Friday, May 22, 2009
Leaving the Diocesan Seminary

While it may come as a shock to many of you, I have decided, upon prayer and reflection, to discontinue seminary formation at the end of this academic semester, which concludes for me at 10 AM CDT on May 22, 2009. Thus, effective in the latter part of May 2009, after two years of being a diocesan seminarian, I will leave the program. I would prefer not to go into a lengthy discussion about this issue at the present, but I do not feel that I can support many of the practices of the seminary and of the modern Catholic Church.

I still remain strongly supportive of traditional Catholic seminaries, but through my discernment, I have not felt the Lord calling me to any of these seminaries. I will continue to support Traditional Catholicism and Traditional Catholic seminaries, but I do not personally feel that I can best follow my vocation by joining a traditional seminary.

While I have decided to leave the diocesan seminary, I have decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in Accounting; therefore, in two years I will graduate with an Accounting Major and a Philosophy Minor. In regards to my pursuit of religious practices, I feel that effective immediately, I will be more able to serve the People of God than I have been able to do while in seminary. I have reactivated my blog and posted several articles that were previously saved as drafts (predominantly news stories), which I saved as drafts because I did not want to forget about them. All along I knew that someday (either through discernment or ordination) I would be able to reactive my blog. I will also continue to function as the administrator of Holy Vocations Blog.

I ask for your prayers and support at this crucial transition time. Next year, as I follow God's will for my life, I plan to once again actively write on the Catholic Faith, and Catholic Traditionalism in particular, which I have grown to love with the deepest depths of my heart. I will also make myself available for talks/conferences/lectures if anyone is willing to have me speak. I also plan to travel more extensively and visit Traditional Catholic Churches and shrines around the United States, while being open to the possibility to visiting European locations. Please direct any requests to me via email.

Through prayer, I have also discerned that from this point forward, I will attend the Tridentine Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) and possibly some Eastern Catholic Rites. I will no longer attend the Novus Ordo Mass.

In the future, as a result of my current decision, I will have additional time to spend with the blogging community. It is my hope that I will eventually begin to meet more bloggers in person as we pursue a restoration of the Traditions of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ. While this news is undoubtedly shocking, I know that I am following the will of God for my life in this regard. Once again, I ask for your prayers as I undertake this period of transition. It is my hope and prayer that A Catholic Life Blog will once again serve as a place for your spiritual growth.

As a final note, if any of the readers of "A Catholic Life" could donate to me via the Paypal button in the sidebar, it would be tremendously helpful. With this change, I will need to pay a large amount of money to continue my education, but rather than working 24/7 I wish to continue to serve the Church and volunteer my time in such activities like serving the Holy Mass. The more money that I can raise through my blog, the less that I will have to raise by working all of the time. This would mean that I could spend more time blogging as well.

Laudetur Jesus Christus!

17 comment(s):

del_button May 22, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Cathy_of_Alex said...

Matthew: I'm sorry to hear your news, but God can be served in many ways. I pray you continue to listen to His voice, in all you do.

del_button May 22, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Micki said...

Good to see you posting again. God will use you as He wills. At least you gave your vocation to the priesthood a try. I will pray you go where He leads you.
I've got you back on my Holy Card Blog. Welcome.

del_button May 23, 2009 at 6:41 AM
DP said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
del_button May 25, 2009 at 11:45 PM
Anonymous said...

I don't understand the Google ads at the top of your post. A little conflicting to your cause. Out of your control?

del_button May 26, 2009 at 6:17 AM
DP said...

"I do not feel that I can support many of the practices of the seminary and of the modern Catholic Church."

"I will attend the Tridentine Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) and possibly some Eastern Catholic Rites. I will no longer attend the Novus Ordo Mass"

"I will also make myself available for talks/conferences/lectures if anyone is willing to have me speak."

Anyone who has been following this blog for any length of time knows that you have set yourself up as an authority of the Catholic Church and all its teachings since before you entered the college seminary. Now, you leave the seminary and pick and choose what you want to believe.

"I know that I am following the will of God for my life in this regard."

It certainly does not sound like it. As always, it sounds like it is all about you. You appear to have some issues going on in your life right now. I suggest you get them handled first and get your life in order before you try to teach anyone anything. You are in my prayers.

del_button May 26, 2009 at 6:56 AM
Matthew said...

Yes, the ads are unfortunately out of my control.

del_button May 26, 2009 at 4:54 PM
paramedicgirl said...

Welcome back to the blogosphere! If God wills you to be a priest, He will let you know.

del_button May 27, 2009 at 4:42 PM
St. Rafael said...

I disagree DP, The Church is in a serious general apostasy. It is the Church who has lost her way since Vatican II. Dogmas, doctrines, discipline, and liturgy, have not been kept. The hierarchy and clergy follow their own religion and do not submit to the Magisterium of the centuries.

I would occasionally read this blog before the hiatus, and I knew Matthew would have a hard time because of the grip Modernism has had on the Church. I had hoped he would be successful as an undercover Trad, and make it through. It seems the crisis in the seminaries is worse than many believe.

I hope Matthew, you can go into more detail in the future and let us know had bad it is, and if diocene seminaries are beyond hope for serious orthodox Catholics.

del_button May 27, 2009 at 8:56 PM
DP said...

My, St. Raphael, that is quite a claim you make with any citations! Well, here are some for you...

