This growth highlights the continued expansion of the Church in most parts of the world despite a notable decline in Europe.

Africa led the global increase, with its Catholic population rising by over 7.3 million to surpass 272.4 million, making up 19.7% of the continent's population. This marks a 0.32% rise from 2021, the largest growth in Catholic representation across all regions.

In the Americas, the Catholic population grew by over 5.9 million, reaching 666.2 million. Asia also saw an increase, albeit more modest, of about 889,000 Catholics, pushing the total to over 154.24 million. Oceania's Catholic population rose by 123,000, totalling nearly 11.11 million.

Catholics now represent 17.7% of the global population, an increase of 0.03% from 2021.

These gains contrast with Europe, where the Catholic population fell by nearly 474,000 in 2022, continuing a long-term trend of decline. Europe's Catholic population now stands at 285.6 million, making up 39.5% of the continent's total population, a drop of 0.08%.

Europe's decline in Catholics coincides with a decrease in the continent's overall population, which lost about 517,000 people in 2022.

Clergy numbers fall

The report also highlights changes within the Catholic clergy.

The number of Catholic priests worldwide dropped for the fifth consecutive year, with a net loss of 142 priests in 2022.

Europe saw the largest decline, losing 2,745 priests, while the Americas and Oceania also experienced smaller reductions. However, Africa and Asia bucked the trend, gaining 1,676 and 1,160 priests, respectively.

The number of women religious also fell globally, with a decline of 9,730 in 2022, largely driven by losses in Europe and the Americas.

Meanwhile, permanent deacons increased by 974 globally, with notable rises in Europe and the Americas.

According to Fides news agency, the number of major seminarians worldwide declined from 109,895 in 2021 to 108,481 in 2022. This continued a downward trend since a peak of 120,616 in 2011. The decline was most significant in the Americas and Europe, while Africa saw an increase of 726 seminarians.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

Agenzia Fides

Catholic Culture

CathNews New Zealand

Welcoming the new student intake, Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, chair of the Bishops' Council for Vocations, said, "It is really heartening that twenty-one men have started as seminarians in various locations to study on propaedeutic courses. This brings the number of men training for the priesthood for Irish dioceses to 74 in total. We thank God for each of them.

"Over the last year, in a special way, the Bishops' Conference promoted vocations to Diocesan priesthood. All around the country people prayed that the call to priesthood would be heard. Thanks to efforts in parishes, and via traditional media as well as on social, the vocation of priesthood was discussed in family settings, parishes and in communities. In addition, and based on feedback, faith-filled encounters with priests and committed lay people encouraged the idea that God is still calling men to priesthood. Such a positive notion was firmly planted in minds and hearts."

Read More

They must find ways "to get by" Father Augustine Anwuchie from Nigeria said on July 19.

He was speaking during the latest of a series of digital meetings with theologians and other experts in Africa.

The meetings aim to deepen understanding of the Synod on Synodality 2023 synthesis report.

Better formation needed

Anwuchie said he wants institutions forming future priests to encourage better communication. He decried the "lack of authenticity" in priestly formation in Africa.

"I saw ‘survival mentality' where seminarians, because of how formation is structured, adopt ways to survive around their formators — how to survive around bishops, around Christians and in Christian communities.

"I have been a vice-rector at a seminary and I saw a lack of openness. You see lack of authenticity."

Copying everything that is done in Europe is unnecessary, he said. There are aspects formators in Africa can borrow from other places though.

These include encouraging openness, communication and authenticity with seminarians. Priests who are not formed "to be authentic" find relating to other Christians difficult.

"Instead of becoming men, we continue to live as boys and this is not helping in our pastoral work."

Many major seminaries in Africa neglect aspects of human formation and the expansion of emotional intelligence, he said.

Seminarians are taught what they "ought to do" and how they "ought to behave". They then become reactive to situations, which continues when they become priests, he said.

Crises between clergy and laity in most African parishes stem from having "emotional intelligence" overlooked during their formation.

Connecting with the synod

During the online meeting participants concentrated on the theme "The Revision of Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis in a Missionary Synodal Perspective".

