Supporting our future priests

By Veronika Cox

An annual parish collection is helping seminarians on the path to priesthood.

The Education of Future Priests Collection assists with the many costs associated with the formation of new priests.

“An example of this is the cost of study, as each seminarian (someone who is studying for the priesthood) will undertake an academic course of full-time study, spread over seven years, Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Hobart, Fr Steven Smith, explained.

“Seminarians will generally graduate with a Bachelor of Theology and Master of Theological Studies,” he said.

Fr Steven said this was just one example of the costs accrued during the years as a seminarian.

 “A seminarian undertakes a formation program of human, spiritual, pastoral and intellectual formation, so that our future priests will have the knowledge and experience to fully live out their sacramental and pastoral ministry so they can be true pastors to the people of God,” he said.

“The Education of Future Priests Collection is one of the ways in which the Archdiocese of Hobart seeks to meet these costs.”

Fr Steven said this was only possible due to the many generous parishioners throughout the Archdiocese.

“I would like to thank everyone for their continued generosity and would ask that we would also keep our seminarians in our prayers,” he said.

This year, the collection for The Education of Future Priests will be taken on Saturday 24 September and Sunday 25 September.