Joyful Catholic Leaders

"I have had ample opportunity to experience the wide range of applications of pastoral charity: significant time in a local parish under the guidance of a seasoned pastor, intense immersion in a major county hospital and exposure to the Latino Catholic community. I couldn’t be prouder to be a son of The Saint Paul Seminary and I’m grateful to God for the evident guidance of the Holy Spirit in the work being done here.”

"I have a much deeper prayer life, much richer understanding of the Church and the priesthood, and more clergy as friends, which has been a great grace for me.”

"I have come to know Jesus more, know God the Father more, know the Holy Spirit more, because of my experience at The Saint Paul Seminary. … Learning that there was this program that I could go to in person, work a full-time job and do it, it was like a unicorn.”

"There are two overwhelming components that I reflect on from the results of The Saint Paul Seminary that have made an impact, and one is gratitude. ... [It's] just so important, the roles of priests in our lives, deacons, our Catholic schools -- it's all tremendous. The next one is a fruit of the Holy Spirit: joy.

"It's a privilege to be associated and affiliated and being part of the graces that have been here."

“I can't take notes fast enough in all of my courses. … I feel like everyone should learn this. I ask myself a lot, ‘How can I be Catholic and not have known this?’ I didn't know the Church had so many answers to so many specific things.”

"It has been a privilege over the past six years to watch as The Saint Paul Seminary has become a place of excellent human and spiritual formation, building on the incredible academic formation that was already being done. Because of this, when I moved to the Diocese of Crookston, I wanted to make sure my seminarians went to Saint Paul. The Saint Paul Seminary has become a place of great community life where men are true brothers and are encouraged to real human and spiritual growth. I see the men challenged to grow and developing real friendships that help them grow. I am delighted with both the formation team and the atmosphere they have created."

"Even as our world continues to deal with challenges no previous generation has faced, I am evermore gratified and inspired by our seminarians currently preparing for the priesthood. The struggles of this current age require little to no introduction, but the solutions start right here in the Twin Cities. They come in the form of our priests, deacons and lay leaders who are being formed at The Saint Paul Seminary."

"It helped me fall in love with what I didn't know. You can't love something unless you know it."

"When they described the word "deacon" the root of the word is to serve, and that really struck me...to serve is something that really resonated with me."