Seminarians:
Educate the Marian Priests of Tomorrow
At a time when many orders face a shortage of men willing to serve as priests or brothers, the Marians are blessed to have nearly 200 men working hard to prepare for a life of service to Christ and His Church.
Today's Marian seminarians come from diverse backgrounds and from all parts of the world. They will be the voices spreading the message of Divine Mercy throughout the world. They will be the priests who preach the gospel to the next generation.
In May, 2004, Fr. Mark Baron, MIC was ordained as a Marian priest. Father Mark said, "Vocation is all about spending yourself for the sake of Christ and the Church. It is about fulfilling that mission that God gives to each one of us in Christ. To the degree that we surrender and strive to fulfill that mission, is the degree to which we find ourselves. It calls us out of ourselves toward God and neighbor. It is very paradoxical. We give ourselves away in order to find ourselves."
The path leading to ordination can take up to 10 years. After a man hears the call to be a Marian and completes the application process, he begins a formal process of discernment, through which he and the Marian community jointly evaluate his intellectual, spiritual, and physical suitability for religious life as a Marian.
The Marians take all the time that is needed to help a candidate interested in joining the community to discern his call from God. The journey is known as formation, and it begins with the postulancy program, followed by the novitiate.
During his formation, the student lives in the Marian community and takes part in academic and spiritual study. At each stage, the young man's commitment is deepened.
Formation is a time of intense reflection. The students follow the ancient tradition of ora et labora — "pray and work." They learn the dynamics of prayer and the contemplative life, study the history of religious life and mysticism in the Church, and learn to reflectively read and pray through the Holy Scriptures. They also study the Marian constitutions, charisms, spirituality, apostolate, and the history of the Congregation.
The final step toward a total commitment as a Marian is the profession of perpetual vows.
Throughout this long process, our seminarians rely on the support of friends like you who are devoted to Mary Immaculate and Jesus, The Divine Mercy.
We pray that you will find it within yourself to offer the level of support needed to match the dedication and commitment of these young men. Please help them answer our Lord's call to "serve Christ and the Church."*
*Marian motto
Educate the Marian Priests of Tomorrow
Suggested Offering:
1 week $115, 1 month $498, 1 year $5,970.
Gifts of any amount will be gratefully accepted.
Gift Card
If you are making a gift on someone's behalf, we can send a Gift Card for you. Your Gift Card will read:
A Gift of Mercy has been made in your name to help the Marians of the Immaculate Conception provide the best possible education and training for the nearly 200 young men who are preparing for a life of service to the Church as Marian priests and brothers. They will bring God's mercy to those in greatest need.