In this they were guided by the December 2015 document of the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy translated as "The Gift of the Priestly Vocation".

Structuring their discussions around present-day seminary formation in Africa, participants considered what does and does not work according to their experiences in different parts of Africa.

Priests overwhelmed

Ugandan-born Sister Dominica Dipio told the online meeting there is a disconnect between seminaries and the life of priests in parishes and communities.

Dipio - a consultor of the Pontifical Council for Culture and university professor - is concerned that many priests do not continue with formation.

It should be ongoing, meeting participants agreed.

Dipio told the online meeting that most priests she meets are overwhelmed and quickly burn out.

"They hardly have time to engage in their own formation, which is supposed to be ongoing" she said.

"I have met priests in retreats who have for years not had the experience of retreat.

"The involvement in mission takes all their time and burns them out" Dipio said.

She wants bishops to allow priests "to reconnect with God as the centre".

Cape Town's Cardinal Stephen Brislin reminded participants that ongoing priestly formation is a matter each episcopal see and religious order is responsible for.

Seminarians should be involved in the joys and struggles of ordinary people, he said.

Source

• CNA

That's the sum of the situation in Northern African nation right now.

The third Sudanese civil war - which began exactly a year ago - can be held accountable for that. And more.

Fleeing Church

The Catholic Church in Sudan has almost vanished from Sudan, says the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

It says the Khartoum preparatory seminary has closed its doors. Some seminarians escaped to neighbouring South Sudan where they continue their training.

They and the work the Catholic Church has been doing in Sudan will be missed, ACN says.

Before the war, Catholics represented five percent of the population.

Despite its tiny toe-hold in the 90 percent Sunni Muslim country, ACN says the Catholic Church "was tolerated and could run some hospitals and schools, although it wasn't allowed to openly proclaim the faith".

Safe haven no more

ACN points out that the Sudanese people have always considered the Church as a "safe haven".

When the war broke out many took refuge in churches.

However, after many missionaries and religious communities were forced to flee Sudan, parishes, hospitals and schools stopped functioning.

The bishop of Khartoum, Michael Didi, has not been able to return to his diocese. The bishop of El Obeid now lives in the cathedral because his house was partially destroyed.

Light of hope

Although the Church's continued existence in Sudan is in question, there are signs the destruction is not total.

"Sixteen new Christians were baptised in Port Sudan during the Easter Vigil and 34 adults were confirmed in Kosti.

"So we have to keep hope alive in the midst of darkness" one of ACN's Sudan project partners says.

"The Church in South Sudan is getting ready for the future by helping the Sudanese Christians to prepare for tomorrow's peace."

Tomorrow's peace

The trouble is, "tomorrow's peace" could be a while coming.

The current conflict in Sudan broke out exactly a year ago.

Over 13,900 people have died since then and over 8.1 million people have fled the country.

Armed clashes have broken out between the Sudan Army and the Rapid Support Forces (a paramilitary group).

Although both sides jointly deposed the transitional regime established after the overthrow of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019, they have different aims for themselves.

The two groups have been clashing to control the country's wealth, especially gold and oil.

ACN says as neither side is willing to give in, the future of the civil war looks bleak.

"The situation is dire; countless women and children, starving and traumatised, face unbearable circumstances. Action is not just necessary; it's a moral imperative to prevent further devastation" says UN refugee agency UNHCR.

CAFOD, the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, reports that a huge humanitarian crisis involving 25 million Sudanese is unfolding.

Help hampered

"Access constraints, security risks and logistical challenges are hampering the humanitarian response.

"Without incomes and amid disrupted aid deliveries and harvests, people cannot get food, prompting warnings of worsening hunger and malnutrition in parts of the country" ACN says.

Source

• Crux Now
• Catholic News Agency

Fourteen new candidates entered the archdiocese's three seminaries this autumn. Eleven of them are from Vienna archdiocese and the remaining three are from the dioceses of Eisenstadt and St. Pölten.

The archdiocese brought its three seminaries together under one roof in 2012. In total, 52 candidates are now training there. The oldest was born in 1946 and the youngest in 2000, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner, Nov. 19.

