Good Shepherd at Homebush
In New South Wales
On 9 August 2009, the Herald Sun (Melbourne) reprinted an article from the Sydney Daily Telegraph concerning the rise in vocations to the priesthood and Religious life in New South Wales . The article's tone was one of surprise!
In fact, there are three seminaries in Sydney : the Archdiocesan Seminary of the Good Shepherdat Homebush, the Redemptoris Mater seminary in Pagewood and the Holy Spirit Seminary of the Parramatta diocese at St Mary's. The Redemptoris Mater is run by the Neocatechumenate, a new vital movement within the Church.
Overall, during the last three years, the numbers of students in the three seminaries has been in the 60 – 70 range. This is three times the numbers ten years ago.
In view of these increasing numbers of young men in training for the priesthood, in 2009, Cardinal Pell was able to ordain four men in Sydney, the largest number for many years. In 2010, the numbers ordained rose to five and on 21 May this year, the Cardinal is due to ordain another five men to the priesthood: three from the Seminary of the Good Shepherd and two from the Redemptoris Mater seminary.
As a result, the mood in the seminaries from Melbourne to Brisbane is upbeat and confident. Most of the seminarians are in their early to mid twenties, although one-or-two middle-aged men are also in training.
Father Tony Percy, Rector of the Good Shepherd seminary says that having some of the younger generation aspire to the priesthood was encouraging and, over time, will help to address the challenge of the shortage of priests in Australia . 'There is definitely a renewed interest in the Church and in the priesthood,' he said. 'World Youth Day in Sydney , 2008, helped,' Father Tony added.
Vocations Increase in Melbourne
The numbers are also encouraging in Melbourne . Father Brendan Lane is Rector of Corpus Christi Seminary in Carlton for the Archdiocese. With his wry wit Father Brendan told hisParents and Friends Association recently that as in an Australian Rules team, it is the new players who add interest at the start of each year. In this respect, the seminary scene is similar!
There are 55 men at Corpus Christ in early 2011 and of these men, eleven commenced formation this year: six for Melbourne, two each for the Sale and Hobart dioceses and one for the Military.
The seminarians reflect the changing face of multi-cultural Australian Catholicism: Around 30 were born in Australia , and there are twelve who were born in Vietnam , two in Africa, two in India , five in the Philippines and one in Korea . Some Vietnamese are being trained for the Vietnamese church and some will seek Australian residency and citizenship. In their backgrounds, the thirty men born in Australia include many with classic 'Australian' backgrounds, i.e. from the British Isles and Western Europe .
Many 'traditional' Australians whose family backgrounds are in Ireland , Britain or in Western Europe forget sometimes that immigration over the last 20 years has brought increasing numbers of Vietnamese, Filipinos, south Asians and Africans to Australia . Many of these more recent arrivals are Catholics – especially those from the Philippines and Vietnam . Hence, some young men of Vietnamese and Filipino background are in the seminaries!
Meanwhile, there are another 20 young men at Vianney College , the diocesan seminary in Wagga , New South Wales . Among the 20, are candidates from Lismore and Wollongong as well as the host diocese. In addition, the Redemptoris Mater seminary in Sydney has 22 seminarians and the smaller - more recently established Holy Spirit seminary in Parramatta - has ten men being formed for the priesthood. The numbers are comparable at Holy Spirit Seminary, Banyo, Brisbane where 25 men are preparing for ordination.
The seminary enthusiasm is reflected in the increased numbers of young men seeking admission to Religious Orders and Congregations such as the Missionaries of God's Love, the Franciscan (Capuchins), the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter and the Dominicans.
Why the surge in priestly vocations?
A major research project from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University was published in the United States eighteen months ago. The research showed clearly and unambiguously that most new vocations in the United States are going to Orders (and seminaries!) that practice and stress more traditional forms of religious life and priestly formation.
This trend is clearly visible in Australia where no comparable research has been done. The CARA study concluded:
The most successful seminaries and institutes in attracting and retaining new members at this time are those that follow a more traditional style of priestly formation and religious life in which members live together in community, participate in the daily Eucharist, pray the Divine Office and engage in devotional practices together. They wear a religious habit, work together in common ministires, and are explicit in their fidelity to the Church and the teachings of the Magisterium. All of these characteristics are especially attractive to the young people who are entering seminaries and Religious life today.
'Best Practice' Recruiting Seminarians
The CARA study was keen to explore and stress the most successful approaches to recruiting for the priestly vocation. These approaches include:
- involving priests and lay leadership in a concerted vocation promotion effort
- having a full time Vocation Director
- using new media like the Internet and Facebook
- offering discernment or 'come-and-see' opportunities for potential members, and
- exposing young Catholics from primary school through High School to university on vocation issues.
In Australia , these approaches are well known and practised – in the context of a priestly formation which stresses the eternal basics of the spiritual life – the Mass, the Divine Office, solid, time-honoured devotions – and faithfulness to the Magisterium of the Church.
In the mid-year, university vacation, 2010, Vianney College , Wagga, hosted the 12th National Inter-Seminary Soccer Tournament. Over 200 seminarians from around Australia attended this annual event and found the experience affirming their vocations.
The following comment caught the enthusiastic mood: 'We don't get to see each other very much and so it's wonderfully uplifting when you stand in a large room jam-packed with guys and think: 'All these men are headed for the priesthood.'
(Br) Barry Coldrey
25/4/2011
Email: barry5coldrey@yahoo.com
Tamanaraik Press Books for Sale
Each book is $24.95 with packing and postage included ( Australia ) to Tamanaraik Press, 4/67 Collins Street , Thornbury Vic 3071, Australia
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