The Deacon's Bench
It’s described in the current issue of The Tidings:
Men preparing for priesthood has increased in both numbers and diversity during the past five years, a trend captured in a video released last week by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Office for Vocations.
The video, “Follow Me: Journeys to Priesthood,” features interviews with seminarians and priests answering the call to the priesthood from different walks of life, including a two-time Emmy Award winning actor, a business executive and surfers.
“It is our hope that, by watching the video, someone may be moved to begin an internal dialogue with God to help them discern a possible vocation to the priesthood,” said Father Steve Davoren, Office of Vocations director for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. “We want to portray ordinary men being called by God to live extraordinary lives.”
In the past ten years, national enrollment for seminaries has increased by approximately 13 percent, from 3,285 to nearly 3,700. The enrollment at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo is up 33 percent from five years ago for the 2013-14 academic period.
St. John’s has its highest enrollment in years with a total of 92 seminarians, 25 of them new, preparing for the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles or other dioceses. For the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, 20 men are in their first year pursuing the priesthood — 11 at St. John’s and nine at Juan Diego House of Formation in Gardena.
The diversity of the seminarians at St. John’s has also increased, with their ages ranging from 22-45 and representing six countries: United States, Mexico, Philippines, Vietnam, Guatemala and Uganda.
The 13-minute production focuses on what inspired the featured seminarians and priests to answer the call to the priesthood and how it has changed their lives. Many of the seminarians left successful professional careers to devote their lives to serving God.
Read more. But check out the video below. It’s superb.
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