Dear Seminarian
Letters from a lay apostle on becoming a shepherd of souls
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by Catherine Doherty
$6.95 USD
96 pages — Trade Paperback, 4.25" x 7"
3rd ed., Madonna House Publications, 2003
ISBN 0-921440-85-5
“Dear seminarian, I have been praying for you with all my heart, for you may be one of our future priests, and priests are a miracle of God’s love for us. A man, through the sacrament of Ordination, becomes another Christ, with powers that go beyond human imagination...”
It is doubtful that any woman has spoken more often to seminarians and future priests than Catherine Doherty—renowned Catholic speaker, author of more than 40 books and thousands of articles, and foundress of the Madonna House Apostolate.
Catheirne understands that the awakening of your priestly identity is crucial, for you are called to extend the incarnation of Jesus Christ in history. In this highly inspirational work, she addresses a wide range of topics important to your priestly spiritual formation.
Catherine’s words will encourage, motivate, and occasionally astonish you with their clarity and depth—enabling you to prepare to be a modern-day shepherd to God’s people in the spiritual crisis and challenges facing us today.
Reviews
“Warm, vital and human... will be of interest not only to seminarians, but to priests and lay people as well.” — Elisabeth Murphy Nydegger
“Engaging and direct. Gives a new ring to seminary teachings.” — The Ensign
“Catherine was a spiritual mother, with a vast experience of the spiritual life. In Dear Seminarian, she addresses a wide range of topics germane to priestly and spiritual formation. She received as spiritual sons, those who sought her guidance. Catherine’s starting point was always priestly identity—the priest extends the incarnation of Christ in history; he is an icon of Christ, or ‘another Christ.’ She sought to prepare them to shepherd God’s people in the spiritual crisis and challenge facing the 20th century, a crisis that has continued and deepened in the present.” — Father Don Guglielmi, in Staritsa: The Spiritual Maternity of Catherine Doherty
“The message of Dear Seminarian is, in my opinion, even more pertinent today than when it was first published.... With the passing of time Catherine Doherty may become appreciated as a profound spiritual director.” — Bishop Paul V. Dudley, Bishop Emeritus of Sioux Falls, SD
“I feel confident that Dear Seminarian will prove a friendly and helpful guide to young men on their way up the steps of God’s altar... There is doubtfully any woman who has spoken oftener in seminaries to future priests over the whole American continent than Catherine Doherty.” — Bishop William J. Smith, Bishop Emeritus of Pembroke, ON
“Provocative reading for priests and lay people alike.” — The Catholic Transcript
About the Author
Catherine Doherty used her heritage as a Russian Christian as a matrix for responding to the needs of Christian life and work in the modern world. Her own personal pilgrimage led her to be “poor with the poor Christ” in the slums of Toronto and in Harlem; and later to the establishing of the world-wide Madonna House Apostolate. A dedicated wife and mother, Catherine was also a prolific writer of hundreds of articles, a best-selling author of dozens of books, a renowned national speaker, and a pioneer of social justice. Catherine Doherty's cause for canonization as a saint is now under consideration by the Catholic Church.
Related Recommendations
- Chambers of Her Heart: Madonna House and Priestly Formation by Father Robert Wild
- Dear Father: A Message of Love for Priests by Catherine Doherty
- Living Fully in Our Times by Father Robert Wild, Theresa Davis, Mark Schlingerman
- Giving Your Life to God: A Retreat by Catherine Doherty (AudioBook)
