“The Quest”: a glimpse at priestly formation, from 1973

Buried in the bowels of YouTube, somebody uncovered this gem.  While it may be of particular interest to folks in the Diocese of Brooklyn, it’s also a fascinating sort of time capsule that shows life in a college seminary in the 1970s.  (Look beyond the platform shoes and sideburns and you’ll hear a lot of talk about service and social justice.)  I wonder how many ended up making it to ordination, and how many today are still priests…?

The description:

This is a promotional film for Cathedral College Seminary in Douglaston, NY. Cathedral College was a Roman Catholic college seminary which opened in 1967 and closed in 1987. It was a 4-year liberal arts college for young men interested in the Catholic priesthood. The film was made to generate interest in the school and to promote enrollment. A camera crew documented life at the school over a period of several months in 1973, culminating with graduation. The film begins with an aerial view of New York City and focuses in on Cathedral College and the surrounding neighborhood in Queens.

The quality isn’t great, but take a look for yourself.  (A shout-out to my colleagues in the diocese: do you recognize anyone??)