Seminarians to visit parishes Nov. 8-9

By Denver Catholic Register

More than 100 men are now in formation at the two seminaries operated by the Denver Archdiocese. Parishioners will have an opportunity to meet some of them at Masses the weekend of Nov. 8-9, when seminarians will visit many of the parishes to talk about vocations and to ask for donations.

The annual appeal generates 25 percent of the funds required to operate the seminaries, which aim to ensure there will be priests for this third millennium of the Church.
Since 1908 the sacred ground at 1300 S. Steele Street in Denver has been home to seminarian studies for the Archdiocese of Denver. 

The Congregation of the Mission order known as “the Vincentians” operated St. Thomas Theological Seminary until financial considerations forced them to close in 1995.  Shortly after the Vincentians decided to close the seminary, then-Archbishop J. Francis Stafford laid the groundwork for new seminaries in Denver when he led the purchase of the site.

“Through his efforts and inspired by the 1993 World Youth Day in Denver, Archbishop Stafford decided to open an archdiocesan ‘missionary’ seminary, Redemptoris Mater Missionary House of Formation (now called Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary),” said Bob Hurley, director of development for St. John Vianney Theological Seminary.

This innovative international seminary, now one of 72 such seminaries across the globe, forms priests to serve the Denver Archdiocese who also receive missionary training and can be sent, at the archbishop’s discretion, anywhere in the world.

“A few years later, and armed with Archbishop Stafford’s vision, Denver’s new Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., opened St. John Vianney Theological Seminary,” Hurley said. “He expanded seminarian efforts for men interested in the priesthood focusing on preparing men to be ‘parish’ priests.”

Today, the archdiocese has these two distinct seminaries—one dedicated to missionary work and the other to parish work—both forming priests to serve all of northern Colorado, Hurley said.
The first seminarians arrived at Redemptoris Mater in the spring of 1996, while the first seminarians for St. John Vianney arrived in 1999.  Between the two seminaries, there are currently 73 men studying to be priests for Denver, and 36 men studying for priesthood for 13 other dioceses throughout the United States. 

“The education of a seminarian costs approximately $23,500 annually and are typically covered by the bishop or archbishop of the man’s respective diocese,” Hurley said. “Whether for this archdiocese or another, the tuition and living expenses for seminarians are generally covered through direct fundraising and gifts given to the bishops for their seminarians or gifts made directly to the seminary from supportive Catholics.” 

The process of becoming a priest is a long-term commitment.  St. John Vianney men enroll in a five- to seven-year program, depending on previous high school and college education.  The first year is spent in a “Spirituality Year” where the seminarian uses the entire year discerning his respective call, spending time on silent retreats and doing a 30-day immersion apostolate. 

“St. John Vianney is the only seminary in the United States which follows this protocol prescribed by John Paul the Great,” said Father Michael Glenn, rector for the seminary. “After the Spirituality Year, the men take two years of philosophy and four years of theology.” 

Men formed at Redemptoris Mater can take upwards of 10 years before being ordained.
“They are required to go on ‘itinerancy’ with little more than the clothes on their back,” said Father Federico Colautti, vice rector of Redemptoris Mater, “where they participate in an apostolic assignment for up to three years as part of their formation.”

Since the first seminarians set foot on the campus in 1996, 45 men have been ordained to the priesthood. 

“In this academic year, eight more men will be ordained,” noted Hurley, ”with one in December and seven more in the spring, which will bring the total number of ordinations for our seminaries to 53 since their inceptions.”