MISSION Magazine Winter 2024

14
Currently, the seminary houses 166 seminarians from mission territories -
60 percent are from Africa, 40 percent from Asia, with a small representation
from Oceania and Latin America - undertaking their first cycle of theology or
licentiate degrees.
These seminarians are handpicked by their bishops for their scholarly
aptitude and missionary zeal. They are the future formators of local seminaries
and potential diocesan leaders.
The Urban College has given rise to other institutions, including the colleges
of St. Peter and St. Paul, which accommodate priests pursuing studies in Rome.
Bishops can request scholarships for seminarians up to the diaconate or for
already ordained priests. There is also the Mater Ecclesia College for religious
sisters, emphasizing the Dicastery’s priority to promote a female presence in
formation houses.
“The University emerged from the Urban College, and both are sustained
by the support of the Pontifical Mission Societies,” Father Armando states. The
scholarships cover university tuition, residence expenses, meals, and health
care, which can be significant due to the challenging hygienic conditions in
the seminarians’ home countries. “Each student represents an investment of
$13,000 a year,” he reveals. The dioceses are responsible for travel expenses and
pocket money for personal needs.
“We are careful not to foster an elite mentality but to offer a concrete experience
of the Church’s universality,” he emphasizes. The seminary’s multicultural
community speaks multiple languages and practices five different rites. “This