NGUYEN: Good News -- Fruits from the Seminary
March 27, 2018
Most of the stories we hear about, in general, tend to be negative ones because good news seldom makes the headlines. We seldom advertise our successes or the great stuff that happens in the community, but I want to share some good news happening here at St. Mary’s Seminary.
On May 12, seven Galveston-Houston seminarians will be ordained as transitional deacons. This is the largest diaconate class since 1988.
In addition, four seminarians will be ordained to the priesthood on June 2. These men are invaluable to the future of the Church in Texas and we celebrate them. The Archdiocese serves more than 1.7 million Catholics in 146 parishes and the average age of active priests is 63.
The Seminary’s two biggest fundraisers are the Catholic Clerical Student Fund (CCSF) and Daniel Cardinal DiNardo’s tenth annual Sean and Kari Tracey’s Shepherd’s Cup Charity Golf Classic.
In the early 1930s, the Little Flower Foundation established by the priests at the Seminary of the Galveston Diocese, provided the difference between starvation and survival for the seminarians. The Galveston Diocesan Council of Catholic Women asked to include this need in their work and voted to do so at their Convention in 1931.
The Catholic Clerical Student Fund was incorporated in 1933 with the purpose of raising funds to be used in the education of young men to the priesthood.
The established policy is to invest the donations received through enrollments in Masses and prayers at the Seminary, and pay the investment income from it annually to the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, to be used to educate young men to the Roman Catholic Priesthood.
This Corporation was organized, exists and operates now as a function of the Galveston-Houston Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women under the auspices of the Archbishop. The CCSF is a tireless and noble group of women who devote their time and support to St. Mary’s Seminary. Since its inception, it has donated $6,025,390 to the Seminary.
Sean and Kari Tracey sponsor the annual Shepherd’s Cup Golf Classic. The proceeds from the Shepherd’s Cup supports Inner City Catholic Schools, Faith formation, clergy formation and St. Mary’s Seminary.
Over the past nine years, the Seminary has received over $1 million in proceeds from the Shepherd’s Cup. The next tournament will be held on April 18.
Additionally, the Knights of Columbus, the Serra Clubs, Catholic Daughters and parish vocation committees of the Archdiocese contribute their time, talent and resources to St. Mary’s Seminary.
Numerous parishioners throughout the Archdiocese also consistently support our seminarians through their donations, generosity and especially though the Corpus Christi collection, held every June which directly benefits the Seminary.
Although St. Mary’s Seminary is located in the heart of the city, few Catholics know of our existence. A fifty-acre tract of woodlands located at the present site on Memorial Drive was donated by the Laurent, Smith and Strake families and was dedicated on November 4, 1954, by Samuel Cardinal Stritch of Chicago.
We are proud of the St. Mary’s Seminary community and there is a lot of good news to share. We welcome the friends of the Seminary to visit us when in the area.
Father Trung V. Nguyen is the rector of the St. Mary’s Seminary of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.