www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Seminary for Married Men

That is what the Serra Club kind of is but not specifically for just married seminarians. Don’t see why you couldn’t start one with that in mind.

Christ is in our midst!!

My thought was to set the fund raising corporation apart from the Church so that its assets could not be used to fund the problems, lawsuits, and settlements that seem to keep cropping up. The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown has, for example, The Independent Catholic Foundation which has this concept in mind. A person can make a bequest, for example, that the Foundation administers for a specific purpose. Similarly a corporation could be set up to which people could make tax deductible contributions whose sole purpose would be to give stipends to married seminarians and only married seminarians. It could also be established wholly outside episcopal control so that the candidate would apply entirely outside the regular seminary process.

It could also be stipulated that if the candidate did not complete studies, it would be repaid to the foundation.

You'll need someone that *really* understands 501c3. I know a great many areas of law, but that one is not a place to tread only on occasion.

There also may be tax issues for a grant that turns to my loan.

Overall, though, pretty much *any* donation these days should be to an entity other than the diocese itself, even if the bishop is the trustee/whatever of that fund.

Some dioceses are making the move to separate corporations for each church. I would also want the school, its building, and its scholarship fund each in its own . . .

Christ is in our midst!!

doc,

Our diocese had each parish incorporate separately years ago so that the last time it was sued there was not even a property that it owned. It now rents space for its offices from a parish with a closed school building.

Some years ago back in the 70s and 80s the Melkites sent their seminarians to Holy Cross GO seminary in Brookline, MA. This, and St. Vladimir are two first class seminaries with outstanding faculties. Why can't Eastern Catholics take advantage of this rich resource when our own resources are dwindling?

Christ is in our midst!!

Utroque,

You may have just asked the $64K question. The silence waiting for the answer will be deafening, I suspect.

Bob

Probably the same reasons Orthodox don’t send their seminarians to Eastern Catholic seminaries.

They don't need to in the US. When the caliber's there they go. His Beatitude, Patriarch Bartolomeos did postgraduate studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome!

The (long term) diaconate of the Passaic Eparchy (a tonsured reader and two deacons) has produced three fine priests sans (formal) seminary; two of them are now Orthodox.

Christ is in our midst!!

I have seen discussions about the long term education requirements for clergy and how expensive it is. I have also seen suggestions that maybe the education could be done virtually with several in person sessions of a week or two spread over the course of a year.

I read in our diocesan magazine that our (Roman( seminarians are not permitted to work during their formation. I was dumbfounded to learn that for up to eight years that not even a summer job is allowed. It's no wonder we have a dearth of candidates.

Bob

Post-graduate studies at the Oriental Institute is not the same as seminary. I would put our Seminary up against St Vlad’s. We don’t send our guys there because the pressure to become Orthodox is too much. I know of a few guys who tried it and ended up Orthodox.

I guess I was a bit naïve to think that seminaries could share resources. But the truth is that the particular seminary is meant to form a man in the Church tradition that established it.

OTOH, I know two Lutheran pastors who trained in the Bay area of CA. They once told me that they took courses from a nearby Catholic seminary for certain subjects and the Catholic seminarians took courses at their seminary. There were also United Methodist candidates who were included in this mix. I imagine they were referring to specific Biblical courses and other subjects where the former divergence has disappeared.

I do not know for sure, but that may be why the Melkites gave up on Holy Cross. It's probably the Orthodox ethos that breathes there that attracts them. In which case I think its incumbent to demand that our hierarchs suppress Latinizations which I know have weakened my own enthusiasm for our EC tradition. It's encouraging to know that you have confidence in our seminaries.

I suspect a lack of maturity is a contributing factor. Ordination is a nuptial Mystery: it's about ḥesed, covenant love, fervent love, fidelity. It's ECCLESIOLOGY: Ekklesia (Church) not ethos.

Are you saying that these seminarians may have ended up Orthodox because of their lack of maturity as a contributing factor? I'm not sure what you mean. I'm just saying that there is a such thing as an "Orthodox (Church) ethos" which some, including myself, find very attractive and alluring. I do not think that that is a sign of a lack of maturity, but a response to a beautiful way. The ecclesiological aspect of it is what keeps me grounded in Rome; for I truly believe with all my "hesed" that that is the more ancient, apostolic and catholic way.