Category Archives: Seminarians and Seminaries

Number of Priestly Ordinations in Free Fall

A recent piece at the SSPX site deals with the “vertiginous” drop in priestly vocations in France, in particular, Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe.    The figures they used are from the French bishops conference and other non-SSPX sources. The … Read More

Posted in Hard-Identity Catholicism, Priests and Priesthood, Save The Liturgy - Save The World, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged ,
17 Comments

WDTPRS: Mass Prayers “Pro seipso sacerdote – For the priest himself” (1962MR)

This time of year many new priests are being ordained and, consequently, many priests observe their own anniversaries. In the traditional, Vetus Ordo of the Roman Rite a priest can add orations for himself, Pro seipso sacerdote, on the anniversary … Read More

Posted in Cancelled Priests, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood, Save The Liturgy - Save The World, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
1 Comment

These numbers suggest a seriously unhealthy Church. UPDATED

From this new study about vocations to the priesthood and ordinations in these USA: HERE I was told by a bishop that bishops say they do not hear that men have been inspired toward priesthood by Francis.  Of course the … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ACTION ITEM!, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
33 Comments

FATHERS! “The first few hours after an accusation is made are absolutely critical.”

UPDATE: 27 Aug 2022 12:14: From my friend… GOOD GRIEF! Your readers really responded – as in, immediately! The book is now SOLD OUT, thanks to you. So I’m busy boxing up more copies to send to the Amazon warehouses. … Read More

Posted in Cancelled Priests, Canon Law, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , ,
4 Comments

But remember… the problem is the Traditional Latin Mass!

But remember… the problem is the Traditional Latin Mass! If only we could shut it down, the seminaries would fill up again. Right? The average age of a priest in the United States is 67. The large ordination classes of … Read More

Posted in Be The Maquis, Liberals, Mail from priests, Pò sì jiù, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, Sin That Cries To Heaven, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices, Traditionis custodes | Tagged ,
17 Comments

ITALY: Vocations to the priesthood waaaaaay down

From VaticanNews.va in Italian: Italy, CEI: fewer seminarians, families may be a nursery for vocations [What’s….. family?] The data of a report by the Italian Bishops’ Conference reveal that in just ten years the decline in vocations has reached 28%: … Read More

Posted in Seminarians and Seminaries, SESSIUNCULA, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged ,
14 Comments

FOUR men entered seminary in all of IRELAND this year – UPDATED

UPDATE: From a reader: Hi Father, long time follower, I would like to respond to your remark on Ireland. Perhaps I don’t need to register to tell you about the good news in Ireland. Before Traditionis Custodes, the ICKSP is … Read More

Posted in Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
27 Comments

Wherein a priest alumnus of the North American College responds. Wherein Fr. Z rants.

From an alumnus of the North American College (US seminary in Rome) … edited so that the style of writing can’t be traced to any one priest by those who might recognize it. As a NAC grad, I read your … Read More

Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, "How To..." - Practical Notes, Cri de Coeur, Francis, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity, Pò sì jiù, Priests and Priesthood, Save The Liturgy - Save The World, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices, Traditionis custodes, Vatican II, Wherein Fr. Z Rants |
19 Comments

U.S. Seminary in Rome snuffs out the Traditional Latin Mass and training for seminarians

The craven faculty of the North American College (US seminary in Rome), perhaps under the pressure of their board, has snuffed out the Traditional Latin Mass, which was a regularly scheduled Mass on Saturdays. There was also training for the … Read More

Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, Be The Maquis, Save The Liturgy - Save The World, Seminarians and Seminaries, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices, Traditionis custodes | Tagged , ,
22 Comments

ASK FATHER: Priest refers to his role as “waiter” not “bouncer”.

From a reader… QUAERITUR: I heard a priest refer to his role as, “not the bouncer to the Eucharistic banquet but the server [as in waiter].”Most analogies fall flat, but this one hit a dissonant chord that I can’t quite … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , , , ,
4 Comments

ASK FATHER: Do priests who celebrate only in the vernacular really know what they are saying?

