Seminarian Support Requested

From the Pastor:    Seminarian Support Requested

      You all have been very supportive of our youth when they are trying to go on a trip to check out a vocational call. For instance, Maria Hernandez, already an Aspirant to the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother, and her younger sister, Agnes, have been selling quick bread once a month to raise some of the money they need to go to Spain this summer with the Sisters (including an older sister of theirs, Sister Rachel Maria, who belongs to that order already). You have been very generous to them, even charitably sacrificing your waistlines to help them out. We also have several young men in seminaries and other formation programs. Eric is still being led toward a Benedictine hermit life. Ryan is still with the Jesuits. Esteban will be a Diocesan priest (though not our diocese, doggone it!). And Joshua is studying for Christ the King Sovereign Priest. A couple of more young men who are in the seminary have occasionally (or even regularly) attended Mass at Epiphany before entering into formation and/or while on days off from their studies, though officially they belong to other parishes. In short, both men and women come here (to the Traditional Latin Mass parish) as part of (and perhaps a major part of) their discernment process. One of the men I have already mentioned, Joshua Heiman, is about to be sent to Europe for the upcoming year as part of his formation. He has reluctantly but humbly asked for assistance, as he is unable to afford it on his own. (Did you know that many men and women must pay all or part of their own expenses during not only the “inquiry” years but also during the “real” formation years as well? Of course, they are not allowed to have jobs during that time, either, so unless they are already well off or are from a wealthy family, they have to rely on the generosity of others to finish their studies before entering religious life or priesthood.) Below is a letter he sent. Please read it prayerfully.

To my dear Epiphany community:

      I hope that you had a very blessed Holy Week and that your Easter season may be restful and very joyous. As one might imagine, life in formation with the Institute of Christ the King has been an incredible blessing and has brought forth such amazing fruits!
      Our daily prayer life consists of mass, meditation, and multiple hours of the Divine Office in common. On top of our prayer each young man in formation has daily chores (a great way to follow the spirit of one of our patrons: Saint Benedict!). This daily prayer and work has given a great insight of the rigors of the life of a priest (of course only being a small taste of the burden they bear) and has greatly strengthened my calling.
      Alas, this beautiful time of formation does come at a cost. Though the cost of a death to worldly living is mine to take up by the grace of God (and what a glorious cost it is!), there is still a temporal cost for my education and general living expenses.
      As of yet I have been blessed to need no extra help for the cost of my formation, but since I will be moving on to Europe for further formation I will need financial help for the increased expenses (travel costs, seminary tuition, school and personal supplies, liturgical books, etc.).
      To this end I come before you, my dear community, to ask for your help. It would be a great help if you could spare to donate a small amount from time to time and even more if you would be able to grant more consistent and greater support.
      I ask as well your continued prayers for my journey towards the Priesthood of Christ and I assure you of my prayers in return. May God bless you all!

In Christ the King,
Joshua Heiman


If you are able to financially support him, he has a PayPal account set up to receive donations (paypal.me/HeimanSeminaryFund). (A link will soon be on our webpage.) If you are not comfortable sending money via computer, you may give to Epiphany and we will put it in his account. I also asked him for a list of specific “things” which he may need. He needs clerical shirts, cassocks, collars, a winter cape, breviary, etc. But above all, he needs your prayers. Thank you in advance for assisting him and all of our soon-to-be-if-it-is-God’s-will religious and priests!

With prayers for your holiness,
Rev. Fr. Edwin Palka