Appeal supports seminarian education

CLIFTON  Without priests, there would be no Mass and without the Mass, no Holy Eucharist. This is a situation faced by many Catholics in mission lands, where receiving the Eucharist sadly is often a rare occurrence.

Fortunately, here in the Paterson Diocese for the past decade, more than 80 men have been ordained to the priesthood, ensuring the mission of Christ and his Church will continue for generations to come. It is through the great efforts of the faithful who support seminarian education and vocations through the Bishop’s Annual Appeal that there has been a steady growth of men yearning to serve as priests.

Currently, the Diocese has 51 men preparing for the priesthood studying in seminaries around the country and around the world. Those men studying to be priests rely on the help of the laity for their priesthood educational costs. Because of this need, seminarian education is one of the beneficiaries of the 2017 Bishop’s Annual Appeal.

Under the theme, “In Giving, We Receive,” from the Prayer of St. Francis, the Bishop’s Annual Appeal not only supports seminarians studying for the priesthood but also diocesan Catholic Charities agencies, elementary school students attending Catholic schools in inner-city areas; and Nazareth Village, the retired diocesan priests’ residence in Chester.

Individual parishes will also benefit from the Appeal. Parishes that exceed their Appeal goal, receive a rebate to be used for their own parish needs.

Father Edgar Rivera, diocesan director of vocations, said, “We need good priests and we can do that by praying for vocations and sharing with them. Naturally, priests will retire as they get older or due to illness and we need more men to step forward and take their places.”

Last year, the Diocese allocated $1,190,581 to help fund the cost of seminarian education. On average, one year of priestly formation for one seminarian costs nearly $50,000.

Seminarians experience long days of study during the week with time set aside for prayer and attending Mass. They also have meetings throughout the week with spiritual directors, formation advisers and small group formation. Seminarians also help out at local parishes to serve God’s people through various ministries on the weekend. Because of their demanding schedules, some are unable to work to help to pay for their tuition entirely. There are some seminarians who do work as part of financial aid with a seminary, which is a nominal amount.

In addition to tuition and room and board, the Bishop’s Annual Appeal helps with retreat costs, books and a small stipend that seminarians are paid to help with incidental expenses.

There are 109 parishes in the Paterson Diocese, and many have only one priest serving at the parish. Father Rivera said, “With just one priest, at times it could be tough. I remember one priest was doing confessions and there was still a long line just as Mass was about to start. Some were upset that Mass did not start on time but the priest wanted to continue with confessions and said afterward, ‘I was saving souls.’ This is an example of why it’s important to have priests available to administer the sacraments.”

During the week of Nov. 5-11, National Vocation Awareness Week will be observed and a dinner-dance will take place that will benefit the diocese’s Seminarian Education Fund on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at the Brownstone in Paterson. Father Rivera encourages people to attend the dinner where many of the seminarians in the Paterson Diocese will be present to give the faithful an opportunity to meet these future priests who will one day serve them through the priesthood. For tickets, contact the Vocations Office at (973) 777-8818, ext. 711.

To support the 2017 Bishop’s Annual Appeal, parishioners can make a one-time gift or make a pledge to be paid over several months. This upcoming weekend (Oct. 14-15), the In-Pew Commitment Weekend for the 2017 Bishop’s Annual Appeal will take place. Parishioners will listen to a recorded homily by Bishop Serratelli and will be given an opportunity to make their pledge or gift to the Appeal, which will be sent by the parish to the Diocesan Development Office.

“I thank everyone who supports vocations in the Diocese,” Father Rivera said. “Always pray for vocations and encourage young people to consider being a priest or a nun. With your support to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, you ensure the priesthood will continue in this Diocese.”

[To support the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, visit https://dopappeal.org/ or call
(973) 777-8818, ext. 215.]