According to the archdiocese, the candidates come from a wide variety of backgrounds. They include musicians, chemists, nurses, former civil servants and a winemaker.

Read More

European media have relayed accusations from four different men against Msgr Tony Anatrella, the Religion News Service reported.

Only one of the men agreed to be identified by his real name.

Accusations against the French priest and therapist first surfaced more than a decade ago.

For years, seminaries and monasteries around France sent students and novices to Msgr Anatrella if their superiors decided they were struggling with homosexuality.

It has been alleged that Msgr Anatrella engaged in various sex acts with young men during counselling sessions in his Paris office.

These activities allegedly occurred up until a few years ago.

The Catholic Church in France has been embroiled in a crisis this year over charges that senior churchmen shielded priests who had been reported for abusing children.

In a statement this month, Paris archdiocese acknowledged complaints against the Monsignor.

The complaints were forwarded on behalf of alleged victims by other priests.

But the complainants to the archdiocese wished to remain anonymous, so the archdiocese said it could not act further.

However it encouraged complainants to make contact with the archdiocese and civil authorities.

In 2005, Msgr Anatrella helped the Vatican craft guidelines aimed at keeping gay men out of the priesthood.

He provided a long list of warning signs that should alert seminary staff to the possibility that a seminarian is gay.

It is unclear how many of these current accounts of abuse may also be the ones that surfaced in 2006.

That year, Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris spoke of a gay lobby working against the priest.

Msgr Anatrella has so far not responded to the latest allegations.

He remains a consultant to the pontifical councils for the family and for health care ministry.

Sources

• Religion News Service
• Image: Crux

The Irish Catholic understands that out of 10 diocesan seminarians from Maynooth due to return at the end of their pastoral year, six were recommended to take "time out".

But the newspaper pointed to claims of interventions by a number of bishops.

This meant three of the six seminarians would be returning to the seminary in a few months, it is understood.

The Irish Catholic also understands that one seminarian is to undertake a pastoral year in his diocese and another is to take time out, while one student remains in a state of limbo about his seminary future.

The newspaper believes the bishops rejected the assessment of their seminarians by those involved in co-ordinating the pastoral year.

The apprehensions shared were at odds with favourable reports from pastoral placements.

In previous years some Maynooth students claimed the college operated an informal ‘litmus test' to sift out seminarians considered excessively conservative.

Some years ago, seminarians were reportedly suspended for wanting to kneel during the consecration at Mass.

Speaking about the students on pastoral placement, Maynooth president Msgr Hugh Connolly said there has been "nothing out of the ordinary in terms of usual action between students, dioceses and the seminary in making a decision on what is the best next step for a particular student".

Msgr Connolly said it was "not a question of conservatism" but rather a question of "getting the right experience".

He said "a different itinerary is not a judgement on the individual student".

"Their life stories and experiences are all different. We are just tailoring it for his own development and to bring out his gifts."

Msgr Connolly sald the formation of seminarians "has always been done in discussion with the bishop, who must be involved in the pastoral formation of students".

Sources

• The Irish Catholic
• Image: Maynooth College

There are now 59 men in training at Corpus Christi, the highest number since the 1970s.

They come from at least nine Australian archdioceses and dioceses.

In 1999, the number at Corpus Christi was 28.

Twenty years ago, the number was about 20.

Current rector Fr Brendan Lane at that time saw an institution in decline, Fairfax reported.

"I thought with attitudes as they were, we're finished," said Fr Lane, then a parish priest.

Now there are not enough rooms at Corpus Christi to house the seminarians and an appeal has been launched to fund an extension.

"This turnaround has been a real surprise I think to us, especially with the bad publicity," Fr Lane said.

"But in fact the more bad publicity we've had, the more students we get.

"I think it probably works in a reverse way. It says that we're trying to do something about the problems we've got."

"Why are these guys coming in now?" Fr Lane asked.

"I think people are going to need hope."

Third year seminarian Nathan Rawlins offered a simple explanation as to why the seminary is full.

