Arlington diocese supports vocations with prayer, community, and a dinner event named after patron of parish priests

Forty-one men from the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, are currently discerning the priesthood through seminary formation. Each man’s spiritual journey of discernment is unique, but the path is not walked alone; the diocese is working to ensure every man receives spiritual, financial, and community support. 

After spending the summer months completing service and parish assignments and cherishing time with family, the seminarians are picking up their classes in full swing again this month. As they begin the new academic year, they are supported by local faithful, a number of whom they met at the inaugural Vianney Dinner, a black-tie fundraiser held July 24 to support the diocese’s Seminarian Education Endowment. According to the Arlington Catholic Herald, seminarians introduced themselves on stage and, at the end of the event, led everyone, including Arlington Bishop Michael Burbridge and other clergy, in singing the “Salve Regina.” The in-person aspect of the fundraiser was encouraging for laypeople, clergy, and seminarians alike.

“The dinner gives current and potential supporters the opportunity to sit elbow-to-elbow with a seminarian and/or priest to get to know them as a person striving for holiness and to bring Christ to others,” Father Noah Morey, director of the diocese’s office of vocations, who was in attendance, told Zeale News Aug. 26. “Based on comments from some of those in attendance, the seminarians and priests were quite inspiring and gave them hope for the future of our local Church.”

Luke Lenhard, a local seminarian who attended the dinner, told the Herald that beyond the financial benefits of such events, the evening was a wonderful opportunity to meet the people praying for him and his fellow seminarians.

“We feel those prayers,” Lenhard said. “To be able to say thank you and get to know them means the world.” 

For many men, seminary takes around eight years to complete. Supporting the financial aspect alone is no small task: one year of seminary costs $60,000, and the diocese covers this in full, according to the Herald. Father Morey explained that the Seminarian Education Endowment currently supports three to four seminarians per year and has reached $5 million in total. Established in 2011 by Bob and Laura Coleman, the endowment has been growing for more than a decade.

The Colemans “were inspired by the priests at their parish and wanted to ensure the diocese has the resources to form priests for years to come,” Father Morey explained. In the future, the diocese hopes to grow it to $10 million to support more seminarians, he said.

The Vianney Dinner raised $560,000 toward the goal, according to the Herald. The inaugural dinner was well-attended, as word of mouth made tickets sell out before invitations were even sent out, the outlet noted. The diocese already plans to hold the 2027 dinner at a larger venue. 

Father Morey told Zeale News that the event’s namesake is a strong model for future priests to look to.

“Having lived an exemplary life as a priest, particularly through his generosity in celebrating the sacraments, St. John Vianney is now the patron saint of priests,” he said. “He provides a model for priestly zeal and holiness, and fidelity to wherever the Lord calls us to serve.”

Considering a priestly or religious vocation often begins long before one applies to seminary, however. Father Morey pointed to “strong families who foster prayer and openness to vocations” as helpful for cultivating a good space to consider it. Beyond this, he explained that in Arlington, there are a variety of ways that religious vocations are being fostered and supported, all in cooperation with God’s grace. 

One example Father Morey pointed to is the local St. Therese Vocation Society, a group of men and women who pray every day for vocations. Group members receive a calendar that names one seminarian or religious sister or brother in formation to pray for daily.

“Together we beg the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest,” Father Morey said of the effort, referencing Matthew 9:37-38. 

Additionally, every year, parishes throughout the diocese set aside time to hold Eucharistic adoration for 40 continuous hours, deepening devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist, he noted. 

The witness of priests and seminarians in parishes is also an important factor, according to Father Morey. The diocese, which has ordained 19 priests in the past two years, brings men who are discerning a call to the priesthood to visit seminaries and hosts St. Andrew Dinners, which are local gatherings led by priests who invite young men to come and learn more about the priesthood.

Father Morey noted that strong campus ministry programs are also helpful for vocational discernment as are Quo Vadis summer camps for high school boys and Fiat summer camps for high school girls interested in religious life. Events that have religious sisters in attendance are helpful as well. 

Lastly, Father Morey pointed to “the example and tireless support of Bishop Burbidge.” Such support was evident at the Vianney Dinner, where the bishop commended the seminarians as “holy, prayerful, and they take studies seriously,” according to the Herald. 

“I am extremely proud of our seminarians,” Bishop Burbidge added. “You have every reason to believe that we should have tremendous hope for our future — the future of our church, and the future here in our diocese because such good men are responding to God’s call.”