Category Archives: Seminarians and Seminaries

A reader has fun with a seminarian, a great book, and an “ordination tambourine”

A seminarian sent this… Hello Father, I wanted to let you know that one of your readers, upon reading this post, sent me a copy of Pope Emeritus Benedict’s new book on the priesthood. I received it a few days ago … Read More

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Tradition = vocations – It isn’t rocket science

I contend that the shortage of vocations is a self-inflicted wound. Yesterday, here in the Diocese of Madison, the Extraordinary Ordinary and the seminarians concluded a week of praying together, talks, activities, hanging out with each other and priests.  Among … Read More

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Thanks from seminarian: The BIRETTA PROJECT!

The other day, HERE, I mentioned that new seminarians of the diocese, gathered for their annual week with the Extraordinary Ordinary, have been measured for their birettas as part of the ongoing BIRETTAS FOR SEMINARIANS PROJECT. So far, this project has … Read More

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Of seminarians, books, birettas, new vestments, and wherein Fr. Z is very pleased

Every summer the Extraordinary Ordinary of the Diocese of Madison, His Excellency Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino, gathers all the seminarians for about a week of fraternity and conferences.  We are in full swing. Today, I celebrated Holy Mass for … Read More

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Did Pope Francis insult some young priests? Fr. Z opines and tells a story.

This isn’t the sort of thing that should pull much of our attention or energy.  However, I have been asked about it in email by a surprising number of people, including priests. It seems that the site Messa in latino picked … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Francis, Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Drill | Tagged , ,
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Female altar servers up, ordinations down

In once-Catholic Austria, now female altarettes outnumber male servers.  HERE Nearly a quarter century after the practice of female altar servers became licit, 55% of Austria’s 45,000 altar servers are girls, according to statistics published by the Archdiocese of Vienna. … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
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Your Good News

Do you have some good news to report?  We could use some. Here is some good news… well… it’s also bad news.  I guess it depends on your perspective. One Quarter of Ordinations in France Belong to the Tridentine Rite … Read More

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ACTION ITEM! Birettas for Seminarians Project ONGOING!

¡Hagan lío! I had a nice note from a reader who met a seminarian recipient of one of your birettas. Here at Fr. Z’s Samizdat, for now I’ll anonymize this “In The Wild” pic.  It is just better that way, … Read More

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ASK FATHER: Can a priest with little Latin say Mass validly?

From a reader… QUAERITUR: My Latin is not great will an ordinary form mass I celebrate in Latin be valid? Sure, Father, it would be valid. Language is a tricky thing.  There are almost always gaps in our comprehension of … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Latin, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM | Tagged , ,
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GUEST POST: 10 years of ‘Summorum Pontificum’ and its effect on seminarians

A GUEST POST from a reader… I have been meaning to write this for a little while but the holiday gives me a time to reflect on several observations over the past weeks and several years. This in light of … Read More

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM |
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