After years of declining numbers of priestly vocations, a growing group of men are answering the call of Jesus to serve as priests in the Diocese of San Jose. Last year, the Diocese was blessed with seven seminarians; this year it is twelve.
The blessing of these many vocations presents one particular challenge: the cost of one year of priestly formation averages $50,000 for tuition, room and board and a small monthly stipend. With 12 men in priestly studies, that total is approximately $600,000. While our Annual Diocesan Appeal covers some of this cost, an additional $300,000 still needs to be raised.
As a result, the Bishop is inviting all parishioners to take part in our Seminarian Appeal. Letters will be mailed to all parishioners during the week of September 4.
Those young men attending the seminary at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois are:
John Hoang – Theology 4
Victor Trinidad – Theology 4
Robain Lamba – Theology 3
Angelbert Chikere – STL
Manuel Barrios – Theology 1
Joseph Nguyen – Theology 1
Joseph Tran – Pastoral Year
Tony Famave – Pastoral Year
Robert Lamorena – Pre-Theology 1
Ryan Mau – Pre-Theology 1
Duy Nguyen – Pre-Theology 1
Ricky Ferrer – Pastoral Year
Full story at The Valley Catholic.
No contributions to the ADA from me. No contributions to any other supplementary appeal either. The diocese has the money already to cover this expense. They just want to use this as a way to get more money from people. You mean to tell me that in the past booming year of the stock market the diocesan investments haven’t increased enough to cover the expense? If that’ the case, the diocese needs to get a new business manager. No, the diocese has the money. They just want more from people.
Joe…. well that’s pretty self-centered of you. The problem that you have is that you probably think in terms of investments in the short term but these are men who are giving their whole entire lives to Christ. And you probably take it for granted that you’re going to have a priest at an altar when you want to go to mass. I was suggest that you stop thinking about just dollars and cents and realize that this is more important then the short term needs of your life. In a diocese like San Jose where most of the professional people are earning six or seven figures a year I don’t find this an excessive request and you shouldn’t either.
You know, there is a decided lack of trust for the bishops now and that for obvious reasons. Money is fungible. What goes in an ADA earmarked for seminarians may or may not be where the money actually ends up. I see alot of good suggestions on how to still conttobute money to the Church recently. Everything from paying for the communion wafers to building upkeep If your parish or diocese won’t cooperate after you’ve expressed your reservations over the ADA, then I would think you’ve got your answer.
Heck, one local shrine is appealing for money to build a coffehouse on premises. Yikes!
No more special appeals for me.
Mark , no ! I believe his concern is how the money already available is being managed , given the scandals in the past month alone , now is not the time to cry poverty. Given the stories on this site about this bishop he has plenty of time and effort to engage in social justice posturing , maybe some time solving this problem using resources already on hand would be best . And going forward the laity will and should be more demanding on the hierarchy, they have shown by hubris and obfuscation that trust in them will not be as it was .Stop abusing the laity in its trust , finances and the teaching of the faith.
The DSJ isn’t poor. Very far from it. Very far. Very, very far.
And the fact that McGrath opted to ship all his seminarians from nearby Menlo Park to far-away Chicago. That increases the cost unnecessarily when there’s a perfectly good seminary in your own backyard. I notice three names are listed as being in “pastoral year” — no tuition expense for them, so the article isn’t being completely honest. And the faithful can legitimately question the formation that seminarians will receive under Cupich’s influence in Chicago. Why contribute to that? And now we wonder if there’s an underground gay club in the Chicago seminary. Money you give you have no control over and you don’t get back. Do you trust McGrath? I don’t.
It is not a question of whether the San Jose Diocese has the funds. If it doesn’t, why ott use funds that would otherwise go to legal defense fees, monetary settlements, and payment of civil judgments for priestly abuse and sexual coercion.
Also, instead of asking tje laity for funds, the San Jose Diocese can ask the Los Angeles Archdiocese for the funds, either in the form of a loan or grant. After all, the Los Angeles Archdiocese had $650 million to spend because of Cdl. Mahony’s willful disregard for abuses.
Maybe the San Jose diocese can have a fund-raising event. Former Los Angeles Archbishop Cd. Mahony is available. He had his fund-raising gig for the Diocese of Salt Lake City cancelled. So, there is an opening in his calendar.
