About Cathedral Prep
The Cathedral Preparatory Seminary High School Program is for young men of high school age who are seriously considering the call to be a priest. Any young man from the Archdiocese of New York in either public, Catholic, or private schools or who is homeschooled is welcome to join the program and to explore the possibility of a vocation to the priesthood. The Prep Program meets each month on the grounds of St. Joseph’s Seminary, also called Dunwoodie, which was the site of Pope Benedict XVI’s Youth Rally in April 2008. The retreat weekends are led by diocesan parish priests and include conferences and discussions about the priesthood and living our Catholic faith. There are opportunities to meet and to speak with college seminarians from the St. John Neumann Residence and with seminarians a few short months and years away from Ordination at St. Joseph’s Seminary. Prep men partake in periods of prayer from Holy Hours in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, to a candlelit Rosary Vigil, to Holy Mass and pray Morning, Evening and Night Prayer from the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours. There is also plenty of time for recreation at the Cardinal Spellman Recreation Center including basketball courts, swimming pool and bowling lanes. The young men of the Prep build up friendship with their peers and find prayerful support in each other as they grow in their vocations. In addition to the weekends, Prep students participate in various Masses and events at the Seminary and at the Cathedral of St. Patrick.
Testimonials
My name is Jon Scharfenberger and I attend Ave Maria University in Naples, FL. During my high school years, I attended Cathedral Prep retreats every month, while I continued to discern a call to the priesthood. Cathedral Prep gave me an excellent opportunity to join together with other guys in awesome weekends of fellowship, fun and prayer. From catechesis sessions to pickup basketball in the gym to movie night and Holy Hour with the Friars, the weekend at Cathedral Prep offers one an eventful and prayerful experience. The priests and seminarians at the Prep are extremely helpful and always willing to make the weekend an awesome one. I recommend the program to anyone seeking to know where God is leading them in their lives. Cathedral Prep has helped me in my discernment to the priesthood and I have made great friends along the way. Try it and I guarantee you won’t regret it!
My name is Omar Sanchez from George Washington High School, and this September I will begin my second year attending the Cathedral Prep retreats. Cathedral Prep is a great experience, offering the opportunity to explore your vocation. We spend time in prayer, celebrating Mass, and discussing Church teaching, but also have time to do what every young man likes to do, such as play sports and exercise. For me the Prep is a second home, a home that brings me closer to God. Its a place where I
can stay and be away from all my problems. Joining Cathedral Prep doesn't mean you have to become a priest. In fact, God may tell you during a retreat that you are being called to be married. It is simply a place where you can find ultimate happiness by knowing, loving, and serving God. So don't be afraid of His calling. Answer it and see what our Lord has for you, like I did!
I am Salvador Alberto and I go to St. Raymond’s High School. I joined the Cathedral Preparatory Program in September of 2006. This September I start my third year at Cathedral Prep. Cathedral Prep has been such a great experience for me since the moment I joined. At the Prep you will find guys that are there for the same reason as you: to discern their calling. In this program you will have much fun but most importantly, you will have time to connect with God through prayer. The great thing about this program is that you don’t have to commit to becoming a priest in order to join. As long as you are giving the priesthood some thought, these retreats are for you. Many guys join CathedralPprep with a vocation and then they find out that the priesthood is not for them, others join without even the thought of becoming a priest but later end up joining. Just trust and follow the Lord and he will make you whatever you were born to be.