Dwadzieścia pięć lat Wyższego Seminarium Duchownego Towarzystwa Salezjańskiego w Lądzie nad Wartą 1952‒1977

Abstract

The Seminary of the Society of St. Francis de Sales in Ląd-on-Warta was founded by the Inspector, Father Stanisław Rokita on July 4th, 1952. By August of that year 39 clerics had already begun to study philosophy. Two years later the philosophy department as a whole was moved first to Kutno-Woźniaków and then to Czerwińsk on the Vistula, while in Ląd a theological course of studies was started. Besides the teachers working there on a regular basis, professors from other diocesan seminaries and seminaries attached to religious orders, lectured there. In 1972 the philosophy and theology departments were combined thus forming a single seminary ‒ an educationally strong institution. The formative structure of the Seminary has been based on the norms for seminaries from the years 1968 and 1971, passed by the Polish Episcopate and according to the decisions of the Chapters General of the Society of St. Francis de Sales from the years 1970 and 1976. In the Seminary special emphasis is put on both the theoretical and practical preparation form evangelism among young people. During the 25 years of the existence of the Seminary, about 360 clerics studied there: 251 have taken holy orders, 68 have left the Seminary, 2 died in tragic circumstances and 28 are working as missionaries. At present graduates of the Seminary are superiors in 51 places; they are responsible for the management of the Province. In spite of such a short period of existence the Seminary can boast significant scholarly work as well as catechetical, homiletic, and musical achievements. The spiritual leadership given by its graduates in various institutions has proved that the Seminary has been effective in fulfilling the mission to which it was called a quarter of a century ago.