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Seminario Mayor de la Diócesis de Cancún Chetumal, donde se forma a futuros sacerdotes en Quintana roo

Major Seminary

Historical Overview of the Major Seminary

Santa María de Guadalupe and San Rafael Guízar y Valencia

The history of the Major Seminary of Quintana Roo is the story of a community built through faith, perseverance, and the generosity of many people committed to fostering priestly vocations in the region.

  • October 12, 2014: The first stone was blessed in the city of Rome by Pope Francis.
  • June 2, 2015: The foundation stone of the Major Seminary of Quintana Roo was placed and blessed.
  • August 2, 2015: The Introductory Course began in Bacalar, Quintana Roo, with 10 seminarians. Father Edwin Tamayo served as prefect.
  • August 6, 2015: The Introductory Course in Bacalar was officially inaugurated and blessed.
  • August 13, 2016: The opening Eucharistic celebration of the Major Seminary of Quintana Roo was held at the Holy Cathedral Church. The formation team consisted of Father Álvaro Barrera Pinzón, Vice Rector; Father Edwin Tamayo, Prefect; Father Jorge Collí, Spiritual Director; and Father Uriel García, Director of the Introductory Course. The seminary welcomed 23 students in the Introductory Course, 13 in Philosophy, and 13 in Theology.
  • October 24, 2016: The facilities of the Major Seminary of Quintana Roo were officially inaugurated and blessed.
  • August 20, 2017: The Introductory Course began in Leona Vicario.
  • October 1–31, 2017: The relics of Saint Rafael Guízar y Valencia visited the region.
  • October 24, 2017: The foundation stone of the chapel of the Major Seminary of Quintana Roo was blessed and placed.
  • January 29–31, 2018: Bishop Pedro Pablo Elizondo, L.C., made his first canonical visitation to the Major Seminary of Quintana Roo.
  • May 2018: Construction began on the Philosophy building.
  • August 2018: The Discipleship Stage began in the newly constructed Philosophy building.
  • September 2018: The articles of incorporation of the nonprofit organization Fundación Ayudar were signed.
  • October 24, 2018: The chapel of the Major Seminary was officially inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
  • April 4–6, 2019: Bishop Pedro Pablo Elizondo, L.C., made his second canonical visitation to the Major Seminary.

Stages of Seminary Formation

Minor Seminary

The Minor Seminary is an educational ecclesial community dedicated to the Christian formation of adolescents and young people who show signs of a vocation to the ministerial priesthood. Its purpose is to provide human, spiritual, intellectual, and apostolic formation through a process of accompaniment and vocational discernment, enabling them to respond to God’s call through a free, conscious, responsible, and joyful decision (cf. Mt 19:16–22; CIC, can. 234 §1; RFIS 11; DP 869–870; PDV 63; DA 322).

Introductory Course

Before beginning ecclesiastical studies, candidates are expected to complete an Introductory Course lasting at least one year. Admission is reserved for those who have previously undergone a process of vocational accompaniment, discernment, formation, and selection (cf. OT 14; EN 48; PDV 62). When necessary, this propaedeutic stage may also provide an opportunity to strengthen the candidates’ academic and cultural preparation.

The objectives of the Introductory Course are to provide candidates for the ministerial priesthood with an intensive human and spiritual formation centered on the mystery of Christ and the Church; to deepen vocational discernment through community life that brings together candidates from diverse backgrounds; to begin pastoral formation and develop an understanding of the local Church; and to acquire an overall understanding of the objectives and content of the entire process of priestly formation (cf. OT 14; PDV 62).

Major Seminary

The Major Seminary is an educational community animated and guided by the Bishop, where candidates for the priesthood, as disciples and missionaries of Jesus Christ, relive within the Church the formative experience of the apostolic community gathered around the Lord (cf. Mk 3:13–15).

This ecclesial experience seeks to provide seminarians with a specifically priestly formation directed toward configuration with Christ the Good Shepherd (cf. OT 4; RFIS 20; PDV 60; CS, Introduction; DA 316).

Support the Major Seminary

Those who wish to support the Major Seminary through a donation may do so using the following account:

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