The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-10-05
LETTER TO THE ED|T0 R
RURsEs FOR STUDENTS.
October End, 1912.

October End, 1912.
The Editor, Catholic Bulletin,
Rev. dear Father:
The editorial in your issue of last
week dealing with the fostering of
vocations for the priesthood discusses
a question that has always been of
the deepest concern to the College of
st. Thomas. Indeed, it is only in
diocesan college that one can realize
adequately how urgent is the need of
enabling young men to study for the
ministry. Perhaps a brief account of
what st. Thomas is doing to help stu
dents to follow the divine call, may
be of interest to your readers.
Year by year we receive applica-
tons for admission from students
whose sole ambition is to consecrate
themselves to the service of the
Church, but who through lack of
means find themselves precluded from
doing so. The long preparation required
for the ministry-longer than the
course of studies for any of the profess
sions-entails an expense that often
falls heavily on families from which
aspirants to the priesthood are drawn.
There are, of course, those whose re-
sources are adequate to the demands
of a college education, but there are
also those whose means are too slen-
der for the expenses which such an
education involves. While the College
has not in all cases been in a posi-
ton to respond to the appeals that it
received, it has in many cases been
able to come to the aid of deserving
students Priests of the diocese as
sist young men whom they send to us,
and devoted souls among the ~laity
also make contributions for a similar
purpose. The fund, however, upon
which we chiefly rely accrues from
scholarships established to educate
young men for the Seminary. The
burses already founded are eight in
number, and are the gifts of the fol-
lowing donors: Mrs. P. F. McQuillan
st. Paul; The Sisters of st. Joseph,
St. Paul; Mr.. Hugh Derham, Rose
mount; Mr.. James .McCahill, Lake
City; Mr.. Patrick Noonan, st. Peter;
Rev. George Pax, of the Diocese of
st. Paul; Mr. Peter Curley, Mime
apo1is; Rev. Ignatius Limberg, of the
Diocese of st. Paul.
These scholarships have made it
possible for the College to educate
many students for the Seminary, and
during generations to come, they will
enable st. Thomas to provide priests
for the affairs of the diocese Would
that we were able to open our doors
more widely" to young men of high
promise who are longing for the
opportunity to begin their studies for
the priesthood!
The sum of five thousand dollars
POUNDS burse for resident student
in perpetuity. The sum of one thou
sand dollars endows scholarship for
a day student. The money is invested
and the burse becomes a charge on
the college as long as the college ex-
lists.
The stirring appeal which you have
made on the behalf of those whose
hopes of becoming priests are frustra-
ted for the lack of means, will surely
awaken response in some generous
hearts. The ministry cannot afford
to lose young men whose ardent voca-
ton impels them onward in spite of
the obstacles with which they have
to contend. To build up the priest
hood, moreover, is to cooperate di-
rectly in building up the church, for
how can one advance the cause of
Christ in the world more effectively
than by giving to His Church men
whose lives will be passed in the
sanctuary? Surely, if our Catholic
people whom God has blessed with
larger means appreciated the splendid
benefaction now put before them by
The Catholic Bulletin. they would in
larger numbers take deep and practi-
cal interest in the grand work of fost-
ering vocations for the priesthood
Yours sincerely,
II. MOYN7HAN
Rector.
College of St. Thomas,
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