Christ Our Savior Theological Seminary is an institution of higher learning founded and sponsored by Christ's Apostolic Old Catholic Church of the Americas and the Polish Old Catholic Rite of North America. This Seminary is committed to a Christian Catholic vision of reality and inculcates in the seminarian a deep appreciation of the Christian ideal, a true sense of recognition of the Christian heritage and its principles, with a sensitive commitment to the needs and wants of others and self.

The divine and Apostolic intent in the intellectual and spiritual formulation of the deaconate and priesthood in this Seminary is clearly enunciated in the Statement of Principles of Christ's Apostolic Old Catholic Church of the Americas and the Polish Old Catholic Rite of North America.

The great Church Father, St. John Chrysostom, while still a layman, grappled with the meaning of the office of priesthood. While he was avoiding ordination, he wrote his great work "On the Priesthood," which has been a Christian classic ever since. From generation to generation, faithful Christians have been called to fulfil the office of ministerial presbyterate; they have done so with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, even if they have resisted the idea initially, as did St. John Chrysostom.

What then are the duties of a priest? First, the priest leads the entire congregation in its worship. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the common work of the entire Body of Christ, clergy and laity of all ranks. According to Chrysostom, the priest is to lead the worship of the community and administer the sacraments. To implement this in our world today, the contemporary priest must realize that the Church is most itself when gathered together to praise, glorify, supplicate, and thank its Savior, Christ-God. The pastor has a great honor to lead this worship, and the responsibility to see that this worship proceeds meaningfully and as smoothly as possible.

Secondly, the presbyter preaches the Gospel to those inside and outside the Church. The most obvious modern exercise of this function is the sermon. The sermon is an integral part of the liturgy of the Word. Religious Education is yet another way of conveying instruction. The parish bulletin and newsletter are other vehicles for this teaching office.

Thirdly, the presbyter is to be a spirtual physician to God's people, diagnosing and suggesting ways to heal their spiritual ailments. The priest does this most frequently through counseling and confession. The priest's eyes must always be open to spot problems and to promote meaningful solutions. Frequently, this is perhaps the most difficult job of the priest, as the congregation must learn to trust this person before they can approach him or her with the secrets of their lives.

Fourth, the priest is to govern the church according to the Laws of God as His representative (Titus 1:7 ff). The Pastor must follow the Commandments of Christ, as expressed in the Holy Gospel, the greatest of which is Love. Along with the divine directives, the priest must also be aware to enact the decisions of the Diocesan Bishop and Synod.

All the facets of the priestly vocation listed above are heavily dependent upon the personal spiritual life of the priest for their development and credibility. Ordination plants the seeds of the priesthood in the individual, who must cooperate with the Holy Spirit to enable growth.

The road to being a good priest is that of being an even better Christian, by constantly growing closer to the Triune-God through prayer, the reception of the Sacraments, fasting, spiritual reading, and loving concern for others - both inside and outside the Church.

The Rector and Spiritual Director of Christ Our Savior Theological Seminary is Bishop George J. Drozd, D.D. The Seminary is housed in Christ Our Savior Old Catholic Cathedral Center. This program has been established to provide guided studies and spiritual formation experiences to qualified applicants seeking preparation toward ordination as deacons or priests in the Old Catholic Church. The programs of study are implemented via a nontraditional training model which integrates independent study (correspondence and internet) with supervised seminars and relevant practica experiences. As Rector, Bishop George personally coordinates the faculty and actively teaches a number of the core courses and seminars.

As each Seminary program is self-paced, the length of time required to complete it is highly dependent upon an individual's capability and motivation. The depth of required study for any enrolled candidate will be determined, in part, by an individual's relevant prior training and life experiences.

The emphasis and energy of the Seminary training program are on the adequate preparation of deacons and priests for service in the parishes of Christ's Apostolic Old Catholic Church of the Americas and the Polish Old Catholic Rite of North America. Although degrees and certificates are conferred on successful graduates of the seminary, it is our primary intent to prepare compassionate and well informed individuals for service to God's people.

The Seminary training program consists of six integrated clusters or concentrations of study: Holy Scripture, Sacred Liturgy, Systematic Theology, Church History and Pastoral Studies. Within each cluster, there are two or more required units of study. Competence is assessed via written work and oral canonical examinations at each level of preparation and progression.

Students may elect a qualified mentor in their geographic area to assist them with their program of study. If the mentor's qualifcations are submitted to and approved by the Seminary Board, a reasonable and customary one time mentoring stipend will be paid by the Seminary to the mentor in behalf of the student. This stipend shall not exceed $100.00 per program of study.

Completed applications to the Seminary must be accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee of $50.00 (fifty) dollars. This fee will be applied to the overall tuition cost once the student has been officially accepted and enrolled. The tuition fee is payable in installments, and arrangements for such can be made by contacting the Seminary business office. The tuition fee does not cover the cost of books, seminars, postage, phone calls or other incidental expenses.

The program of study leading to ordination as a Deacon requires the successful completion of 15 required study units. These units and their descriptors can be obtained by contacting the Seminary. The tuition for this program of study is $950.00.

The program of study leading to ordination as a priest requires the successful completion of 27 required study units. These units and their descriptors can be obtained by contacting the Seminary. Aside from the coursework, the candidate for priesthood must complete a successful year in parish ministry as a deacon. The tuition for this program os study is $1,750.00.

For further information, or to secure an application packet, please contact Bishop George at [email protected] or by snail mail to Christ Our Savior Old Catholic Cathedral, 1305 S. Mission Rd., P.O. Box 373, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 48804-0373.

On July 17, 1999 Reverend Linda I. Drozd was ordained to the Holy Catholic Priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Her ordination followed the successful completion of her seminary training and deaconate year. Reverend Mother Linda was assigned as associate pastor of Christ Our Savior Old Catholic Church, Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

It is with great joy in the Lord that we announce the Ordination of Reverend Robert E. Earl to the transitional deaconate. The Ordination Ceremony took place at Christ Our Savior Old Catholic Cathedral Parish on Sunday, November 26, 2000, the Feast of Christ the King. The ceremony was attended by Deacon Bob's immediate family as well as by members of our parish family and diocesan clergy.

Deacon Bob has been in studies at Christ Our Savior Theological Seminary, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. He will continue his studies over the coming year, as well as fulfill his Deaconate Year of Service at the Cathedral Parish. Among his varied responsibilities, he will be co- conducting the Cathedral Parish outreach ministries. The Parish and Diocese welcome the addition of Deacon Bob to our ministerial staff. We wish him well, and continue to keep him in our prayers, asking that God strengthen and guide him in the service of His people.



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