The Training of 50 Seminarians in Mozambique

Africa is a continent of hope for the Catholic Church. Worldwide, one in every five Catholics now comes from the African continent, as does one in every seven priests and roughly one in every three seminarians.

Not surprisingly, therefore, vocations are also on the rise in the Diocese of Tete in northwest Mozambique. Right now, 34 young men from this diocese are currently studying in various seminaries around the country, and another 16 are currently being trained at the propedeutic seminary in the diocese itself – the preliminary phase of their formation before they enter the full major seminary.

Certainly, no one would become a priest here for the sake of a comfortable life. With an area of over 36,000 square miles, Tete is larger than many entire European countries, including Portugal, the former colonial power. And yet the diocese has just 26 parishes and its close-to 322,000 Catholics live widely scattered. Bishop Diamantino Antunes tells us that many of these settlements can only be reached on foot. Not even motorcycles can reach some areas. And so frequently, the priests simply have to travel long distances on foot.

There is an urgent need for more priests in these remote areas in order to minister more intensively to the Catholic faithful. But in this country, plagued as it is by poverty, natural disasters, and continuing violent conflicts, the Church simply cannot afford the cost of training her future priests. And the young men themselves, overwhelmingly from the poorest families, are happy to offer themselves and their lives to God, but can scarcely contribute anything in the way of material or financial support for their training. And so we are proposing, once again, to support the training of these 50 seminarians, with a contribution of $28,804. Will you join us in helping them?

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