I agree with Joe. Last year’s ADA message to my parish; “We are trying to raise $874,000 and anything after we get to keep for ourselves.” I’ve been going to my church all my life, I was an alter boy there, and to this day they have the same carpet and floor in the church they had back in the 70’s. My church is connected to a grade school and they are considered one of the richest parish’s in San Jose. However, as a parishioner, I have to see the disgusting carpet and floors every Sunday, and they are asking me to send my hard earned money to the Diocese? No, not going to happen. I just got my tax statement from the church and in the mail was an ADA envelope. I’m going to send back a letter to the head priest instead of a…
How many have homosexual inclinations?
WTH? Is there a test to find out? Don’t be stupid, there is enough of that going around.
Plus your question has nothing to do with the issue.
I’d be more inclined to donate were we to know why they’re at Mundelein and not St Patrick’s.
St. Patricks is to Orthodox for Bishop McGrath.
BSK,
I bet you your last dollar…….that it is because St. Patrick’s has been ‘cleaned up’ by the WONDERFUL
fairly new Rector, Father George Schultze and Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco! In other words…….it is
TRADITIONAL now and no ‘off the rails’ conduct is allowed!!! And then you have the Cardinal of Chicago and Bishop McGrath of San Jose whom are just the opposite……VERY Liberal!!!!!!
One doesn’t need to dig too deep into SJ archdiocese’s website to find their support of LGBTQRSTUV.
Ironically, the LGBT ministry is listed above Protecting God’s Children ministry! From the website:
“The Catholic LGBT Ministry Council of the Diocese of San Jose offers a monthly, “All Are Welcome” Mass for LGBT Catholics, their families, friends, and all our brothers and sisters in Christ. This Mass is hosted each month by one of our diocesan parishes.” and “The Church welcomes us all and is better when we all come to Mass – as we are, as God made us.”
Cont’d
So who are these priests that celebrate this monthly Mass? How many of these seminarians are homosexual.
Given that McGrath pulled his seminarians from what hopefully is becoming a faithful seminary – St Patrick’s, he shouldn’t receive a penny of anyone’s money. He’s not to be trusted.
https://www.dsj.org/cultural-ministries/catholic-lgbt-ministry-council/
View their website, all beautifully adorned with rainbow flags aaaaaah!
For those who question the seminarians in Mundelein, may I suggest they write the Bishop directly expressing their concerns. Perhaps, if there are enough such correspondence, the Bishop will provide a plain language explanation.
Cupich give a plain language explanation? The cardinal who personally invited Fr. James Martin to speak? The cardinal who teaches that conscience has primacy over objective moral truth? That Cupich give a plain explanation?
I wonder if any of these men are local vocations. It appears they are being brought in from other countries. This makes the “improving” vocations numbers suspicious.
I noticed that too. Look at the names and the pigment. San Jose is diverse, but whites aren’t 1/12 the population.
Let me stipulate that I don’t know where the seminarians come from. The comments about the heritage of the seminarians are pure racism and evidence of white privilege. How and why would someone assume that Americans would be white? Carol and Anon raise racism to a new level. I would not expect that from people who call themselves Christian, but then again, the riots in Charlottesville were conducted by Whites who claimed to be Christian, were they not?
Bob One, I agree with you! Candidates for the priesthood from other countries may also have greater religious dedication! However, native-born “Anglo” American citizens who are Catholic, need priests who speak good English, who can understand and help them and their families, spiritually!
I agree, but we don’t do enough to teach our Priests from other countries to speak “American English” whatever that is. We know it when we hear it. Churchill said that the English and the Americans are separated by a common language. I don’t care what their nationality is if I can understand them. In my area of Northern California, I can’t find a parish where I can understand the homily and the Mass. Even the Irish are hard to understand sometimes.
If pointing out racism is racist then you are a racist. Racist!
What?
Circular logic?
You can’t understand your own reasoning. How fascinating.
I was in diocesan seminary for several years in the 1960s. I received no stipend from the diocese. I paid my own tuition. I did, however, receive room and board from the diocese. I had to take out State-sponsored student loans to pay the tuition.
Yeah, it’s a racket to get more money from people. I remember seminarians saying that they financed their seminary studies with loans in their names. The diocese isn’t going to pay for the seminarians’ schooling with no guarantee they’ll be ordained. So seminarians take out loans, and when the oil is on the priests’ hands then the diocese pays off the loans.