May 2021
As the Easter season draws to a close, I pray that you have found a renewed commitment to your faith. The events of the last 18 months have challenged us but we have emerged stronger with an unwavering dedication to our faith. It is this dedication and call to minister to others that so many men in our Diocese have responded to. Their commitment is an example to us all.
However, these men need your support, both spiritually and financially. The annual Pentecost Collection for Seminarian Education invites the faithful of the Diocese of Harrisburg to provide the necessary resources to educate our future priests. I ask you to prayerfully consider a gift to this year’s Pentecost Collection, which is the weekend of May 23.
The cost to educate one candidate for the priesthood is approximately $40,000 per year. This cost of education goes beyond the classroom, as the Seminarians are provided room, board, healthcare, and other nominal expenses. The Diocese of Harrisburg has been blessed with 23 Seminarians, four of whom will be ordained transitional Deacons and two who will be ordained as priests in 2021. While the Office of Vocations does receive support from the Diocesan Annual Campaign, expenses associated with seminarian education far exceed that funding.
As a member of the faith community of the Diocese of Harrisburg, it is our collective responsibility to provide for the formation and education of our future priests. The Pentecost Collection offers all of us the opportunity to financially support our men in formation. Because of your gifts, our Seminarians can completely focus on their formation in order to become the best priests possible for our Diocese.
To make a gift, please use the special envelope provided by your parish or visit www.hbgdiocese.org/Pentecost-collection. In addition to your financial support, I also ask that you pray for our seminarians as they continue their formation.
On behalf of the holy and devout men who minister to the faithful in the Diocese of Harrisburg, I thank you in advance for your support and prayers.
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend Ronald W. Gainer