I have just been reading an article in Zenit.org, a Roman agency, about the situation in the Ukraine. Bishop Jaroslav Pryriz, coadjutor Bishop of Sambir-Drohobych, making a report to Aid to the Church in Need, states that Ukrainian seminaries are having to turn away up to half of the young men seeking to become priests due to lack of space. This one diocese has 86 seminarians and 287 priests. The bishop says, "Many young men see the positives and the negatives - the positive of how the Church serves people and the negative of how hard life is in the streets and in the villages. The Catholic Church gives a great example of service and suffering. When they see good priests, and when they see the Church living out the social Gospel, it inspires them. We need to show people a very great example".
I wonder if the Ukrainians have a few spare professors to go with the young men who cannot get a place in a seminary - we in Ushaw College have plenty of space!
Excellent suggestion, Father. Ushaw could potentially attract seminarians from all over Europe and other parts of the world. Let's hope and pray that this will happen in the near future.
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