Fargo, N.D., Apr 9, 2010 / 01:22 am
Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo, North Dakota has announced the closure of the diocese’s college seminary program after the upcoming school year, citing the need for good stewardship of donations and church resources.
In a Thursday statement he reported that the number of college seminarians at Cardinal Muench Seminary (CMS) has risen above 20 only twice since 1988. Though having an “excellent” formation program, only seven men are registered for the seminary’s 2010-2011 school year.
“The cost of education per college seminarian, when the numbers are so few, is excessive,” he wrote.
He reported that the annual cost of educating one CMS seminarian averages $115,000 per year, while seminarian tuition is about $15,000 per year.