"Now people are realising how great a gift it is to be a Catholic."

The seminarians reflect the ethnic mix of Australia today, and by extension, the Catholic congregations.

They are drawn from 11 countries of origin: Australian, India, Croatia, the Philippines, Vietnam, New Zealand, Nigeria, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Poland and Indonesia.

The Fairfax article explored the possibility that the Pope Francis effect had boosted seminary numbers.

The seminarians now in training would have been influenced by John Paul II and Benedict, it noted.

As Daryl Montecillo, who will be ordained this year, put it: "We trust in God regardless of whoever God gives us as pope. But we thank God for Pope Francis, that's for sure."

Sources

• Sydney Morning Herald
• Image: Sydney Morning Herald

They have been assisted by Hans Arns who is the project coordinator of Sharing the Word an initiative linking up Catholic seminary libraries and librarians throughout the world.

This is being done to provide all seminarians and theology students in Africa, Asia and Oceania with the best possible resources.

Sharing the Word hopes to give every Catholic theological student equal access to the world's best resources.

At present most seminary libraries in Africa, Asia and Oceania are isolated and poorly resourced.

This lack of resources affects the ability of the students to learn and achieve.

The Pontifical Mission Societies in Australia (known as Catholic Mission) is the lead agency for the Sharing the Word project.

The first step in the project is updating libraries and providing online resources is to install a computerised library automation system (catalogue) in every library.

The system was brought online in 2013 and is hosted in Sydney.

This means Sharing the Word is taking care of backing up the data and maintaining the system software.

When PRS began the work of cataloguing, the internet connectivity was slow and unreliable.

To provide uninterrupted service to the library the software and the data were duplicated on the local server.

The library used the local system to record loans and returns where necessary.

The updated data was then automatically sent to Sydney whenever the internet was available.

Internet reliability and speed is not an issue any more in Suva and it will not be an issue anywhere in the near future.

Catholic Mission will also assist each seminary to acquire a server and a number of workstations the librarians and students can use to access the available resources.

Hans is now busy finding free and up-to-date material that seminary students will all be able to access once the system has been installed in their seminary.

Who is using Sharing the Word?

Source

• Sharing the Word
• Image: Pacific Regional Seminary

The first Seminarian Leadership Institute is being run at Villanova University in Philadelphia.

By the end of the course in mid-July, the 11 students will have heard talks on finances, human resources, facilities maintenance and security as well as a crash course in civil law.

New US clergy are likely to be running a parish within two or three years of being ordained.

The course happens in conjunction with pastoral experience the seminarians undertake in parishes.

St Charles Borromeo Seminary rector Bishop Timothy Senior said the main reason experienced priests in Philadelphia asked for a new assignment was the administrative burden in parishes.

He wants to help new priests avoid that pitfall.

"It's not that you have to be able to do everything," Bishop Senior said.

"But you certainly have to be able to recognise what needs to be done, and how to get the right people to do it."

Continue reading

Archbishop Brown said that young Irish seminarians he met at St Patrick's College, the national seminary in Maynooth, and in Rome, showed a "renewed enthusiasm for their faith". That may well be true, but the numbers are miniscule.

Figures on the bishops' own website show the age profile of Irish priests. Over 65 per cent of Irish priests are aged 55 or over.

There are only two priests under the age of 40 in the Archdiocese of Dublin.

A priest in Killala diocese, Fr Brendan Hoban, pointed out that there has been a priest and celebration of the Eucharist in his parish -Moygownagh - since the eighth century.

But he believes he will be that last priest in that parish.

At the moment there is a priest in every parish in Killala. Within 20 years there will be seven serving 22 parishes spread out over a wide area. The situation is much same in other dioceses.

The research points out that to maintain the status quo would mean ordaining 82 priests each year.

The reality is that 20 students entered Maynooth in September 2013. It is likely that only 10 or 12 will be ordained in 2020. Continue reading.

Seán McDonagh is a Columban missionary priest, well known author and speaker, and a spokesman for the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland.

Source: Tablet Blog

Image: Percy French Festival

He was farewelled at the seminary this week.

