This is Pope Francis’ advice to minor seminarians to persevere

Pope Francis held a chance meeting with the minor seminarians of the Diocese of Getafe (Spain) to whom he recommended “clinging tightly to the Virgin Mary and above all trusting in Her” to persevere on their vocational path.

The students of the Minor Seminary of the Diocese, Inmaculada and San Dámaso located in the town of Rozas de Puerto Real, had the opportunity to meet with the Pontiff at the end of the General Audience held last Wednesday in the Plaza de San Pedro.

Although it was not planned, the young people and their trainers were placed on the steps leading to St. Peter’s Basilica so that they could greet Pope Francis more closely, who encouraged them to speak, since at first they seemed somewhat shy.

Thus, they asked him how they can live their faith rightly and how they can strengthen it day after day, according to the testimony offered by one of the young students in a video released by the diocese: “He has given us the key, he has given us the secret, which is to tie yourself tightly to the Virgin Mary and trust above all in Her.”

In addition, Pope Francis asked minor seminarians to be “a source of joy” for the Diocese of Getafe.

The Catholic School-Minor Seminary of Getafe celebrates this year the 60th anniversary of its foundation. During this time, more than 2,000 students have passed through their classrooms where the objective is to educate humanly and intellectually, to accompany them so that they “choose truth, goodness and beauty” and to evangelize, to facilitate the encounter with the Lord and the response to the particular vocation of each one.

The students who are part of the Minor Seminary are selected “according to their Christian life (life of prayer, involvement in the parish, moral life, etc.) and their decision to grow in following the Lord,” as stated on your website.

Minor seminarians who wish to do so can sleep four nights at school and three at home. To take care of their vocational discernment, they have a supervised study schedule, an organized extracurricular schedule, meditation for discernment, and activities that seek to increase their maturity.

The Rozas de Puerto Real Seminary has a sponsorship system of minor seminarians so that young people who want to deepen their vocation are not prevented by lack of financial resources.