by Fr. Brian Kane
Rector, St. Gregory the Great Seminary; Director of Seminarians
Thanksgiving season has taken on a deeper significance since beginning my assignment at St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward. Each day as I open the mail, I am overwhelmed with the generosity of so many people who support the young men discerning a call to be our next parish priests.
One of the ways we receive significant support is through thoughtful planned gifts that not only assist us now, but will have an impact on future generations. St. Gregory the Great Seminary is a place of hope and transformation for young men discerning the priesthood. Planned giving is an effective means to support our mission to help secure the future of the Church in Southern Nebraska and beyond. At a time when many dioceses are experiencing priest shortages, we have been blessed with young men who want to discern a call.
Recent planned gifts have enabled us to significantly enhance our programs and facilities, especially as we launched the propaedeutic stage of formation last year. This fall, as we welcomed 21 new men to the seminary, planned gifts have allowed us to meet their needs.
One story that exemplifies the power of these gifts comes from a young man who entered St. Gregory the Great Seminary several years ago. Before entering the seminary, he had a job and was living out his faith, but he continued to experience a call to something deeper, something more profound—a calling to the priesthood.
When he arrived at St. Gregory’s, he found a welcoming community and a seminary program that is supported by generous benefactors. He recently expressed his gratitude for the investment made by our donors, as it has played an important role in his development as a future priest.
“The seminary has become my home away from home, where my heart is being transformed,” he said. “St. Gregory the Great Seminary has helped me grow closer to Jesus and see the priesthood as the path he is calling me to. The benefactors who made this place possible have had a big impact on our formation, and I am grateful for their care for us.”
Planned giving presents an opportunity for you to help ensure that the work of St. Gregory the Great Seminary continues for years to come. By designating a portion of your estate, establishing a charitable trust, or even naming the seminary as a beneficiary on retirement accounts, you can provide important support that allows us to remain faithful to our mission of forming young men and ensure that our facilities are welcoming and cared for.
Every gift, regardless of size, contributes to the fulfillment of our mission. The seminarians at St. Gregory’s benefit from intellectual and spiritual growth, as well as from the life lessons instilled in them through your generosity. Last year, when we launched the propaedeutic stage of formation, we incurred additional expenses. The financial support from planned giving played a vital role in getting the program started, allowing our seminarians to be better prepared for their own discernment and, God willing, ordination to the priesthood.
By choosing to support our seminary through planned giving, you are not just making a donation; you are planting a seed for future vocations, nourishing the soil from which spiritual leaders will grow. Your generous support ensures that we can continue to provide a faithful seminary experience for those who hear the call to serve.
St. Gregory the Great Seminary has partnered with the Catholic Foundation of Greater Nebraska to assist donors in the planning process. If you are interested in making a planned gift, information is available on the foundation’s website, CatholicGift.org.
I pray that your Thanksgiving is a blessed one. Mine will be filled with gratitude for so many who help support this seminary and its mission.