"I'm sad to be leaving at this stage in the year but owing to health reasons I feel that it's best for the Seminary and for me that I return to Australia for medical treatment. I would liked to have completed my term which was due to finish at the end of the year," says Monsignor Jeffrey.

"We are grateful to Monsignor Jeffrey for his work at the Seminary over the last three years," says Archbishop John Dew, President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference.

"He came to us from the Diocese of Sandhurst, Australia, at a time when he was due to retire."

"Instead he responded willingly to our request to come to New Zealand as Rector of Holy Cross Seminary."

"During his time here, he has embraced the culture and the Church here and has contributed greatly to the Seminary."

"Monsignor Jeffrey's experience and passion for priesthood has contributed greatly to his work at the Seminary," said Dew.

"He brought his many years of experience as both a staff member and rector of two seminaries, and his involvement in Catholic education."

"He also has great enthusiasm for the new evangelisation, and having worked in a number of parishes. He has a proven knowledge of pastoral ministry."

"While we're sad to see him leave early before the anticipated end of his term later this year, we understand that the need to prioritise his health and well-being."

Reflecting on his time here Jeffrey says he has enjoyed New Zealand "I'd like to thank all of the staff at the Seminary for their work and support of me and my role."

"I'd also like to thank all of the Seminarians who have passed through the Seminary during this time. I wish them all the very best in their discernment and development of their vocation. They will remain in my prayers as I return to Australia," he says.

Monsignor Jeffrey was ordained at Sacred Heart Cathedral in his home town of Bendigo in 1963 and worked as Assistant Priest at parishes in Beechworth, Cohuna, Heathcote and Shepparton.

He then spent twelve years at Corpus Christi Provincial Seminary in Australia as a member of staff (1972 - 1977) and Rector (1978 - 1984). In 1985 he was appointed a staff member of the Pacific Regional Seminary in Fiji and became Rector in 1989, a position he held until 1993.

In 1994 Jeffrey became Parish Priest at St John's Catholic Parish in Euroa before joining St Brendan's in 1995.

In addition to seminary and parish-based roles, Monsignor Jeffrey has been Chairman of the Sandhurst School Education Board since its inception 15 years ago; Director of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria for 12 years, and Chairman of a Diocesan Ecumenical Commission for 14 years.

He was named Prelate of Honour by Pope John Paul in January 2000.

Source

• catholic.org.nz
• Image: Supplied NZCBC

The symposium was held on 1-2 May at the Catholic Theological Institute in Bomana, Port Moresby.

A theological key note address, ‘Evangelising in the 21st century', introduced the theme and was followed by experiences of community and religious radio broadcasting in Australia, Italy, Africa, and the Philippines.

During the second day the focus was on Papua New Guinea with a presentation by PNG National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) acting manager Allen Aarifeae followed by a forum with all resource persons and the presence of directors of PNG Catholic radio stations (Port Moresby, Mt Hagen, Rabaul, Lae, Bereina).

Fr Gianni Criveller, a Hong Kong based theologian, Italian missionary and media expert Fr Fabrizio Colombo, Sydney CRADIO staff member Luke Streher, and PNG journalism student Bradley Gregory also took a smaller number of participants and a dozen of PNG Catholic radio operators into a two-day workshop to enhance their communication skills.

The activity was sponsored by SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communication based in Brussels and Rome, and by the office of Social Communications of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

This year's symposium followed a similar initiative held around the same time last year on Social Networks: Portals of Truth and Faith; New Spaces for Evangelisation.

Source

Supplied -Fr Giorgio Licini Catholic Reporter PNG

Image:: curielproducciones.com

The Pope told seminarians training for the Italian diocese of Lazio that a seminary is not a refuge for those who have psychological problems either.

The Pontiff was speaking on April 15 at the Clementine Hall in the Vatican.

He told the seminarians that they are not training for work in a business or bureaucracy.

"We have so many priests who have gone half way . . . it's sad that they did not manage to go the whole way; they have something of the employee in them, something of the bureaucrat in them and this is not good for the Church."

