invest in a young man's future
Just some examples of the faithful men you will help
when you support a seminary
Tadey Volodomyr Kherovych
My name is Tadey Volodomyr Kherovych and I am a deacon in the Basilian monastery of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, in Drogobych. Tadey is the name they gave me in the monastery, as a symbol of rebirth.
I was in high school when I finally decided on a monastic life. After finishing secondary school, I went to Krekhiv, where all candidates for monastic life have to go first. Now I am finishing my sixth year in the Yosyph Velyamyn-Rutskyi Seminary, in Brukhoychi.
Our life here is very active, and full of interesting duties. We have to strike a balance between prayer, study, work and leisure.
I try to keep in mind all those who need God’s support, and I am grateful to my spiritual directors for their support on my path to the monastic life. May you all be filled by the Grace of our God, who frees us from evil and is an ocean of love and beauty! United in prayer!
Jean-Claude Barack Abiritseni Fiston
Jean-Claude Barack Abiritseni Fiston was born in the lush green mountains surrounding Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Torn between a career as a doctor and a vocation as a priest, Jean-Claude realized that the decision was not that difficult.
“I wanted to be ready to serve Christ by proclaiming the Good News, the Gospel that brings joy, and especially in an environment where a lot of people suffer and lack even basic necessities. But also hope. I am going to become a priest to bring consolation to those who suffer, to administer the sacraments, and to proclaim hope to those who have lost everything. This is my biggest goal.”
“What a wonderful thing, to be able to lead souls to God, and to announce the wonders of Him who created us. It was the best choice I ever made. And we are very thankful to our benefactors, and to ACN, for what they are already doing," says the future priest.
Rolisson Afonso
My name is Rolisson Afonso, and I am a student in the Major Seminary of Saint Joseph in Manaus.
My mother, at the time, was too young to care for me so I was sent to live with my grandparents who were devout Catholics. They could barely read and write, but every day we prayed the Rosary and every Sunday we went to Mass.
When I was 12, while I was lying in a hammock with my grandmother, I told her that I would like to be a priest. Nonetheless, when word got around, I started to be teased by my friends, and put the idea aside. My adolescence was plagued by mistakes: but my grandparents always stayed by my side
I went to university and finally found a job, but that sentence I had said to my grandmother remained in the back of my mind and returned. Having lived in the remoteness of the Amazon, I knew better than most how badly those communities need priests. I wanted to become a priest, to take the sacraments and the Gospel to these people, to attend to their needs.
SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH - ONE SEMINARY AT A TIME
Thank you for adopting a seminary and giving seminarians the opportunity to respond to God’s calling. Although, we do not offer individual seminarian sponsorships, all seminarians will benefit equally from your support of their seminaries.
UKRAINE
Funding for: 49 Basilian seminarians in the Basilian Seminary in Bryukhovychi.
In Lviv, there is the Provincial House of the Basilians with its own seminary, established after the fall of communism.
ACN has supported the formation of seminarians of the Basilian Fathers since 2000. Since 2015, they have been studying in Bryukhovychi.
As for other seminarians in Ukraine, following the request of the bishops we decided to raise our grant per student from $640 to $855. Our help in 2020 secured 20% of the seminary´s expenses.
DEM. REP. OF CONGO
Funding for: 49 seminarians at Major Seminary Theologicum Saint Pius X in Murhesa.
Fr. Charles Badesire Mudekereza is the rector of the seminary for theological studies of Murhesa (Bukavu), which is located in the Archdiocese of Bukavu.
This is the oldest seminary of the ecclesiastical province and also the first one to be supported by ACN. This seminary is affiliated with the Urbaniana (one of the main pontifical athenaeum in Rome, located right next to the Vatican). Furthermore, 80% of the priests from the ecclesiastical province are formed there.
URUGUAY
Funding of: 21 seminarians in the Cristo Rey Interdiocesan Major Seminary in Montevideo.
Uruguay has only one seminary for the few vocations in the country. This is a country that has undergone a very strong process of secularization, where the Church is an impoverished one, having insufficient financial means to carry out the work of evangelization and the formation of its future priests.
The formation of seminarians has always been one of the biggest priorities for ACN. Since 2017, ACN donors have been supporting this seminary.
