By Reagan Scott
for the Register
Integral to the continued education of the diocese’s future priests, the annual Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations raises funds to pay for the tuition, room and board and other educational costs for seminarians, whether they’re attending St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward, or have gone on to major seminary at Mount St. Mary University in Emmitsburg, Md., or St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Ambler, Pa.
While the young men contribute each year to their tuition costs, the diocese pays the majority of the cost of education, keeping it from being prohibitive for anyone discerning a vocation to the priesthood.
Tracy Lockwood, chief financial officer for the diocese said, “One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations help fund the seminarian education budget” that costs $1.2 million to $1.7 million, depending on the number of seminarians, annually.
Over the last five years, the appeal has raised an average of $1.1M.
This year is an exciting one for the diocese, as the number of seminarians in formation increased from 25 to 33.
“The Lord has been especially generous to our diocese this year,” said Father Alec Sasse, the vocations director for the diocese. “With more seminarians comes more cost. Though it’s a sacrifice, it really is a gift to support these men and help build the future of our diocese.”
Each year, the parishes of the diocese each are given a fundraising goal for the appeal.
So far, 96 of the diocese’s 132 parishes have met or exceeded their goal, with the average participation rate of parishioners contributing to the appeal in those parishes at almost 29 percent.
However, donating to the Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations directly isn’t the only way individuals can support future priests. Burses, funds established to distribute money to the diocese for seminarian education costs, are vehicles through which donors can create a lasting legacy.
Currently, the diocese has more than 115 seminarian burses established through the Catholic Foundation of Southern Nebraska. These funds have been set up by parishes, organizations such as the Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, priests and religious in the diocese and lay people, named for their families or deceased loved ones.
After a principal amount is invested, five percent of the balance is distributed to the diocese each year for education costs. Currently, principal balances for the burses established for seminarian education exceed $6 million.
Anyone can establish a burse with any amount, or contribute to an existing one. Interested individuals can reach out to the Catholic Foundation of Southern Nebraska to learn more.
No matter how one chooses to support the diocese’s future priests, Lockwood highlighted the generosity of the members of the diocese, who have exceeded the goal of the Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations every year.
As the appeal nears its close at the end of January, the annual fundraiser has already exceeded its $800,000 goal thanks to the generosity of the laity of the Lincoln Diocese.
As of the beginning of December, the appeal has received 4,604 pledges for a total amount pledged of $1,126,000, and has collected over $950,000 of that amount.
“It’s important to remember that most dioceses in the USA would offer anything to have these numbers of seminarians,” Father Sasse said. “We must remember how blessed we’ve been, and we should respond accordingly in the way that Jesus is asking each of us.”
Peter Foley, a Theology 3 seminary student from St. Peter Parish in Lincoln currently studying at Mount Saint Mary University said, “My years in seminary have changed my life in ways that I could never have expected at the outset! Because of the Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations, I have had the freedom to enter into this formation more deeply—thank you for your support!”
Anyone wishing to make a payment to the appeal can visit the diocese’s online giving site: https://lincolndiocese.aware3.net/give/ or, they can mail a check made out to the “Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations 2024” to PO Box 82644 Lincoln, NE 68501. The Donor Relations department will be sending out reminders to everyone who has not fulfilled their pledge in early December, but anyone can call 877-499-8554 to confirm the details of their pledge or to request assistance with making a payment.
Photos courtesy St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward
