Dear Alumni, Friends, and Supporters:

As we enter the 2025–2026 year of formation at Notre Dame Seminary, we do so with deep gratitude for your continued generosity and prayers. Your support allows us to carry forward the mission entrusted to us: forming future priests in the image of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, who leads, serves, and loves with compassion and conviction.

At the heart of our seminary community is a commitment to holistic priestly formation—human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. Our seminarians are guided to become shepherds rooted in a deep relationship with Christ, mature in character, and equipped with the theological and pastoral tools needed to serve a diverse and ever-changing Church. Through daily prayer, the sacraments, rigorous academic study, and immersive pastoral experiences, they are being formed into men who will lead with wisdom, humility, and grace.

But our mission cannot be fulfilled without you. In the past year, the actual cost to educate and form one seminarian totaled $49,000. Tuition, room, and board account for $39,000, leaving a $10,000 gap per seminarian that we must bridge through generous gifts from alumni, friends, and supporters like you. Your support helps fund vital formation programs such as spiritual retreats, mission trips, and pastoral fieldwork, which are essential experiences that prepare seminarians to meet the needs of today’s Church.

As we launch our 2025–2026 Annual Appeal, we invite you to prayerfully consider making a gift. Every contribution, no matter the size, directly supports the formation of future priests who will one day serve in your parishes, schools, and communities. You may give securely online at www.nds.edu/donate-now.

Thank you for being a part of our seminary family. Your investment in Notre Dame Seminary is an investment in the future of the Church. May the Lord bless you for your generosity and continue to draw you close to His heart.

In Christ’s peace,
Very Reverend Joshua J. Rodrigue, S.T.L.
Rector/President