Welcome
The Mater Ecclesiae Fund for Vocations is privileged to assist men and women to follow God's call to service in the Church through a life of consecration. We operate the St. Joseph Student Debt Relief Grant Program which eliminates the delay many young people encounter as they struggle to pay off their student debts before they can enter religious life. A St. Joseph grant pays candidates' student loan payments while they are in formation for religious life.
To date, we have given 55 people the opportunity to discern their vocation to religious life immediately rather than waiting many years and possibly getting ensnared by the tide of our culture. Forty-one of these individuals remain in formation with religious orders across the country. These men and women are learning to become monks and brothers, nuns and sisters and pray each day for the Church and for the world.
You can read about some of these men and women on our vocation stories page.
There are many more young men and women who would like to follow their call but are stymied by the debts they incurred to get a college education. Through our website, you can learn how you can help them as well.
News
August 2008
When our summer application open period ended, we had received 29 applications!! This is evidence of the vitality of religious life in the United States. We thank God that so many young men and women are offering their lives to his service.
The annual loan payments of those 29 applicants comes to a total of $121,500.00! Because our fundraising efforts are still in the early stages, our board of directors was able to authorize only $10,000 worth of grants.
So while we are proud to have squeezed 7 new grants out of the available funds, we are sadened by the necessity of turning away the other 22 applicants who are equally qualified and ready to begin religious life but for their student loans.
We are particularly pleased to have issued our first grant under our St. John Vianney grant program for future parish priests. You can download a PDF of our award press release for complete details.
May 2008
Our first newsletter was mailed to our donor base in mid-May. You can download a copy.
Milestones
(Progress of MEFV grantees)
» On August 1, we announced the awarding of our first ever St. John Vianney grant for men who are entering formation to serve as parish priests. This grant was awarded to Zachary who will enter the Fraternal Society of St. Peter this September.
We also announced the following St. Joseph grants for men and women entering religious life to:
- Michael who has begun formation with the Legionaries of Christ in Cheshire, CT.
- Sarah and Kathleen who will be entering the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia (aka, Nashville Dominicans) this Saturday.
- Sr. Mary Micaela, RSM who is a novice with the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, MI.
- Shannon who will enter the Passionist Nuns of St. Joseph Monastery in Whitesville, KY.
- Elizabeth who enters the Community of St. John in Princeville, IL on August 26th.
» On Wednesday, June 11th Lorraine (pictured above with her parents) entered the Priory of Our Lady of Ephesus, the mother house of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles. Lorraine received an MEFV grant in our Winter 2008 award period.
Read Sr. Lorraine's vocation story.
»
On Saturday May 3rd
Matille
(pictured above in her postulant habit)
preceeded Lorraine into
the Benedictines of Mary,
Queen of Apostles.
She also received an MEFV grant
in our Winter 2008 award period.
You can find out more about this new,
yet tradtional,
monastic community
at their website.