Vocations

The Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Guam produced 17 priests for Guam. That was the fruit of the Neocatecumenal Way. The Seminary would still be here today if Archbishop Byrnes (God rest his soul) had not removed the Deed of Restriction. The Deed of Restriction protected the Seminary from being sold in the bankruptcy case of the Archdiocese. With it gone, the Seminary was sold, and no more priests were produced for Guam. So, what happened to the many RMS priests who studied here? They were rejected by Archbishop Brynes and were told to find another diocese elsewhere. According to news report:

"The main reason for closing the seminary is that it is just not a sustainable model for the Archdiocese of Agana," he said, adding that the RMS model envisions a type and formation of priesthood that works in a place like Denver or Miami, for example, where there are millions of Catholics.

According to Jokers Wild (the highlight is mine):

The four Chamorro Seminarians met one on one with AB Byrnes and it was his decision not to ordain them under the Archdiocese of Agana because he felt the RMS was not the acceptable model of priest formation for Guam. Guam has lost these four Chamorro Seminarians to U.S. mainland Archdioceses during a time when Guam really needed younger priests to begin replacing some of the aging and sickly priests on Guam.

The Neocatechumenal Way in Guam currently has 2 Seminarians studying off-island for the priesthood, but they will be ordainef in other dioceses. Guam is experiencing a shortage of priests, especially since we have now lost 2 priests: Father Antonio "Nino" Caminiti and Pale Mike Crisostomo. So, Guam is in dire need of priests. This is where we are today.