Seminarians and Priest Education and Formation Special Collection

The Diocese of Austin, along with our Vocations Director Rev. Greg Gerhart, works tirelessly to ensure that we have sufficient priests to celebrate the sacraments, preach homilies that move hearts and guide our faithful on their journey to Christ. To ensure our priests are well-prepared, seminarians study philosophy, theology, scripture, and pastoral care, seminarian education and formation in the Diocese of Austin takes anywhere from seven to nine years, depending on the academic background of each man in formation. In addition to the academic formation, the Diocese cares for the whole seminarian with health insurance, ongoing formation in prayer and spirituality, and summer programs for the study of Spanish. The total cost of forming a seminarian is about $55,000 per year. May God bless you for your generosity and please pray for our seminarians.