PROVIDENCE — For decades, a great concern within the Church is that decreasing numbers of priests will leave the faithful without sufficient shepherds in the future.
But as the 2026 academic year began September 9, Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Providence reports that the incoming class, with seminarians sponsored by several dioceses in the region, is the largest in more than 40 years. Thirty-one men are currently in formation for the priesthood at the seminary, which opened in 1941.
“The goodness of God is evident at Our Lady of Providence,” seminary Rector Father Ryan W. Connors, S.T.D., commented. Last year began with 23 men, and 18 were enrolled in 2024. The increased numbers are encouraging. “More than the number, we are so impressed by the quality of the men coming forward.”
Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R. celebrated the opening of the term at with a Mass of the Holy Spirit. His homily focused on the Beatitudes.
“The Beatitudes, especially the first four, offer a profile of Jesus and his surrender to the passion and Cross. Today, I’d like to focus on them as an invitation to grow in virtue,” he said.
He spoke about the virtues, but fortitude, in particular.
Bishop Lewandowski urged the seminarians to “pray for and practice the virtue of fortitude,” as that particular virtue “strengthens our resolve so that we can make sacrifices for what is good.”
Fortitude is critical for all Christians facing worldly attractions, but especially more so in the case of the
priest, who must respond to the challenges and needs of his flock without giving into fear.
He continued with this advice: “In study and prayer, in your ministry and in your living together, when things are going well and when you’re struggling, pray for and practice fortitude.”
“Fortitude is essential to a priest’s life and ministry. The Lord is our strength.”
When the seminary opened in 1941, 33 men, all of whom sponsored by the Diocese of Providence, attended, a number similar to this year’s student body. Enrollment ebbed and flowed in the following decades. By the 1980s, the seminary, like many others throughout the country, experienced dangerously low numbers of priestly candidates. This caused a downsizing of the overall campus and a relocation to its current site on Mt. Pleasant Avenue.
The early 2000s, however, saw an increase in young men answering the call to the priesthood.
The acceptance process for a new seminarian is rigorous. Aside from the detailed application process, potential seminarians must receive an acceptance letter from the bishop or vocations director, three letters of recommendation, with one from a pastor and one from a teacher, a psychological assessment and a slew of other documentation.
Of the 31 seminarians, 15 are new this year and nine different dioceses are represented.
“They are excellent men who are willing to lay down their lives for Christ and Church,” said Father Connors. “They understand human weakness and desire to accompany people to come to know the Lord in his Church. This large number is a sign of God’s continuing fidelity to the Church to bring people to come to know him and meet him in the Church.”
Andrew Burke is one of these new students. Currently in his propaedeutic stage—an initial year of prayer and discernment—Burke hails from Woonsocket, with St. Joseph as his home parish. There, he grew up with a strong foundation of faith that inspired him to answer God’s call in his life.
“My vocation started from a young age, and it was primarily through being able to serve the Mass,” he told Rhode Island Catholic.
It was during this close contact with the Mass that he fell in love with the Eucharistic Lord.
“Additionally, I was fortunate to have many priestly examples in my life that helped me to discern my vocation.”
The annual Catholic Charity Appeal helps fund the mission of forming future priests at seminaries like Our Lady of Providence. This year’s campaign surpassed 100 percent of its goal, aiding students like Burke and his peers as they discern a priestly vocation.
