Encyclical From Moran Mor Dr. Samuel Theophilus Metropolitan

To My Beloved Shepherds and all the Faithful of the Holy Church

Grace, mercy and peace be with you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ +. Amen.

Christ is Risen!

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news” – Isa. 52:7 [also see
Romans 10:15, St. Luke 10:2 and St Matthew 9:38]

This Sunday, we are blessed to celebrate Seminary Sunday. Our seminaries are a precious gift entrusted
to us by God. Seminaries are places of formation—where selected young brothers and sisters, are
trained to serve God by serving the Church and, through it, the community at large.

Our First Metropolitan, Athanasius Yohan I of blessed memory, used to say: “Seminaries are like the
heart which pumps blood to every part of the body. If the heart stops, even if the brain is perfect, it
will not be of much use much longer. Eventually, it too will die. All organs will perish unless the heart
continues to pump life.” How true this is for the Holy Church. If we desire our Church to remain
living, vibrant, and fruitful, we must preserve and strengthen the heart—our seminaries.

The word “seminary” comes from the Latin seminarium, meaning “seedbed.” Just as a seedbed
is where plants are nurtured to maturity, our seminaries are where those called by God are nurtured
to become the future leaders of our Church and of society at large. Here, they are shaped through
the spiritual disciplines of prayer and fasting, simplicity, and chastity, so that they may help build
harmonious and peace-loving communities. It is here that they learn more about serving God by
hearing and seeing experienced priests and teachers. It is also here that they are intellectually formed to effectively communicate, defend, and teach the Holy Faith of the Church.

This Sunday, I urge every parish and diocese to:

1. Pray earnestly for all our seminarians—those currently undergoing their formation and those
preparing to join this year. Lift up their names before the Lord. Pray for their spiritual growth,
good health, encouragement, and perseverance, that their lives may bear much fruit in the days to
come.

2. Pray for their teachers and mentors—men and women who sacrificially invest their lives in
the formation of these future clerics and leaders, not only through their words but also by their
example.

3. Support our seminaries financially. Let us generously come alongside them in their needs. It is
our shared responsibility as one Body. With strong seminaries, our Church will be preserved, and
our future will be strong.

4. Encourage vocations. Speak to the youth in your parishes. Encourage them to consider giving
their lives to God’s service. Let us pray even today that God will inspire many more lives in the coming days and years.
5. Pray for their parents and parishes—that both will continue to be sources of inspiration and
encouragement to their children and youth. Pray that parents will guide their children to see serving
God as the highest calling and dream of their lives.

6. Recognize your own parish’s seminarians. If your parish has sent brothers or sisters for
formation this year, please share their names and photos within the congregation and encourage
the faithful to support and pray for them fervently.

Dear brothers and sisters, remember: our seminaries are the heart of the Holy Church. Let us do
everything possible to keep that heart strong and healthy. Through our love, prayers, and support, may
we raise up the next generation of holy servants—servants of God and of all humanity.

May the +Holy Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—bless and sustain our seminaries,
and through the intercessions of the Holy Theotokos and all the Saints, may we be strengthened in this
sacred mission, now and always. +Amen.

With paternal love and prayers,

Moran Mor Samuel Theophilus Metropolitan

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