From a reader…. QUAERITUR: I recently discovered the SCDF declaration Instauratio liturgica (Jan. 25, 1974), which says that the meaning of a translated sacramental formula is that of the original Latin, understood according to the mind of the Church. Especially … Read More

Posted in Canon Law, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Latin, Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood, Save The Liturgy - Save The World, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Drill, The future and our choices, WDTPRS | Tagged , , ,
14 Comments

ASK FATHER: A Transitional (to priesthood… not something else) Deacon asks about how to give people blessings

From a transitional deacon… QUAERITUR: I am a transitional deacon soon to be ordained a priest. As that day draws near, I realize that my seminary has taught me absolutely nothing about how to bless people and things. As I … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Linking Back, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , ,
2 Comments

“The constant negativity directed to us priests by…” Wherein Fr. Z relates, reacts, reflects and rants.

At Catholic World Report, Fr. Peter Stravinskas offers a reflection on the way Francis seems constantly to denigrate and insult priests affects both morale and vocations. His observations coincide with my own.  One of things he said struck a strong … Read More

Posted in Francis, GO TO CONFESSION, Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , ,
15 Comments

ASK FATHER: Indulgence for kissing a new priest’s hands

From a reader… QUAERITUR: Is there really an indulgence for kissing the hands of a newly ordained priest?  I’ve heard different accounts.  And how long is “newly”? I have written about this before.   For example, HERE. There is no indulgence, … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , , , ,
4 Comments

GOOD NEWS: “Key” available for Scanlon’s “Latin Grammar: Grammar Vocabularies, and Exercises in Preparation for the Reading of the Missal and Breviary”

There is some GOOD NEWS. It’s down below.  Meantime… I’ve been ranting for years about the need for clerics to know the language of their Latin Church, Roman Rite. In most cases that means that priests and seminarians have to … Read More

Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, ACTION ITEM!, Be The Maquis, Latin, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, Si vis pacem para bellum!, The future and our choices | Tagged ,
6 Comments

ACTION ITEM! Seminarian in need of prayers

It is deeply troubling that the tactics of the 80’s and 90’s are being redeployed now. From a reader… In connection with your psyops article from just over two years ago, there is a seminarian in need of serious prayer. … Read More

Posted in ACTION ITEM!, Seminarians and Seminaries |
3 Comments

Wherein Fr. Z reacts to a seminarian’s “cri de coeur”

I have written quite a few times here that – in this time of erosion and reversal in the Church – young priests and seminarians will increasingly be exposed to the sort of thing we older guys had to endure … Read More

Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, "How To..." - Practical Notes, Cri de Coeur, Hard-Identity Catholicism, New catholic Red Guards, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, Si vis pacem para bellum!, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , , ,
26 Comments

St. Robert Bellarmine on priests (Jesuits) who don’t learn to celebrate Mass and don’t follow the rubrics

From  a reader comes this apposite passage. Long-time reader here. Your recent posts (“rants”) about priests learning Latin and their Rite recalled to mind a passage I believe you will heartily enjoy from an excellent older biography of St. Robert … Read More

Posted in Fr. Z KUDOS, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Jesuits, Latin, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , , ,
7 Comments

They just need to keep doing what they’re doing!

Someone once said something along the lines of, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” The Bitter Pill (aka The Tablet aka RU-486) has a story that 130 year old Wonersh Seminary in … Read More

Posted in Cri de Coeur, Our Catholic Identity, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged ,
9 Comments

Wherein Fr. Z rants and points a finger

In another post, I commented on some good points made by Joseph Shaw in a piece at HPR. I want to return to Shaw’s piece for some final points.  Picking up toward the end… […] It certainly would not have … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Decorum, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Pò sì jiù, Priests and Priesthood, Save The Liturgy - Save The World, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Drill, The future and our choices, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , , , , ,
31 Comments