Mission
The mission of the Diocese of Arlington Seminarian Education Endowment is to receive and safeguard charitable gifts in support of priestly education for the seminarians of the Diocese of Arlington.
Vision
The vision of the Endowment is to encourage and foster giving in support of seminarian education by providing a charitable vehicle whose assets are safely, securely and professionally invested with a Catholic conscience. Growth of this endowment will help to provide funding for the educational development of men who have answered the call to serve the people of God through their priestly service.
Support the Seminarian Education Endowment
Checks payable:
Catholic Foundation of Arlington
200 N. Glebe Road Suite 811
Arlington, VA 22203
Please write in memo: Seminarian Education Endowment
About the Seminarian Education Endowment
Forming Future Priests for the Diocese of Arlington
The Seminarian Education Endowment at the Catholic Foundation of Arlington provides essential financial support for the education and formation of men preparing for the sacred priesthood in the Diocese of Arlington. This endowment ensures that no worthy vocation is hindered by the rising costs of seminary education.
Thanks to a growing number of vocations, the Diocese of Arlington is experiencing an extraordinary blessing. Between June 2025 and June 2026, Bishop Michael Burbidge is expected to ordain 19 new priests—an inspiring testament to the vibrancy of the Catholic faith in our region. In addition, many more seminarians are currently discerning and preparing for the priesthood at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
The investment in each seminarian’s education and formation is significant. Tuition, room, and board, along with summer assignments, language immersion programs, psychological assessments, and pastoral training, bring the annual cost to nearly $60,000 per seminarian. This financial commitment is necessary to form holy, healthy, and well-prepared priests who will serve the people of God for generations to come.
Thanks to the generosity of faithful Catholics, both during their lifetimes and through planned gifts in their wills, the Seminarian Education Endowment has grown to more than $4.8 million. But with vocations increasing, the need for continued and expanded support has never been greater.
“Bob and I are honored to support priestly education in our diocese through our ongoing commitment to the Seminarian Education Endowment. We are humbled by the generosity of so many lay faithful who give sacrificially—through prayers and financial gifts—to ensure our seminarians receive the best formation possible. We invite everyone to join us in ‘Answering the Call’ by promoting this endowment, praying for its success, and giving generously to help fully fund priestly education in the Diocese of Arlington,”
— Laura Coleman, Benefactor and Advocate
Your gift to the Seminarian Education Endowment is an investment in the future of the Church. Join us in forming the next generation of priests—holy men who will celebrate the sacraments, preach the Gospel, and lead with the heart of Christ.
Seminarian Education Endowment FAQ
What is the Seminarian Education Endowment? The Seminarian Education Endowment is an endowment established to ensure continual resources for the education and formation of seminarians to serve as future priests of the Diocese of Arlington. It can be compared to a college fund that parents might start to save for their children's college education, planning on the value compounding with interest over time.
Why should I give to the endowment? To ensure the diocese has the financial means to educate our future priests, thus securing that the faithful of the diocese will receive the sacraments for years to come.
What costs does the endowment cover? The Seminarian Education Endowment helps cover the expenses of forming and educating a seminarian: tuition, room and board, fees, books, summer programs, travel expenses, and medical coverage. This adds up to roughly $60,000 per year, multiplied by 6-8 years of formation, times 19 seminarians (2025-26), which is a lot of money!
Aren't these expenses covered by the BLA? Why do we need ? The Bishop's Lenten Appeal currently provides much of the funding for seminary formation. Looking ahead, as the number of seminarians continues to grow, the endowment is a means of ensuring these expenses can be covered into the future. As an endowment, the monies are invested and 4% is annually distributed to pay for seminarian education while the rest of the endowment continues to grow in value.
Will my gift really help? Yes, both one-time gifts and affordable weekly or monthly gifts pack a powerful punch over time. Regardless of the gift amount, every single dollar contributed increases the principle. With steady growth over time, each additional million dollars accumulated will pay for one seminarian each year FOREVER. We are all in this together so please encourage family, friends, and fellow parishioners to give.
How much money is provided each year by the endowment for seminarian education? 4% of the value of the endowment is distributed annually. The principal is not touched but continues to increase year over year.
How long do our priests normally serve the diocese once they are ordained? Recently, the average age of a priest at ordination has been 35, and the majority serve our parishes until the retirement age of 75. The total education costs over 40 years of priestly service provide phenomenal spiritual benefits.
In addition to my gift, how can I help? Everyone can help by praying for our seminarians and the ongoing success of the endowment. Please also consider:
-Sharing our ads and updates published in the Arlington Catholic Herald with family, friends, and fellow parishioners.
-Encouraging support of the endowment at your parish through bulletin ads and promotional materials.
-Spreading the word about the endowment to everyone!
What is involved in the formation of a priest? Men who sense a calling from the Lord to be a priest are asked to dedicate themselves completely not only to academic study of philosophy and theology, but to the work of being transformed into another Christ, alter Christus. There are four areas of this formation. (Excerpt from Program of Priestly Formation, 6th edition)
Spiritual: The seminarian is called “to live in intimate and unceasing union with God the Father through his Son Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit.” This is the foundational call to discipleship and conversion of heart. Those who aspire to be sent on a mission, as the Apostles were, must first acquire the listening and learning heart of disciples.
- Human: The human personality of the priest is to be a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the human race. The humanity of the priest is instrumental in mediating the redemptive gifts of Christ to people today.
- Intellectual: In the seminary program, intellectual formation culminates in a deepened understanding of the mysteries of faith that is pastorally oriented toward effective priestly ministry, especially preaching. Arlington seminarians follow the prescribed course of study at their respective seminaries, culminating in an S.T.B. (bachelors' degree in Sacred Theology) or an M.A. in Theology. Some manage to also achieve a master's degree in Philosophy during their time in seminary.
- Pastoral: Pastoral formation is the culmination of the entire formation process: “The whole formation imparted to candidates for the priesthood aims at preparing them to enter communion with the charity of Christ the Good Shepherd. True shepherds must have a desire to understand the hearts of others and engage in attentive accompaniment.” In order to devote themselves to their full-time studies and pastoral assignments, seminarians are asked not to have outside jobs. For this reason, the diocese relies on gifts to cover their expenses.
If you'd like more information or to set up an appointment to learn more, contact
Samantha Donohue, Foundation Liaison
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 703-778-8600
The Foundation for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington
The goal of priestly formation is to form missionary disciples so that they are ready for consecration as shepherds for God’s people, sharing in the authority of Christ the Redeemer, who sent the Apostles to preach and heal. The Church continues to place the highest value on the work of priestly formation, because it is linked to the very mission of the Church, especially the evangelization of humanity: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.
