Description

Priests are essential to our Catholic faith. Only these holy men can consecrate the Eucharist, transforming bread and wine into the life-giving Body and Blood of Christ.

Although the diocese has traditionally relied on the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal (CMAA) to finance seminary formation, increasing costs mean other ministries important to the mission of the diocese — like Catholic education, Catholic Charities, and faith formation — will receive less. The Diocese of Joliet Seminarian Education Endowment Trust will ensure the diocese is always able to assist seminarians with their formation, as well as give donors to the CMAA the opportunity to continue supporting the future leaders of our Church.

The Church's priest shortage is the result of decades of decreasing vocations. Our diocese has been blessed with an increasing number of men discerning a vocation to the priesthood. The Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal (CMAA) has traditionally provided funding for their formation, but the increase in seminarians combined with rising educational costs has meant that other important ministries of the diocese receive less support than they need.