesthood is your vocation you can make it through what will be difficult.

In short, keep the biretta at home, your mouth shut, and your head down. Stay out of the crossfire, do not give them an excuse. Period.

Sound harsh? Let me explain.

10 years ago I did go to seminary. A vocation was not for me, but I hung in for a while for discernment purposes.

But during that time I watched others - and myself - focus on externals, argue with instructors, and come in thinking they were theologians who knew well better than the priests there.

Here is the thing: You are going to hear things that are wrong. You are going to hear things that you do not agree with. You are going to see liturgical abuses - you are going to be taught they are OK. You are going to get some fluff theology. You are going to have instructors who are so effeminate and swishy you will wince. You ***will ***deal with sisters in pantsuits who think Joan Chittister is a hero and are annoyed that ***you ***get to study for priesthood when they believe they should already be consecrated bishop.

What do you do? KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT AND PERSERVERE.

And what happens if you should opt “stand up, speak out for orthodoxy and tradition!”? Rather simply two things:
  1. It leads to the occasion of sin of pride.
  2. It opens you wide up to being persecuted, drummed out, and could lead to the denial of Holy Orders that the faithful so gravely need.
I watched guys come in who spoke out against everything. They came in with the finest cassocks, the best externals, and pontificated on matters like they were just coming out of a conclave, newly elected. These were not bad guys, but they were targets.

"Ulta traditionalists. Unstable. Homosexual. Closet Case. Convertitis. Fundamentalist. Imbalanced. (Derisively) Pre-V-2-Crew. Mysogynistic. Antiquated. Rigid. Scrupulous." You will hear all of those things if you jump into the firing range.

If on the other hand, you keep your head down, mind your Ps & Qs, focus hard on your studies, and give no one an excuse you can do what a lot of guys I knew did - they made it to the altar, and they left the church swinging. They prayed together, they chose good confessors, and they jumped through the right hoops.

They run missions, preach orthodoxy, implore the faithful to the confessional, direct men to great and growing orders, take part in diaconal formation, counsel folks for good Christian marriage. And how did they get there? 4-8 grueling years of keeping their mouths shut and knowing that better things and bigger battles await.

We will all be praying for you during this discernment time.
 
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