DIOCESAN NEWS
04/16/10
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One scheduled for ordination,
eight more on board
By Fr. Kent Bowlds, Vocation Director
When I get asked the question, “How many seminarians do you have?” I always try to start by responding, “We have . . .” in order to keep reinforcing the idea that promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life is the responsibility of all of us — from parents who remain open to that possibility for their own children, to priests, sisters, and brothers who ask those in whom they see that possibility, “Have you ever thought about . . . ?”
In a nutshell, seminary formation involves several years of undergraduate philosophy study, followed by four years of graduate level theology, resulting in a Master of Divinity degree and the call to orders by the bishop. The current status of vocations to the priesthood for our diocese is as  follows.
Deacon Scott Thomas (St. Richard, Jackson) is scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, June 5, 10:30 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. Everyone in the diocese is welcome and encouraged to come and celebrate!
Adam Nobles (St. Alphonsus, McComb) will be transferring this fall from Mississippi State University (MSU), where he has been for the past two years, to St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, La., where he will be a junior and complete his bachelor’s in philosophy, followed by theology studies.
Juan Chavajay would be a priest today if he had remained in his native Guatemala, but instead he accepted the invitation from Lorenzo Aju, his uncle who is a pastoral minister at St. John in Eupora, to consider coming to the United States. He will continue English as a second language (ESL) studies at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans this fall.
José de Jesús Sánchez from Mexico will also continue ESL studies at Notre Dame this fall, after which he will begin theology studies.
Binh Nguyen came to us from Vietnam, where he had completed philosophy studies and began to learn English. Now finishing ESL, he will begin theology studies at Notre Dame this fall. He was recruited for our diocese by Father Anthony Quyet, a priest of the Jackson diocese for over 25 years who will be returning to Vietnam for part of each year to teach in a seminary there.
Cándido Alvarez, Adolfo Suárez, and César Sánchez are studying philosophy at a seminary in Morelia, Mexico. Two years from now we envision them coming to the United States for ESL and to begin theology studies. Father Lenin Vargas, assistant vocation director, plans to return to Mexico this year to encourage more “missionaries” from there to come here.
Aaron Williams is our newest seminarian. Currently a graduating senior at St. Joseph High School in Madison, he will be a freshman at St. Joseph Seminary College in Louisiana this fall.
Greg Davidson and Rusty Vincent will no longer be seminarians for the diocese; both are beginning a leave of absence, as happens sometimes during the intense discernment that continues throughout seminary formation. Rusty says he hopes to return to seminary after some time away to further discern and be sure of God’s call.
Keep them in your prayers, and know the support you have given to them will certainly bear good fruit in some way.
We are currently in the discussion phase with several young men who are interested in applying, though at this time I am not sure if any of them will be ready to enter by this fall.
The cost of seminary formation for these men is a tremendous challenge, met in part by the diocese’s annual Catholic Service Appeal (CSA). It can cost us over $12,000 each year to educate one seminary college student (he or his family pay an additional $12,000) and well over $30,000 to educate one theology student (the diocese funds the entire cost of graduate theology studies and provides a monthly stipend and health insurance).
In addition to seminarian education, the CSA collection, scheduled the weekend of May 1-2, helps fund the areas of evangelization/faith formation, Catholic Charities, campus ministry, retired priests/clergy assistance, and mission schools and parishes.
“One Family in Christ” is this year’s theme for the collection.
Allocations from the 2009 CSA collection are: seminarian education, $65,000; evangelization/faith formation, $140,000; campus ministry, $96,947; Catholic Charities, $456,281; retired priests/clergy assistance, $89,602; and mission parishes/schools, $110,000 totaling $956,830.
Your contribution to the CSA is greatly needed and appreciated! Please let me know if you would like to inquire about other major gift opportunities.
After Deacon Thomas is ordained to the priesthood this June, it will be at least two years before we have another ordination. Although we are grateful to God for our present seminarians, we certainly need many more, especially given the age and coming retirement of many of our faithful, hard working priests.
My own plans for the near future entail going on a sabbatical beginning July 1, which will include a long retreat, biblical studies in the Holy Land, and immersion-style study of Spanish, returning to the diocese in mid-November. We diocesan priests can request a sabbatical once every 10 years; this will be my first. One possibility, now being discussed, is that another priest(s) will take over the vocation office.
Please keep praying earnestly for vocations! Take it to Jesus the next time you make a visit to adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. If we truly believe the Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life,” as our catechism states, then we still have an absolutely vital need for priests, especially in the celebration of the Eucharist and to assist Bishop Joseph Latino as fellow shepherds, even with the many good lay people who are coming forward to be trained for leadership in our parishes.
I am very grateful for the growing support for vocations provided by the parish vocation contacts throughout our diocese, some of whom have formed committees to promote vocations awareness, invitation, and prayer opportunities in their parishes. May the Holy Spirit breathe God’s direction and enthusiasm into this movement.
(Father Kent Bowlds can be reached at 601-720-7273; 4000 W. Tidewater Lane, Madison, MS 39110.)
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