Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Taipei (Agenzia Fides) – Gratitude and continual vocational promotion are the two main challenges observed by the Taiwan Catholic Regional Seminary, in their celebration of their 15th anniversary of foundation on May 16. Fr. Joseph Huang Ching Fu, Rector of the Seminary, presided the Mass concelebrated by 11 priests, during which two seminarians that studied in the seminary shared their vocational testimonies with those present. The local seminarians sang in the Mass, as well. In the homily, Fr. Joseph Huang stressed the importance of a continual promotion of vocations to the priesthood on the island.
Fifteen years later, with the approval of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Seminary of the south (Pius Seminary, founded in 1962) and that of the north (Saint Thomas Major Seminary founded in 1965) on the island of Taiwan united, to begin the Taiwan Catholic Regional Seminary. Saint Thomas and Pope Pius X were chosen as its patrons, and May 13 was determined the feast of its foundation. The Rector was appointed by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples for a term of three years. In these 15 years, the seminary has formed 54 priests, 42 diocesan and 12 from religious orders or formed for other countries. According to the Seminary's statistics, 50% of those who enter reach priestly ordination.
There has been a recent decline in local vocations, so much so that one missionary who worked for years in Taiwan, comments: “in Taiwan, the Bishops are from Taiwan, the priests from Vietnam or Indonesia, and the faithful from the Philippines.” To compensate for this lack of vocations, in 2002 the Taiwan Catholic Regional Seminary Vocation Service Office to better coordinate vocations promotion. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 27/05/2009)
