Formation

The Norbertine, or Premonstratensian, Order was founded in France in the 12th century and has 1,600 members on six continents today.  In 1960, the Dutch Norbertine Fathers founded what is now the Abbey of Jamtara in India, and just two years later, in 1962, accepted its first Indian novices.  Father Arul Amalraj, the present Superior, gratefully remembers the work of those early Dutch missionaries: “Their tireless work, sweat, and immeasurable commitment laid the foundations for the growth of the Abbey ...

No fewer than 182 young men from different parts of Ukraine are currently training for the priesthood at the Greek Catholic seminary in Ivano-Frankivsk. For the first six months of the war, the seminary was used as emergency accommodation for 200 women refugees and their children, while the seminarians studied online instead. But in September 2022, the seminarians returned to the seminary and resumed their face-to-face studies.  The continuing war and the related economic crisis are a major headache for ...

The Diocese of Butembo-Beni is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It lies in a crisis region between the Congo and Uganda, and is rich in natural resources. For years now, the rebels of the so-called Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), originally based in Uganda, have been spreading fear and terror there. Thousands have left as refugees, and massacres, abductions, rapes, and lootings are now regular and repeated occurrences.   During his visit to the DRC in February 2023, Pope Francis ...

The Catholic Church in northeast India is still relatively young and took root at the end of the 19th century. Indeed, in many parts of this region, the Catholic presence dates back no more than a few decades.   One of the younger dioceses in this part of India is Bongaigaon, first established in the year 2000. There are approximately 74,000 Catholics in the diocese today, most of whom belong to the indigenous Bodo tribal people. But there are at least ...

The Diocese of Nebbi is in northern Uganda, in a region that suffered greatly from years of internal warfare, between the Ugandan government and a rebel group called the Lord’s Resistance Army. The fighting began in 1987 and ended in 2006, but its consequences are still evident. Ordinary people have barely managed to build new lives.   The Catholic Church in Uganda is not only very poor, but challenged in its pastoral work. Within the Diocese of Nebbi, there are many ...

Mexico has the world’s second-largest Catholic population, but that group is gradually shrinking. Almost 96 percent of the country identify as Christian, but only around 72 percent are Catholic. Sects, Pentecostalist groups, and occult movements are spreading everywhere. And priests in Mexico are victims of murder, abduction, and other violence. It takes a lot of courage to be a priest here – and yet there are still a number of young men ready and willing to follow the call of God.  At ...

Many Catholics from Bosnia and Herzegovina have now left their country. Since the last Bosnian war, which ended in 1995, the Catholic population has decreased by roughly 50 percent. Today, there are only about 400,000 Catholics left, accounting for barely 15 percent of the total population. Sadly, this wave of emigration continues, and most of the people who fled the country have not returned. Indeed, for Catholics here, life is becoming more difficult. Despite this, many families do find the ...

The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic seminary in the archeparchy of Ternopil-Zboriv has been open since 1993. It is named for Cardinal Josyf Slipyj, the great hero and Confessor of the Church, who spent 18 years in Soviet prison camps.   Today, there are 138 men preparing for the priesthood in the seminary. They include men from seven different dioceses, or eparchies, and some of them belong to the Studite Order. In addition to their studies, the seminarians are involved in the parishes – ...

Even as a child, Jean Thierry Ebogo had nurtured a secret dream – to be like Jesus, and to do so by becoming a priest. In 2003, he finally entered the Carmelite monastery of Nkoabang in Cameroon. He longed to follow the “Little Way” of Saint Therese of Lisieux, the way of holiness and perfect childlike trust in God’s mercy. This is why he added “of the Child Jesus and of the Passion” to his chosen religious name. But not ...

The apostolic vicariate of Mongo in eastern Chad serves an area of almost two million square miles. The majority of the country is Muslim, and Christians are a small minority.  The vast area of the vicariate is divided into six parishes. The Catholic faithful are served by over a dozen priests, but most of them are not natives of the country, and two of them are older than 80. The formation of local priests is a top priority for Bishop ...