Important News: Holy Cross Seminary to Close.
Given the present circumstances (the present lockdowns and constraints placed upon us), the Superiors of the Society of St. Pius X have taken the painful decision of deciding to bring Holy Cross seminary to a close and move our present seminarians to other seminaries of the SSPX. Both Fr. Themann and Fr. MacPherson explain at length how what has been decided has been done in the interest of the common good of all. The hope is that one day we will have sufficient vocations to restart the seminary again. Keep this in your prayers.
Click here to read Fr. MacPherson's letter on the matter.
Dear Faithful,
Due to the closure of Australia’s international borders, Holy Cross Seminary was not able to receive any new seminarians from overseas in 2020 or in 2021. It appears unlikely that the Seminary would be able to receive any overseas candidates in 2022 either. Due to this impossibility, due to the ordination of three seminarians to the priesthood last year, and due to the normal departure of men having discerned that they do not have a vocation, the number of seminarians in Goulburn has decreased to only nine. It cannot reasonably be foreseen that this number will increase in 2022.
Therefore, having consulted with the Seminary Rector and with the Society’s General Council, the Superior General of the Society, Fr Davide Pagliarani, has taken the difficult decision to close Holy Cross Seminary and to relocate its seminarians to other seminaries of the Society. The essential reason for this decision is concern for the welfare of the seminarians themselves in view of the serious difficulties posed to seminary life when the number of seminarians is so small. Therefore, at the end of this academic year, Holy Cross will become a priory of the District and will also serve as a pre-seminary to prepare Australians and New Zealanders for entering one of the Society’s overseas seminaries. Various other activities and apostolates based in this new priory to serve the spiritual needs of the faithful within the District are also under consideration.
Fr MacPherson, the Seminary Rector, as well as his entire staff wish to express their enormous gratitude to the faithful of the District for their unfailing and generous support during these many years. The official announcement written by Fr MacPherson can be read on the Seminary’s and the Districts’ websites.
Rev. Fr. Daniel Themann .
