With nearly 80 young men in formation for the priesthood at Borromeo and Saint Mary seminaries, the Diocese of Cleveland is blessed, according to Bishop Nelson Perez and seminary officials.
In remarks made at the recent Bishop?s Brunch, a major fundraiser for the seminaries, the bishop said he finds the Church of Cleveland to be spirit-filled. ?You know a tree by its fruit. This diocese is filled with history, with Catholic values deeply rooted in the Catholic faith and the fruit of all these is vocations,? he said.
?It was incredible when I came here and learned there were nearly 80 men in the seminary, including 60-some for our diocese,? the bishop added. Several religious orders and the Diocese of Youngstown also send young men to the seminaries here for priestly formation, and Cleveland has a relationship with the Archdiocese of Daegu, South Korea. Some Korean seminarians travel here for their formation and after ordination spend time ministering in the diocese before returning to South Korea.
Nineteen men will be ordained between 2017 and 2019, the bishop said, adding, ?Cleveland is the envy of many dioceses. Some dioceses, including some that are much larger, don?t have that many (19) enrolled in their seminaries. We need to keep this going,? he said, offering thanks to those who support vocations both financially and through prayer.
Although national trends show a decline in the number of ordinations, vocations in Cleveland remain strong. Three men will be ordained as priests for service in the diocese
