Frequently Asked Questions about College Seminary
Do I have to be sure I am called to be a priest to attend college seminary?
No. A college seminary is a place for men who may believe they are called to priesthood, and are willing to ask the question and listen to God while learning and living the spiritual life of the Church in a community of other men who also desire to grow in their faith and discern God’s call for them. Many who attend will go on to major seminary and become priests, and many will discern another call. Whether you become a priest or not, it is a great time of human and spiritual growth.
Are all of my classes chosen for me?
No. All students at a college seminary are required to take the prerequisites for major seminary (a lot of philosophy, some language, and theology), but other courses of study including the major, can be chosen by the seminarian.
Are all of my classes with other seminarians?
No. A few classes are designed specifically for seminarians, but the substantial majority of classes are taken with the rest of the students in the university.
How do I enroll?
All students at St. John Vianney College Seminary are also students at the University of St. Thomas. Therefore, one must first be accepted to the University of St. Thomas. You should plan to apply to UST before you apply to the seminary. St. Thomas has very strict deadlines on applications, so make sure your application to UST is completed in a timely manner. Click here for the UST Admissions website.
How do I apply? Who approves my application?
As noted, above, you must apply to UST first. To attend the seminary, you must also have a recommendation from the vocation director of your diocese. The vocation director of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is currently Fr. Tom Wilson (stpaulpriest@10000vocations.org or 651-962-6890). You must first complete the application for the archdiocese, and then have an interview with the vocation director, who then makes a recommendation to St. John Vianney. The application should take about 2 hours to complete. The interview with the vocation director should take between two and three hours.
Do I have to meet with a psychologist?
Yes. The testing and interview with a psychologist are meant to help ensure that applicants have the proper maturity and motivation to enter a seminary and can be successful there. It usually takes two meetings. The first is for some written testing, and the second is to discuss it. You are not sent to a psychologist because we suspect anything, but because it helps us in making our decision. The psychologist does not make the decision as to whether a candidate is accepted or not. The testing is one piece of information among many that is used in determining admission. It is nothing to be afraid of.
How much does it cost? Who pays?
Everyone is concerned about the high cost of education, including potential seminarians and their families. In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the archdiocese will pay for the room and board cost of our college seminarians as a scholarship. This does not need to be paid back. In addition, the University of St. Thomas offers a 35% discount on tuition for seminary students. The seminarian and his family are required to fund the rest of the cost through regular scholarships, financial aid, and loans.
Are there scholarships for just seminarians?
Yes. The people of the Church are very generous in meeting the needs of seminarians. St. John Vianney has access to funds for scholarships for seminarians. They are given on a need basis, and can be applied for when all other sources of financial aid and scholarships are exhausted. You are expected to apply for all grants available to all students before applying for a seminary scholarship.
How much should I borrow, if I need to borrow at all?
Most undergraduate students are not in a position to fund their entire education with grants and savings, and will need to borrow at least some of the cost. Borrowing some money for education is a good investment, but there can be a great temptation, especially among new students, to take out more loan than necessary because it is easily available. Remember, it must be paid back in the future. We suggest you plan your expenses carefully, live frugally, and borrow only what you really need. You will be better off in the future having borrowed less rather than more.
Do I have to go to Mass every day?
Yes. Mass is part of the daily schedule in the college seminary.
Do I have to pray every day?
Yes. Establishing patterns of personal and communal prayer is a very important part of the seminary experience.
Will I be so busy that I can’t do anything else while I am in college?
The schedule in a college seminary is busier and more regimented than for typical college students. However, there is adequate time for socializing, campus activities, visiting family, exercise, and doing the things that make up the total college experience. College seminarians have been the president of campus clubs, played on the university’s sports teams, and participated in a whole range of activities.
What if I discover that I am not called to be a priest?
With the assistance of the staff of the seminary and especially your spiritual director, you may discern that it is not your call to become a priest. You are free to leave the program, if you wish. It is recommended that if students are leaving, they wait until the end of the semester they are in. It is the goal of the staff to help seminarians make good decisions about the direction God is calling them. If a student has put forth the effort, he will have grown in the Lord, and the time will have been well spent, whether it leads to ordination or not.
Can I be removed from the program?
Yes. There are a set of standards by which seminarians are expected to conduct themselves within the seminary community and the university community. If those standards are not adhered to, the seminarian may be dismissed from the program, and even from the university. We are grateful that those situations are very rare. It also may be discerned by the staff that the seminarian is not called to the priesthood, and he may be asked to leave the program even if he would prefer to stay. Again, those situations are rare. It is expected that students maintain an appropriate level of academic success and progress, and conduct themselves in a way becoming of men in discernment for priesthood.
If I leave, can I come back?
Yes. If one leaves the program in good standing for whatever reason, he would be welcomed back according to the norms of his diocese and any conditions placed at the time of departure. It is not unusual for seminarians to take a leave of absence from the program and return later on.
Who do I call for more information?
Fr. Tom Wilson, Vocation Director, 651-962-6890 - stpaulpriest@10000vocations.org
Fr. Bill Baer, Rector of St. John Vianney, 651-962-6825 - sjv@stthomas.edu
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