At the end of 2024 things may seem like they are about the same as they were at the beginning. We started the year with six seminarians, and we’ll end with the same amount. But all the seminarians will affirm that the Lord’s work is most often done very quietly. When we are faithful to our call, the Lord works. When we show up to pray each morning and pray the Mass with reverence, the Lord works in our heart.
The greatest change this year has been made in the hearts of our seminarians as they continue the work of being formed into priests after the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. That work is quiet, but its results are clear. So many people have reached out to me to tell me that they were blessed by the presence of our seminarians at one event or another. This is my favorite news to receive, and it affirms what I see as well: we have great seminarians who are working very hard and who want to do what the Lord wants them to do.

We have great hope for the future as well. At the end of 2025 Will Foggo is scheduled to be ordained a deacon in preparation for priestly ordination in the spring of 2026. We also have two applicants for the seminary as of now for the next formation year which begins in August 2025. Please keep all of these men in your prayers. We always ask that God’s will be done, and if they are meant to enter into seminary formation, please pray that any barriers come down for them.
We may have more than two applicants as the weeks and months of the winter pass, in fact, I can say today that I expect that we will. This is the mark of a vocation program that is healthier than it was at the start of 2024. We introduced the Vocation Pathway in the summer and thanks to the help of Vianney Vocations we have walked with over 30 young men in discernment groups across the diocese. We have also collected the names of over 50 more young men who you think need this type of fellowship, and so we’ll be reaching out to them in the New Year as well.
The goal that we set at the start of this new chapter was bold, and we continue to ask the Lord to bring it to fruition – 33 seminarians by the year 2030. With that number of seminarians in the pipeline, we can staff our parishes and schools with priests. That’s the goal, that’s the vision, and we have trust that the Lord will bless our efforts.
I am grateful to all those who have supported this mission and vision this year, and in many years prior. We are building on the work of so many people who want to see our parishes thrive. In our little corner of the Chancery, God has called us to promote the diocesan priesthood, and I believe we are doing that very well right now. I am grateful to all of you, and to my part-time staff members, Cecy Arellano and Debbie Padula, who work very hard to promote the priesthood and support our seminarians. I am grateful to our six seminarians. We don’t have a huge number of guys, but they are the type of men we need, and seminary isn’t easy, so I know they appreciate your prayers and support.

Father Nick Adam, vocation director