You can sponsor a young seminarian

Sydney
24 March 2002

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You can sponsor a young seminarian

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You can sponsor a young seminarian

By Chris Hook

Catholic Mission is set to add a personal touch for its donors with a new program allowing direct assistance to a young seminarian completing his last four years of training.

Last year alone, almost half a million dollars was directed from Australia to seminaries and novitiates in dioceses in Rwanda, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, India and Papua New Guinea.

But Catholic Mission national director, Fr Terry Bell, said that the organisation had received ongoing requests from donors for a way to assist seminarians more personally.

After inviting potential donors to register their interest, Catholic Mission has decided to go ahead with a plan connecting donors with particular seminarians.

Marketing director Mark Lees said the notion was not unprecedented and Catholic Mission in England and Wales ran a similar program.

“It’s our way of connecting people individually to a young man training for the priesthood,” Mr Lees said.

Mr Lees said he was due to go on a fact-finding trip to Britain in May to examine the logistics of the program.

“It’s fraught with difficulties,” Mr Lees said.

“Wouldn’t it be devastating if you were sponsoring someone and they left?”

To avoid this happening, Mr Lees said only those seminarians heading into their last four years would be part of the program.

At this time, sponsors could be reasonably sure the students would finish. Also, the cost of the seminarian’s education becomes more expensive as students progress.

Mr Lees said the program would work if contact – the exchange of letters and photographs – was coordinated through the Catholic Mission office.

He said there could otherwise be a danger that donors would be inundated with requests.

“But we’re overwhelmed with interest from people who want to do it,” Mr Lees said.

He said the program was likely to start later this year, but that Catholic Mission was still interested in hearing from potential donors.

Mr Lees stressed there was no commitment, but that it was rather, “an expression of interest”.

You can call Catholic Mission on 1800 257 296.