Clergy Education and Training Fund

What is the Clergy Education & Training Fund?

Those seeking to undertake the work of the Church in the Diocese have many training needs. Candidates accepted for priestly formation spend around 6 years at a Seminary. Whilst the time in Seminary helps the student to determine God’s will for him, it is also designed to provide experiences so that the student can play a full role in parish community life following Ordination. Training is also undertaken by those men wishing to become Permanent Deacons in Parishes in the Diocese. As in most occupations, learning and education is a life-long process, and Priests and Deacons have ongoing training needs in their ministries. However, training for Seminarians, Deacons and Clergy involves considerable expense, and the Clergy Education & Training Fund seeks to help meet these costs.

Why does the Clergy Education & Training Fund need your help?

At a time of shortages of Priests, it is a blessing that we have men studying for the Priesthood and Diaconate. This is good news for the people of the Diocese, but the training is expensive – for example, it costs around £30,000 a year (about £80 a day) to train a Seminarian, and £4,000 a year to train a Deacon. The Clergy Education & Training Fund helps meet these costs, the ongoing training needs of Clergy, and in certain instances the cost of training Laity (such as Eucharistic Ministers).