"...you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matt 16:18-19)

"The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church, that is, to the Pope and to the Bishops in communion with him." (CCC# 100)

"The Church is apostolic. She is built on a lasting foundation: 'the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Rev 21:14). She is indestructible. She is upheld infallibly in the truth: Christ governs her through Peter and the other apostles, who are present in their successors, the Pope and the college of bishops." (CCC# 869)

"Each and everything which is definitively by the magisterium of the Church concerning the doctrine of faith and morals, that is, each and everything which is required to safeguard reverently and to expound faithfully the same deposit of faith, is also to be firmly embraced and retained; therefore, one who rejects those propositions which are to be held definitively is opposed to the doctrine of the Catholic Church." (Canon 750.2)

I believe and trust the Pope and the Bishops (the Magesterium) and what they teach. You and Matthew appear not to. One of us is wrong.

del_button May 28, 2009 at 1:13 PM
St. Rafael said...

DP,
First of all, it seems many Catholics do not really understand what Jesus is saying to St. Peter. The gates of hell will never prevail over the Church, but Jesus never said how big the Church would be. The Church could be the Pope and two dozen clerics and lay man who have kept the faith, while the others became apostates.

Jesus said the universal Catholic Church would never fail, but he didn't give that promise to the church in America, the church in Germany, the church in France. The Catholic church in these countries have fallen to the gates of hell.

Popes do not invent their own teachings. Dogmas and doctrines are settled now. every new Pope, has less and less to work with, when it comes to doctrine. Popes re-teach what the ordinary Magisterium has always taught. Popes are bound to the Magisterial teachings of previous Popes. When there are contradictions, between the Popes after Vatican II and the Popes before Vatican II, there are problems because there can be no contradiction in truth or doctrine. The newer Popes have erred.

Is it not the case that pope Benedict XVI is bound to uphold the teachings of Pope Pius IX, Pius X, Pius XII?

del_button May 28, 2009 at 8:37 PM
DP said...

St. Rafael: You state that "the Church could be Pope and two dozen clerics and lay men who have kept the faith." and then you state "the Catholic Church in those countries have fallen into the gates of hell." Again, that is quite a claim without any proof or citation.

"Every new Pope has less and less to work with..." and "Popes are bound to Magisterial teachings of previous Popes."

Seriously now, you need to brush up on your Church History! In particular, read about these (in order)...

First Council of Nicea
First Council of Constantinople
Council of Ephesus
Council of Chaledon
Second Council of Constantinople
Third Council of Constantinople
Second Council of Nicea
Fourth Council of Constantinople
First Lateran Council
Second Lateran Council
Third Lateran Council
Fourth Lateran Council
First Council of Lyons
Second Council of Lyons
Council of Vienne
Council of Constance
Council of Florence
Fifth Lateran Council
Council of Trent
First Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council

20+ Major Councils and lots of minor ones. Life appears to have gotten more complicated, not less in 2000 years.

I say again that I trust the Pope and the Bishops (the Magisterium). You and Matthew appear not to. One of us is wrong. Care to respond to that???

del_button May 29, 2009 at 1:16 PM
St. Rafael said...

The Catholic churches is different countries would fail is evident by the statistics the last couple of decades. Mass attendance in France is 5%. That is apostasy. Mass attendance here has been around 25%. Our Lady of Fatima sais in portugal the faith will be kept in that country, which means it wouldn't in other countries.

You proved my point by listing all those Councils. Things have become more settled with every Council that occurs. The Councils are infallible and define dogmas for all time. The faith is less complicated. It was chaotic before each Council, until the Council taught the infallible truth. Now there are teachings for all time that every Pope is bound to. All popes are bound to the teachings of the Councils.

The problem is that Catholic have a Paal idolatry when it comes to the Papacy. The popes do teach truth, but it is possible for them to fall into error. We know when there is error because we 20 Councils that teach us, and 260+ Popes who have issued Magisterial documents.

The pope can err, and even fall into heresy. From Church history, we have had a Pope declared a heretic with Pope Honorius The Third Council of Constantinople declared Pope Honorius a heretic. The Third Council of Constantinople was the sixth infallible dogmatic ecumenical Council of the church. Pope Agatho and Pope Leo II both agreed and declared their predecessor Honorius, a heretic

del_button May 30, 2009 at 7:40 AM
DP said...

SR: Prove your point? I do not think so. Your posts really make no sense.

Seeing this is the eve of Pentacost, I strongly suggest you and Matthew reflect on what Pentecost is all about. From what you have written above, I think you both are missing its point.

del_button May 30, 2009 at 8:15 AM
Matthew said...

DP:

Why don't you go back and read St. Rafael's comments again and word on reading comprehension. His comments are quite clear and understandable.

Insulting a commentor by saying that his posts make no sense is an ad hominem attack. These will not be tolerated on this blog

del_button May 30, 2009 at 9:31 PM
DP said...

I am sorry Matthew. I had no intention of offending anyone. His posts above avoid my points and they simply do not make sense to me.

For example, how can one seriously state that "Church is in a serious state of apostacy"? Or the German, American, and French Churches "have fallen into the gates of hell?" Then he states that the "Councils are infallible and define dogma for all time." Well, what about Vatican II? It appears both SF and you have a problem with what that Council teaches.

Matthew, maybe you can answer this for me... I stated above that I trust the Pope, and the Bishops (the Magisterium). You appear not to and only choose to follow just what you want or what is comfortable for you. One of us is mistaken. Care to respond?

del_button May 31, 2009 at 12:04 AM
Matthew said...

I trust and follow all that is said by the modern bishops which is in conformity to the established dogmas and teachings of our Faith. I disregard all that they teach that is heretical and blasphemous.

It's not hard to understand.

del_button June 1, 2009 at 7:24 AM
DP said...

Please post some examples here of what you consider the modern bishops teach that are heretical and blasphemous.

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