"Please be careful you don't fall into this."

Rather, the seminarian should aim to be pastors in the image of Jesus, "the good pastor".

"Your aim is to resemble him and act on behalf of him amidst his flock."

Pope Francis said it is true that "at the beginning intentions are not completely righteous, and it is hard for them to be so".

"All of us have had moments when our intentions were not completely righteous, but in time this changes with everyday conversion."

The Pope cited the examples of the apostles James and John.

"One of them wanted to be prime minister and the other a minister of the economy because it was a more important role.

"The apostles' mind was elsewhere but the Lord patiently corrected their intention and in the end the intention of their preaching and martyrdom was incredibly righteous."

Being a good shepherd means meditating on the Gospels, experiencing God's mercy oneself in Confession, being nourished by the Eucharist and being men of prayer.

"If you are not willing to follow this path, with these attitudes and these experiences - and I say this from the heart, without meaning to offend anyone - it is better to have the courage to seek another," the Pope said.

Earlier this year, Pope Francis warned that priests can be "little monsters" if they aren't trained properly in the seminary, with hearts being molded as well as minds.

Sources

• La Stampa
• Huffington Post
• Image: Catholic World Report

But although there might be seven different ethnicities represented, most of them are young, aged in their twenties. Continue reading

Fr Brendan Ward is a priest of the Dunedin Diocese and has been ministering in parishes since his ordination in 1995.

"Parish ministry, along with his work in the forestry industry prior to entering the seminary, and his study, including a Masters in the Psychology of Religion, will greatly assist him in this next role," says Archbishop Dew President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference.

Fr Ward comes from a large Invercargill family.

After leaving school he went to Canterbury University where he completed a Bachelor of Forestry and then worked for some years in the forestry industry in Rotorua and later in Bougainville.

From 1986 to 1988 Fr Ward played cricket as a semi professional.

He studied for the priesthood at the seminary in Mosgiel and was ordained by Bishop Leonard Boyle at St Mary's Basilica in Invercargill at the end of 1995.

In addition to parish ministry, Fr Ward, more recently studied for a Masters at Heythrop College (the Jesuit College) in London.

He is currently parish priest of Queenstown.

Fr Ward will take over from Monsignor Peter Jeffrey whose term ends at the conclusion of this year.

Archbishop Dew says this year will give Fr Ward the time to prepare, and "I along with my brother bishops offer our ongoing support."

"I'm pleased to be taking on this new role next year and I will be spending this time researching and preparing to begin. I can see that under the leadership of Monsignor Peter Jeffery and the staff that the Seminary is in good heart" said Fr Ward.

"I'm grateful to all those who have formed, supported and encouraged me in my own priestly vocation and I hope that I too can make a valuable contribution to the vocation of many others in this role." he said.

Source

• Supplied NZCBC
• Image: Supplied NZCBC

My sister-in-law was gauging whether or not I was comfortable with her breastfeeding my 3-month-old nephew around me in her own house. I felt guilty.

I felt guilty because - somehow, not by what I'd said, or how I'd treated her, but somehow - I'd been a part of making my sister-in-law feel like a guest in her own house, feeding her own child.

Awkwardness followed. If I stay in the room now, I thought, I might seem like a voyeur, a spy prying into a moment of intimacy between mother and child.

But if I were to leave right then? I worried that I'd just seem like the stereotype of a celibate seminarian: Too uncomfortable and too pious to witness my nephew latching his mouth onto his mother's breast.

I stood still for a moment as all this ran through me, torn between honouring their privacy and honouring the naturalness of breastfeeding, and then my sister-in-law put me at ease. "It's no big deal if you want to sit and stay." Continue reading.

Jeff Sullivan sj is a Jesuit seminarian, and studying an MA in Philosophy in Chicago.

Source: The Jesuit Post

Image: ThinkJesuit.org

Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate noted that this year's tally of 3,694 graduate theology students represents a 16 percent increase since 1995 and a 10 percent jump since 2005.

