www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Ordinations?

This article is six years old and deals with the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S., but if offers food for thought:
"U.S. Priests and Seminarians Survey: More vocations in orthodox dioceses" www.ad2000.com.au/articles/1998/aug1998p12_554.html [ad2000.com.au]
The stronger the fidelity to our orthodox Catholic faith, the stronger the vocations. This is true also of religious orders. The more progressive religious orders of Sisters are all dwindling (thank God they will lose their bad influence on the Church), while newer orders have greater numbers of vocations. Some new orders have in recent years grown by many dozens. Some of the older orders that lost their rootedness in tradition are will not longer exist in a few years. The Bzyantine Basilians in the U.S. have not attracted any new vocations except for Sr. Celeste (God bless her), at least as far as I know. Many of the Basilians belong in the "left overs from the sixties and seventies" camp. This is reflected in their "inclusive language" Liturgies at their motherhouse and in their unofficial liturgical books for the Horologion. Many do not wear religious garb and are not much different from mod Roman Catholic sisters -- except that they use the Byzantine Liturgy (PC version).

It appears that there is no one answer to that question. Parma has one already-married seminarian studying in Pittsburgh. The wife is an M.D. in residency at a Pittsburgh hospital. I'm sure that she is the financial support. They have a baby, which must make things real interesting. I also have contact with the folks at St. Tikhon's OCA Seminary in So. Canaan, Pa. The bulk of their seminarians are still single, like ours in Uzhorod. However, they are getting an increasing number who are already married.At present, there is a local Orthodox real estate investor who rents out apartments (cheap) to the seminarians and their families. The wives usually take day jobs (my Bank has had a good experience hiring them)while the husbands attend class. Usually, one of the wives will stay home and babysit the kids of all the families (for pay from the other families). In many, if not most, cases, the families receive financial support from a sponsoring parish, or some other Church-related source. The Academic Dean told me that , in the future, they are thinking of building town-home type buildings, on the grounds of the seminary, for the married seminarians and their families. As you can see, it's no cake-walk.

Fr. Deacon Robert

I�m sure it varies widely between the different jurisdictions and between individual circumstances. We do at times do special collections to support seminarians in the Archdiocese. I believe our priest also worked part time and his wife continued to work while he was awaiting ordination. I believe she still works part time from home, but he is devoted full time to the church. In our parish, and I think in the Archdiocese at large, we�re encouraged to tithe and not to support the parish with dues.

Andrew

"Says something about American culture, I believe."

No, it says something about the American Church.
I and serveral of my friends have applied to the seminary but were turned down. If the BCC and the RC Church really wanted priests they would accept the candidates who applied. No one has addressed that issue. Instead, they offer other explanations: young people are secularized, they are selfish, etc.

Actually Mike, even if the Church does want priests (which I disagree with you on this as I think it does) not everyone who applies should be accepted.

First, maybe the Church does not think that an applicant is called to the priesthood, maybe there are other issues that disqualify an applicant.

I am sure that you and your friends were given a reason why the Church thought you were not acceptable.

Ecclesiastical bureaucrats are adept at coming up with such "reasons" as "well, we just think it would be better". Take it from one who knows!

By the way, I had a room-mate in graduate school who was fond of mentioning at odd moments that he had been expelled from the same seminary which had earlier expelled Fulton Sheen.

Incognitus

While this is true, those who keep trying (I am one but I was never "officially" turned down) and end up somewhere, like the good Archbishop you speak of, truly do have a vocation.

Not everyone who applies or thinks they have a vocation really have one.

These "bureaucrats" (as you put it) also make many hurdles against some men. Such has paying your own way though the schooling required.

And then don't get me started on our seminary. I would have died spiritually there.

This and many more, are why I am where I am today, in formation with the Carmelites.

Perhaps we should begin a campaign to raise funds with which to support married Seminarians.

The question is why don't we Eastern Catholics here in the United States have a seminaries with the reputation like St. Vlad's or Holy Cross.

It is imperative that our Churches invest in the future.

-uc

Saint Vladimir's, from quite early in its history, was blessed with such theologians as Father Georges Florovsky, Father John Meyendorff and Father Alexander Schmemann. These men, in turn, were convinced that the Seminary had a mission to serve all of Eastern Orthodoxy in the USA, not just one particular jurisdiction or one particular ethnic community.

Locating such theologians these days is not easy (genius is where you find it, and it doesn't come at the push of a button). However, the idea that a Seminary - shall we dedicate it to Saint Maximus the Confessor? - should serve all the Greek-Catholics in North America is readily available to anyone who wants to pick it up and run with it.

Incognitus

How about rasing funds to support Seminarians period.

Dear Incognitus,

I once knew of a Ukrainian Catholic priest who wanted to start one in honour of St Mark of Ephesus!

There's always St Maximos the Greek or St Maximos Sandovich . . .

Alex

St. Maxim Sandovich would be a worthy choice.

Andrew

My own choice is Saint Ambrose of Bila Krynytsia.

Incognitus

Dear Incognitus,

I raise two fingers for that!

Alex