Abp Raymond L. Burke and the St. Louis Vocation Surge

While some dioceses are claiming that more lay people need to lead parishes due to a "priest shortage", dioceses which do not filter out orthodox and traditional men are booming with another kind of problem: Where to house the many seminarians. A similar thing is happening with orders like the Institute of Christ the King, which are having no problems attracting young men, but housing them all. We see a similar thing happening among women's religious orders where the labyrinth-happy, new age-like communities are getting gray, the newer, traditional orders with habited nuns are booming.

It's amazing what can happen when the new-age and feminist-agenda development programs for priests are shelved in favor of things like Eucharistic and Marian devotion, promotion of strong priestly identity, confession, and - good heavens - sacrifice and mortification. While some seminaries have rendered the Breviary for the Smithsonian, those which are bursting with enrollment are making this obligation of very clear.

Any seminarian showing an attraction to things traditional and devotional in certain dioceses could be sent to a diocesan-paid shrink to "cure" him of his "rigidness". He could find himself filtered out up front or pushed out later. God have mercy on those who thwart the workings of the Holy Spirit in turning away good and holy men.

Here is yet another example of how vocations will rise significantly when a diocese or religious order gets back to basics. While the article does not discuss those things I mentioned, we all know that when Abp Burke is involved in something, they come along for the ride. Abp Raymond Burke has what we would call in business, "brand equity". However, his brand is not his own, it is that of the Church - one that is distinctly Catholic in identity.

December 21, 2007
Archbishop announces seminary expansion
by Barbara Watkins, Review Staff Writer

Archbishop Raymond L. Burke has announced the start of a major renovation and expansion of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Shrewsbury.

The seminary has 111 seminarians, an almost 50 percent increase in enrollment over last year. While the growth is welcomed by the archbishop and Msgr. Ted Wojcicki, president-rector of the seminary, it also prompted the need for maintenance work, renovation and expansion of the physical plant.

Go read the complete article about Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in the St. Louis Review online.

As an aside, recall that a few months ago, I reported on the move of Fr. John A Hardon's library from Assumption Grotto to Kenrick-Glennon seminary in a photopost. Archbishop Burke is proceeding with Fr. Hardon's cause.

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