Religion News Service reported that seminary directors cite more encouragement from bishops and parishes, the draw of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and the social-justice-minded Pope Francis, and a growing sense that the church is past the corrosive impact of the sexual abuse crisis that exploded in 2002.

"I always had an inkling that I might want to be a priest and my parish priest told me he thought I might be called," the report quoted student Kevin Fox.

Fox said the secular path "wasn't filling my soul with joy."

Rev. Mark Latcovich, president and rector of St. Mary Seminary, said current seminarians and priests are "our best recruiters."

"If they are happy and witnessing their faith and opening their hearts, that enthusiasm and joy is contagious," he said.

Source

Religion News Service

Image: Patheos

Maynooth College in County Kildare will admit the wannabe priests in September as 37,500 students begin third level education in Ireland.

The college will welcome 20 clerical students for the new term, up eight on last year's figures. Many of them have already completed other university courses.

Their studies will take seven years in total including a three to four year degree course before completing their religious studies at St Patrick's College in Maynooth.

Monsignor Hugh Connolly, the president of the Kildare college, told the Irish Examiner that this is one of the biggest numbers of new entrants in recent years.

He said: "Most have been through college, but there is a huge variety of qualifications among them.
"This year, they have studied things like quantity surveying, human resources, finance, history and politics, computers and maths, some have come from full-time jobs."

Monsignor Connolly confirmed that most of the new batch of clerical students are in their mid-20s. Continue reading

A weekend chocker of catchups, re-introductions and lots of stories, for old mates, some who had not seen each other for 30 years or more focused around Friday drinks, a visit of the Marist Archives, the the actual book launch, launch dinner and Sunday Mass.

Wives and partners too seemed to learn lots and were able to put names and faces together, some for the first time.

The conversation flowed all weekend.

Speaking at the On a Mission launch dinner, in a packed dining room at the Back Bencher Hotel, Mike Fitzsimmons described the occasion as 'very special.'

"I often thought if ever a place deserved an old boys gathering, the Mount does. The great quest we were all on, intensity of our experience and the friendships formed make the school equivalent very pale indeed."

Mr Fitzsimmons said the seminary was a 'great deal' for him.

• Board and meals for seven and a half years.
• A tertiary education at Victoria and the Mount worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
• It gave me 'once a seminarian' stories to last a lifetime that seem to leave people gob-smacked even to this day.
• It gave me friends for life.
• It gave me habits so useful for married life - extraordinary ability to take criticism, unquestioning obedience, and an instinctive habit of speed drinking whenever someone is approaching the door!

Mr Fitzsimmons however reminded those who had yet to read the book, that On a Mission is not a history of the seminary, rather it's 22 stories, each with their own truth, he said.

A similar event earlier in Whangarei, earlier the week also attracted more than 100 people.

Author, Shaun Davison says his former colleagues "rank as some of the most inspiring people I've ever met" and described the call to a Marist vocation as "a noble mission to serve God in our world".

For Mr Davison, the journey to write the book began 1976, when he joined a thriving community of over 100 at Mount St Mary's Seminary, Hawkes Bay, most of whom were training to be Catholic priests, and although in the late 70's number began to dwindle, still four years later Mount St Mary's still had around 80 seminarians.

"We had no doubt it would carry on for another 100 years," he said.

But all of a sudden things changed.

Just twelve years later the bells at Mount St Mary's Seminary, Greenmeadows tolled for the last time, the grand Hawkes Bay institution closed, and the remaining handful of students moved to Auckland to continue their training.

Motived by turning 50, Mr Davision, who left the seminary in 1981, went in search of his former colleagues, to retrace their journeys, revisit their decision to embark on a religious path and discuss its impact on their lives.

Fr Merv Duffy SM, a professor of Systematic Theology at Good Shepherd College, Auckland, describes the book as: "A terrific read! Wonderful coming-of-age stories. Talented men reflecting on their seminary days, the ideals and ordeals."

Monsignor Gerard Burns, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Wellington, bought On a Mission on Friday night and found the stories so riveting that he couldn't put the book down until he finished it.

Those interested in a copy can get them direct from the publisher, Steele Roberts.