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Everyone agrees: It's expensive to be a seminarian. Five years of formation for the priesthood -- at about $40,000 to $50,000 per year for tuition, room and board, health insurance and other costs -- brings the total to about $250,000 to complete a man's preparation to be a priest.

Everyone agrees: The Albany Diocese needs more priests. Regardless of the cost, a good candidate's education must be funded.

About $714,000 in donations to the 2014 Bishop's Appeal campaign is going to support the dozen seminarians currently in formation. But the cost of the seminary itself is far from the only expense incurred by future priests, and the Bishop's Appeal isn't the only way they're supported.

Brian Kelly, who's studying at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois, noted that most of his classmates have student loans from their undergraduate years. Diocesan vocations director Rev. Anthony Ligato said many candidates have advanced degrees to pay off, as well.

"We try to work with them," Father Ligato said. Student loans are deferred while a man is in the seminary; after he's ordained, the Diocese does help with payments - but before even beginning formation, candidates are "encouraged to be as debt-free as possible.

"Unfortunately, that can delay a guy's decision" to enter the seminary, Father Ligato added.

In addition, seminarians have the basic expenses of any other person away at school: Mr. Kelly mentioned a cell phone to keep in touch with people back home, a computer to write papers for courses, clothing, school supplies and cleaning supplies, "going out to dinner for a change or even going out to the movies."

Then there are the liturgical items every seminarian needs: albs, cassocks, surplices and even books for spiritual reading that aren't part of the seminary curriculum.

"Most guys have cars. You need to be able to put gas in your car," Father Ligato said. While in the seminary, "you can't have an outside job. Your entire time is focused on your vocation."

Bequests from Catholics at parishes around the Diocese cover some of these expenses. Father Ligato said the Diocese tends to target such donations to a specific seminarian, so the donor or family knows where the money is going.

For example, he said, Deacon Rick Lesser, who'll be ordained a priest next month, was "matched" with a bequest from someone at Our Lady of Hope parish in Copake Falls. Parishioners knew about the bequest, and Deacon Lesser would visit the parish when he was home from seminary so they could get to know him.

Other bequests might fund a project that involves all seminarians, like Spanish language immersion programs. But Father Ligato said that there are "not a great number" of bequests.

Individual gifts from people or groups also help. Mr. Kelly has gotten financial aid from the Knights of Columbus, Columbiettes and Catholic Daughters of the Americas. Each group tends to give around $500 per year.

"That kind of support just helps," Father Ligato stated.

John Rosbozom Sr. of the Cohoes Knights of Columbus said his council has given $500 to Mr. Kelly this year, raised through bingo games. Next year, they'll split the same amount between Mr. Kelly, a native son of Holy Trinity parish in Cohoes, and seminarian Kyle Gorenski, who's serving at Holy Trinity for the summer.

"We're going to 'adopt' him," joked Mr. Rosbozom, a past grand knight.

In June, the council will also present each seminarian with a book to help him with his studies.

"We couldn't afford to do any more than that," Mr. Rosbozom said, but the council wants "to help with expenses, to make it easier for them financially."

"Most of us have more than one council supporting us," Mr. Kelly told The Evangelist. "In addition, some pastors have asked their parishioners to donate to a special collection, which is sent to support us. That amount varies, as well as which parish it comes from. Basically, we use it for everything that isn't covered under tuition, room/board and textbooks."

Small gifts, said Father Ligato, "put some money in [seminarians'] pockets through the year."[[In-content Ad]]

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