Sunday April 26th. 2009

We thank God for the number of priests and bishops who have come from the Braes over the  generations.  It was in these families there

was such a great love of God and respect for Church and the priesthood.  Every help was given to encourage their children in their

Vocations were fostered in the home by prayer and example, and the religious atmosphere was such that the voice of God—come follow

The usual road to the priesthood was for the young person to talk to his parish priest who in turn would recommend him to the bishop as a

suitable candidate.  Five years were spent in the junior seminary at Blairs College, Aberdeen,  to prepare the students spiritually and

academically, followed by five or six years study of philosophy, theology, scripture, Canon Law and Church History in senior seminaries

either at home or abroad in Rome, France or Spain. These were the golden days when our seminaries were full to overflowing with

enthusiastic young students.  Each June, there were large number of ordinations in the various dioceses. especially Glasgow and

Edinburgh. In our diocese of Argyll and the Isles, because of the abundance of clergy, very often young priests were sent to a city parish

Today, in 2009, things are so different: our last Scottish Seminary, Scotus, at Bearsden, will close in July, and students from now on will

be educated in Rome; our seminary in Spain, dating back to the Reformation times, has closed and is now used as a retreat and holiday

centre; the Scots College in Paris, founded in 1325, was suppressed during the French Revolution, and today the French Government

offers bursaries to Scottish students who wish to study in France. Previously, a large number of students from Scotland studied at  the

Seminary of St. Sulpice in Paris,  but now only the occasional post-graduate ordained priest makes use of this offer.

Despite the anxiety of the supply of priests for the future, green shoots are already appearing. In our diocese a young student from

Dunoon, a late vocation, will be ordained in two years time;  another  slightly older man will start his studies in the Beda College, Rome,

this summer, and will complete a special four year course designed for mature students.  This year, men of various ages, from eighteen to

fifty, have applied to start their studies for the priesthood.  At the moment, there are twenty-two  seminarians who are studying for the

However, at the moment there is a serious shortage of priests, and we pray that all who have applied to become seminarians will in time

complete the seminary course and be ordained to work in parishes throughout Scotland.  May we keep this intention in our prayers, and

The second collection next Sunday will go towards training students for the priesthood and the maintenance of our seminary in

Rome.