Formation of Religious Personnel in Seminaries Because of the large number of requests received from both seminary rectors and diocesan bishops for support for and formation of seminarians, we have decided that as of April 2000, requests must be made directly by seminary rectors with the support of the local bishop, as is done with all other types of request for financial assistance. This will avoid overlapping requests and will allow us to channel our assistance more directly.

 

The rector must obtain a letter of support from the appropriate authority, depending on the type of seminary. For diocesan or regional seminaries, this is the bishop of the diocese to which the seminary belongs. For a National Seminary, a letter of support must be obtained from the President or Secretary General of the Conference of Bishops.

The letter of support must include the bishop's full name, name of the diocese, telephone number, address, fax, email, name of the project and amount requested from the staff for the Church in Latin America. Please keep in mind that if the letter does not include the signature and seal your request WILL NOT BE PROCESSED.

Although our guidelines generally do not allow us to support advanced studies for diocesan priests, under special circumstances the Bishops' Subcommittee can authorize financing for formation personnel/teachers of seminarians for special, short-term formation programs. In this case, the bishop must submit a letter of support justifying the special study program and describing the need it is designed to meet. These requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Amount of the Grant

In general, the amount of assistance for seminarians is up to US $500 per eligible person. This amount is decreased by US$ 100 per year.

Please note that persons younger than 18 years old are NOT eligible for this type of grant.

Types of Seminaries Which May Request Grants

National Seminary: Receives students from throughout the country. There generally is only one in the country.
Regional Seminary: Receives students from more than one diocese.
Diocesan Seminary: Receives students only from the diocese where it is located.

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Formation of Personnel of a Religious Congregation
Due to the large number of requests for support for and formation of religious personnel and our commitment to support many religious congregations, we have decided on a specific focus for assistance from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America.

Some economic assistance from the Bishops' Subcommittee is aimed at supporting religious men and women in the initial stages of their formation. These stages are the postulancy, novitiate, juniorado and, in the case of men's congregations, priesthood formation (studies in philosophy and theology).

Please note that aspirants and persons under age 18 are NOT eligible for this type of economic assistance.

Personnel of a Religious Congregation

Once the applicant receives the official grant application and completes it according to the instructions in the manuall, the applicant must then obtain a letter of support from the appropriate authorities (both the local bishop and the superior general or provincial). The letter of support from the bishop must include the bishop's full name, the name of the diocese, telephone number, address, fax, email, the name of the project and the amount being requested from the staff for the Church in Latin America. The letter of support from the superior general or provincial must include the full name, congregation name, telephone, address, fax, email, the name of the project and the amount being requested from the staff for the Church in Latin America. Please keep in mind that if any of these letters lack the proper signature and seal, THE REQUEST WILL NOT BE PROCESSED.

In addition to the form, each request must be accompanied by the following:

Letter of support from the superior general or provincial
Letter of support from the local bishop
Description of the congregation's charism and mission
Country where the congregation was founded
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Formation of Personnel in Secular Institutes
Economic assistance from the Bishops' Subcommittee is aimed at initial formation of members of Secular Institutes. This refers to general formation of all members in the stages leading up to their permanent commitment to the Institute. Please note that aspirants and persons under age 18 are NOT eligible for this type of financial assistance. Only Secular Institutes founded in Latin America may request assistance.

In general, the amount of assistance for a Secular Institute is up to US $500 per eligible person. This amount is decreased by US$ 100 per year.

Once the applicant completes the official grant application, the applicant must then obtain a letter of support from the appropriate authorities (both the local bishop and the general or provincial authority of the Institute). In the case of the bishop, the letter of support must include the bishop's full name, the name of the diocese, telephone number, address, fax, email, the name of the project and the amount being requested from the staff for the Church in Latin America. The letter of support from the general or provincial authority of the Institute must include the full name, congregation name, telephone, address, fax, email, the name of the project and the amount being requested from the staff for the Church in Latin America. Please keep in mind that if any of these letters lack the proper signature and seal, THE REQUEST WILL NOT BE PROCESSED.

In addition to the form, each request must be accompanied by the following:

Letter from the general or provincial authority of the Institute
Letter from the bishop of the diocese
Description of the charism and mission of the Institute
Country where the Institute was founded
Copy of the official document verifying the "type of approval" (diocesan or pontifical)
Copy of the Constitution, norms or rules of the Secular Institute

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