Step into the mission field with us
Support the men who will lead, serve, and shepherd the Church of tomorrow.
Supporting
Vocations
Christ is calling—and men are answering. Six seminarians in our Archdiocese have said yes to discerning the priesthood and its radical call to service and sacrifice. There are many more still discerning entry into the seminary. Their formation is both a privilege and a responsibility for our Church.
By becoming a donor, you help nurture these vocations. You help form our future Pastors. Your investment is real: one day, the hands of these men will pour the waters of baptism, reverently lift the Eucharist, and descend in blessing over future generations. Through them, Jesus Christ will continue to forgive, to heal, and to transform.
Meet the Seminarians
Elijah Bourrier
Jean-Francois Dacquay
Daniel Cheung
Paschal Fontillas
Junipero Ezenwajiaku
Charles Barbeau
Elijah Bourrier
What most excites you about the call to the priesthood?
- I am most excited to bring Christ to the people of God and to help them understand how much he loves them.
How is the Seminary preparing you for the priesthood?
- The seminary is providing the education I need to understand God more fully, which I can bring to the people I am called to meet and guide to Heaven. It’s also providing me with real world experience through my parish placement.
What’s your favourite part about being a seminarian?
- My favourite part about being a seminarian is growing closer to the Trinity every day, through my educational and experiential encounters with people outside of the seminary, with my formators, and with my brother seminarians.
Jean-Francois Dacquay
What most excites you about the call to the priesthood?
- Being able to bring Jesus in the Eucharist to every person. As well, serving the people of God as a spiritual father in the image of Christ the Good Shepherd.
What’s your favourite part about being a seminarian?
- Food, prayer and brotherhood. What more can one ask for?
Daniel Cheung
What most excites you about the call to the priesthood?
- Bringing God to the faithful through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, excites me most. More generally, the call to the priesthood represents for me an invitation to respond to God’s call to holiness and draw ever closer to him.
How is the Seminary preparing you for the priesthood?
- Living in community, going on retreats, and serving in our weekly apostolate has taught me to sacrifice and to die to myself. Seminary has also been forming me into a person of prayer, which is essential for the priesthood.
What’s your favourite part about being a seminarian?
- The food, for one! But above all, I love spending time with my brother seminarians and growing together in holiness.
Paschal Fontillas
What most excites you about the call to the priesthood?
- What excites me most is becoming an instrument by which people receive God’s mercy through the sacrament of penance. I’m also looking forward to holding in my hands the very body, blood, soul and divinity of our Eucharistic Lord in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
How is the Seminary preparing you for the priesthood?
- The seminary prepares me for the priesthood by cultivating an environment wherein I am drawn to conform my will to Christ’s. Everything, from our daily schedule of prayer, study, work, recreation, liturgies, and community life allows me to deepen my relationship with Christ so I can share him with others.
What’s your favourite part about being a seminarian?
- Sports nights, holy fraternity, and solemn liturgies are my favorite parts!
Junipero Ezenwajiaku
What most excites you about the call to the priesthood?
- I’m intrigued by the priestly calling because of a priest’s total surrender, looking up to Christ as the model. He sustains his priests by his grace as they spread the fragrance of love and serve as a bridge leading souls to back to him.
How is the Seminary preparing you for the priesthood?
- With the Holy Spirit being our principal formator and through the instrumentality of our formators, we are trained in these core areas: spiritual, human, pastoral, and intellectual.
What’s your favourite part about being a seminarian
- I enjoy the malleability of being the clay in the hands of the potter (the Holy Spirit) as I’m prepared for the great mission of the salvation of souls.
Charles Barbeau
What most excites you about the call to the priesthood?
- I am excited to participate in Jesus Christ’s work of salvation by offering to God, as he did, all he had back to the Father, in thanksgiving and for the glory of his most high name. It is the knowledge that each day I strive to work for something eternal: the salvation of souls.
How is the Seminary preparing you for the priesthood?
- The seminary is a school of Jesus Christ, where I learn daily what it means to take up my cross and follow in his footsteps. Our encounters with Christ through the sacraments, the quiet moments of prayer, and the fraternal interactions with others nourish the fire of the Holy Spirit within us, refining and transforming us into him, little by little.
What’s your favourite part about being a seminarian
- My favorite part is the sense that God is always close to me. I’m learning what it means to be among his intimate friends—not just to know him, but also to share in his human experience, including the joys and struggles he faced in his life.
Step into the mission field with us
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the donations go towards?
Your donations directly support the recruitment and training of men studying for the priesthood, and the work of the Director of Vocations, Father Connor O’Hara.
How much does it cost for one seminarian’s formation?
One year of priestly formation costs roughly $50,000. On average, most priests are formed for 6 to 8 years in Seminary. This means that costs approach almost a half a million dollars… for just one priest! These expenses include tuition, room and board, meals, health insurance, summer placements, pastoral internships, and many other related things.
How long is the formation process for diocesan priests?
It depends on the individual’s background and specific needs. A Doctor of Theology who decides to enter seminary will require less academic formation than a young man right out of High School. But on average, Seminary lasts 6-8 years.
Where are they studying?
Currently, all of our seminarians are studying at St. Augustine’s Seminary of Toronto. But any accredited Seminary is an option – and Canada has several options.
What does a day-in-the-life look like at seminary?
After rising, the day begins in the Chapel with the Liturgy of the Hours or Mass. Breakfast comes next, followed by classes in the morning and—often—the afternoon, with a lunch break in between. Once classes have ended, the men gather in the Chapel to pray Evening Prayer. After dinner, there is usually free time for sports, entertainment, socialization, or a rosary walk. Many priests deeply treasure their seminary formation—what a blessing it is!
Once a man enters seminary, can he discern out?
There are two great ways to leave seminary: either as an ordained priest, or not. Many men who enter seminary are not convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is calling them to be a priest. But they do hear a call and want to investigate it. That’s the discernment process.
Ultimately, seminary formation provides ample opportunity to prayerfully discern among like-minded men. God’s will becomes clear during this graced process.
