The Catholic Defender: Prayer for Seminarians

Lord, give our seminarians the grace to follow you more perfectly. When they are lonely or discouraged, fill them with your peace. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make the hearts of our seminarians like yours. Amen.

Dear God, please give me strength when I am weak, love when I feel forsaken, courage when I am afraid, wisdom when I feel foolish, comfort when I am alone, hope when I feel rejected, and peace when I am in turmoil. Amen.

Stand strong and hold on. Greetings and peace to you! As you prepare to go out into the world in service, I am excited to know that you do so as people of love! The Church is truly blessed to have you as a witness of faith and I have no doubt that as the Spirit dances through and in you, great things will happen.

Fill your Church with the spirit of courage and love. Raise up worthy ministers for your altars and ardent but gentle servants of the gospel. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one god, for ever and ever. Amen.

A good seminarian strives to deepen his prayer life and makes that intimate time with the Lord the priority of his day. Mass, Lectio Divina, silent contemplation, and the Liturgy of the Hours are all important elements of the daily routine of a seminarian.

Saint Charles Borromeo, patron of seminarians, was a leading voice of internal reform in the Church, stamping out the selling of indulgences and many other abuses. He believed these problems stemmed from ignorant clergy, so he established many seminaries and instituted Sunday School classes for the laity.

The Priestly Formation Program is centered around the Four Pillars of Priestly Formation. Formation is developed through four aspects: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral.