Vocations Office - Archdiocese of Atlanta

Dear Friends,  

I am happy to share good news with you as we look back at all that the Lord has done in the last year. This summer we welcomed seventeen new seminarians into our program, bringing up our total number of seminarians to 55! 

While my team and I have been praying and working hard, I do believe that this turnout is a result of the Lord's generosity, especially resulting from the prayers and sacrifices of so many during this Jubilee Year of Hope! Our prayers never go unheard, and the Lord is always ready to pour out his grace upon his Church for the salvation of souls. 

Many of you have been instrumental in supporting our efforts throughout the last few years making the Borromeo House of Priestly Formation a dedicated sacred space for prayer and discernment. We have been making good use of our renovations and expanded chapel to host discernment events, retreats, meetings, and of course as a place of rest and renewal for our seminarians. 

This year, our monthly discernment masses and groups have been so well attended that we've needed to get creative with extra seating. You can see in the attached pictures how big our groups have gotten and how excited these young disciples are to take steps forward in their vocation. 

As we look ahead to new opportunities, I hope you will continue to help us improve our existing property to offer even more spaces for prayer and discernment.

During our last fundraising campaign, we launched a plan to develop the land beyond our parking area. We are hoping to build a deck and create an outdoor meditation garden with stations of the cross. We fell short of our goal last year, so we are hoping to close the gap this time around. 

We have been working with a landscape architect, and the initial renderings are exciting to behold as this outdoor space would become a much needed (and our largest) gathering area for our growing community. 

This year’s goal for #iGiveCatholic is to raise $100,000 to be able to move forward and make this project a reality. I know this is a big number, but please don't be discouraged. Give what you can and put the rest of it to prayer. Please know that I am deeply grateful for any and every way you support our seminarians and discerners. 

With God’s blessing and your support, I know we can continue to make our formation house a place where God prepares the next generation of leaders for the future of our Church. 

Please consider making a donation between now and December 9, 2025 for the #IGiveCatholic campaign. 

Prayerfully yours in Christ,

Father Rey Pineda

Director of Vocations