The 2011 crop: 18 new seminarians

With the academic year well underway (in fact, the first break is happening this week), the numbers of new students at the Dutch seminaries have been released. With 18 new seminarians (some of whom are pictured to the left, at the Tiltenberg seminary) there is an ever-so-slight drop from last year, when 20 new names were added to the books. With several ordinations having taken place in the previous academic year, the total number of students at the four seminaries in the Netherlands remains at exactly 100.

A breakdown per seminary:

• Rolduc, Diocese of Roermond, received 2 new students, both from the Neocatechumenal Way. The total number at Rolduc is now 29.
• Tiltenberg, Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam: 7 new seminarians, with another way possibly joining them later. The total number is now 44.
• Bovendonk, Diocese of Breda, als has seven, with four of hem starting in the first year. The three others, because of previous education, join a later year. Bovendonk now has 18 part-time students.
• Saint John’s Centre, Diocese of ‘s Hertogenbosch: 2 new students, bringing the total to 12.

The Tiltenberg comfortably holds on to its top position when it comes to the numbers, which can be explained in part because it remains the only seminary above the great rivers. It is home to students  from at least four dioceses.

Looking at the numbers per diocese then:

• Breda: 4 (2 of whom study independently at the FCT)
• Haarlem-Amsterdam: 4
• Roermond: 2
• Rotterdam: 1
• ‘s Hertogenbosch: 2
• Utrecht: 4 (maybe 5)
• Carmelites: 1

The ‘harvest’ is… okay, but the need for further vocational promotion and formation should be clear.