The Adopt-a-Seminarian Ministry - It's Our 13
“Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out laborers for His harvest."
--Matthew 9:35-38
Free & Easy to Participate in 3 Easy Steps:
1. Email us at info@pray4priests.com and tell us:
- Your first and last name
- The name of your parish and the city
- The name of the seminarian you want to adopt. If you don't have a preference, we will prayerfully choose a seminarian for you.
2. Then you'll receive your Adoption Kit by email within 3-5 days. This free kit consists of the Adoption Certificate for your seminarian, the Adoption Guide, and the Adoption Prayer Card.
Please note: we close out our program each year on May 14, to begin preparing for our next school year to begin on August 15. If you reach out to us, we may be delayed in responding to you.
3. Finally, pray for your seminarian and send him a note of encouragement. During this school year (from August 15 to May 14), pray for your seminarian and send him one note encouragement to introduce yourself and let him know you are praying for him (any support above and beyond this is optional, and we provide resources to help you decide if you'd like to do more).
Technical tip: Be sure to add our domain @pray4priests.com to your safe sender's email list. If you don't receive an email from us, please check your spam or junk email box in case the email was "rerouted" by the internet service provider.
Our Ministry Purpose and Focus:
Our annual Adopt-a-Seminarian program focuses on providing prayer support and practical encouragement to all seminarians studying in the diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina during each seminary school year, from August 15 to May 14.
This ministry helps both laity and future priests! It
introduces the men who may become pastors to prayerful laity in the
diocese where they desire to serve as shepherds. Seminarians are able
to experience the love of laity who are striving for holiness, and who are
demonstrating their support through prayer and practical encouragement.
In turn,
this program gives the laity a personal spiritual connection with a man who is also
striving to be holy and follow Jesus, and may one day be their pastor. Our seminarians pray for their adoptive
families too!
This prayerful relationship can be sanctifying for both
parties. Check out our FAQ (frequently asked questions) tab for more
information.
Thoughts From a Few Men
Who Have Been "Adopted" Through Our Program
Fr. Christopher Bond writes,
“As a seminarian, my discernment of the priesthood was constantly nurtured through the continuous prayers of those who adopted me through this program. As a priest, I witness the fruits of those same prayers every day!”
Fr. Matthew Bean writes,
"The program is something that greatly affected me as a seminarian. First, it allowed me to keep a close connection with my home parish when I was far away at seminary and second, it also gave me great support to know that many people of the parish were praying for me and my vocation."
Father Aaron Huber wrote during his time as a seminarian:
“I have had the privilege of being edified by the holiness of the faithful as well as their love and respect for the clergy of Mother church. This adoption program encourages me in my discernment and keeps me connected to the faithful."
At Pray4Priests, our ministries focus on praying for the men discerning a call to, or already serving in Christ’s ministerial priesthood. No seminarian discerns priesthood for himself alone, and no priest ministers solely for his own benefit. The gift of the priesthood is always for others, always in service to Jesus and His sheep.
This year, we have chosen the image of Christ the Good Shepherd for our meditation. In the Gospel of John, Jesus reveals Himself as the Good Shepherd who “lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn 10:11). The ministerial priesthood is a living participation in this mystery: priests, being configured to Christ, are called to guard, guide, feed, and protect the faithful as Christ Himself does. They shepherd God’s people not with their own strength, but with the heart and authority of Christ, who knows each of His sheep by name and seeks out the lost.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that the ministerial priesthood is always ordered to the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all the faithful (CCC 1547). Priests, then, are not shepherds for their own sake, but instruments of Christ’s merciful love. They lead the flock to verdant pastures through the proclamation of the Word and the celebration of the Eucharist, where Christ Himself nourishes and strengthens His people. They defend the flock from spiritual harm by offering the Sacrament of Reconciliation, bringing souls back into the embrace of the Shepherd who never ceases to seek out the sinner with compassion and mercy.
