Missio England and Wales has a long-standing relationship with five seminaries in Kenya, India, Malawi, Sri Lanka and Nigeria. These seminaries offer the opportunity to sponsor the training of a future Priest. When you sponsor a seminarian, you are building the Church of tomorrow, today.

Here, Fr Mareddy, Rector of the St John’s Regional Seminary in Hyderabad, India, updates us on the joys and challenges of seminary life in 2022:

Our Seminary is currently giving holistic formation to 88 seminarians from the 12 dioceses of the region. The life and activities of the Seminary are planned to form them into integral, balanced and mature Priests to serve the Church.

Life at St John’s

Importance is given to spiritual formation so that faith and prayer may become the focal point of their lives.

The formation of mature, healthy human beings is the foundation of any authentic spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation.

We provide knowledge of Scripture and Theology through lectures in the classroom, and the Seminarians have to present assignments, seminar papers and , in the third year: a dissertation. In addition to their scriptural and theological education, the Seminarians develop their personal spiritual lives through weekly conferences by the Rector or spiritual director, liturgical celebrations and spiritual exercises, as well as an annual retreat. Meanwhile, the social and pastoral programmes are well organised to ensure an all-round formation of our Seminarians.

The academic year started in a prayerful manner with the formal inauguration Mass of the Holy Spirit which was presided over by Most Rev. Polimera Jay Rao, Bishop of Eluru. He delivered the important ‘lectio­brevis‘ highlighting the importance of intelletual formation followed by regular classes.

The difference your support makes

Many Seminarians come from rural villages and their parents cannot contribute very much. We take care of all the seminarians’ needs. Providing food, medicine and all their essentials is a big challenge. 

Another challenge is the seminary building, which was built in 1965. It is growing old and in the rainy season, there is water seepage from the roof of the building. We have to undertake repairs to the roof, so the prayerful support and monetary help from Missio towards maintenance of the seminary is indispensable.

Many thanks to the Missio sponsors and supporters for their prayerful and tremendous financial support in providing for the formation of future Priests. It is indispensable.

Pioneering missionries

This past year, 20 seminarians were ordained Deacons in late October by Most Rev. Chinnabathini Bhagyaiah, Bishop of Guntur.

India is a multi-religious and multi-cultural country. Only 2.5% of the population are Christians, and priestly life is becoming more challenging. The Seminarians are formed to be frontier missionaries, venturing into pioneering mission by entering into peoples’ lives with the values of the Gospel. A true pastor is very much needed to nurture them and lead them to God.

Today, the Church needs dedicated missionaries, who are willing to render their services anywhere in the world, remembering the purpose of the coming of Christ – as a servant to serve, but not to be served.

Fr Marreddy, Rector