Becoming a Priest

Cathedral Seminary

As the college seminary of the Diocese of Brooklyn, Cathedral Seminary House of Formation provides an environment for those men who have completed high school and are considering a possible vocation to the Diocesan Priesthood. Seminarians attend either Saint John’s University or other local colleges, and take accredited courses at the seminary residence.

Cathedral Seminary House of Formation is a full seminary program, following the dictates of the Program of Priestly Formation as mandated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

PROGRAMS

Pre-Theology

Sponsored by the Diocese of Brooklyn, and serving other dioceses, Cathedral Seminary House of Formation also offers a Pre-Theology Program open to men who, having finished college, still need to complete the 30 credits in Philosophy and 12 credits in Theology required before applying to the Theologate (Major Seminary).

WHO SHOULD COME?

Candidates

Any young Catholic man who is applying to college, who is currently in college, or who has graduated from college may apply. Candidates should be open to the idea that the Lord Jesus might possibly be calling him to the priesthood and seriously willing to consider this possibility.

What is Theologate?

Major Seminary

The Major Seminary provides an environment for those men who have completed the College or Pre-Theology Formation Program at Cathedral Seminary House of Formation and desire to pursue their vocation to the Diocesan Priesthood by completing their theological training. The formation of a man for the Sacred Priesthood is not primarily a matter of teaching certain skills or imparting specific knowledge. It is first and foremost conforming one’s heart to the priestly heart of Jesus. As such, it is the formation of the whole person that requires on the part of the seminarian candidate openness and receptivity to the work of God as it is mediated through the various aspects of the priestly formation program. The Major Seminary seeks to address the formation of the whole person by focusing on four aspects which the Church has identified as necessary elements (or “pillars”) of seminary formation: Human, Intellectual, Pastoral, and Spiritual.

Where?

Seminarians are assigned by the Bishop of Brooklyn to complete theological training at one of the seminaries sponsored by the Diocese of Brooklyn. For each seminarian, his daily schedule varies depending on the seminary he has been assigned to and his level of formation. One can expect a rigorous academic course of study and a healthy schedule of prayer, as these final years of formation before ordination truly form a man into a priest for the Church.

The following seminaries are sponsored by the Diocese of Brooklyn:

Pontifical North American College, Rome, Italy

Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, Huntington, NY

St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, PA

Redemtoris Mater Seminary, Newark, NJ

Holy Apostles Seminary, Cromwell, CT

Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Orchard Lake, Michigan

WHO SHOULD COME?

Candidates

Any Catholic man who feels that the Lord Jesus is calling him to the Catholic priesthood and is willing to seriously consider this possibility is an ideal candidate. One must have completed all the necessary requirements.

High School Seminary

Cathedral Preparatory

As the high school seminary of the Diocese of Brooklyn, Cathedral Preparatory Seminary provides an environment for discernment to Catholic young men with a desire to mature in their knowledge of Christ—the highest fulfillment of humanity—and who are therefore willing to seriously consider the priesthood as an attractive possibility.

Cathedral Preparatory Seminary provides them with a college preparatory program, rooted in Catholic tradition, and responsive to the dynamic changes in society, in accord with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Through an integrated program of prayer, study, apostolic work and activities, the high school seminarians of the Cathedral community mature in spirit, mind and body. They are prepared for the challenges of further study, to become prayerful and active adult members of their parishes, responsible citizens of their nation, and loving, concerned, generous members of society, no matter what choice they make regarding their vocations.

WHO SHOULD COME?

Candidates

Any young Catholic man preparing to enter high school, or a man looking to transfer, who is open to the idea that the Lord Jesus might possibly be calling him to the priesthood and is willing to seriously consider this possibility is an ideal candidate for Cathedral Preparatory Seminary.