I have been researching this issue intensely as I am about to graduate from high school in California, God-willingly.
Is entering this seminary in France a feasible undertaking from the US? Does anyone know the cost? rules? daily schedule? Is this all worth dedicating your life to (putting aside the possibility of the proximity of the end for everyone)?
Another question is, is it in a cycle where it doesn't start anew until two years?
This place sounds almost idealistic, but are there any other (good?) seminaries?
I have contacted some people but would like to know if anyone knows anything I should. Facts and opinions would be greatly appreciated!
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I would like to commend you for your courage, fortitude and foresight, ca246, and the calling you perceive is not to be ignored!
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If this is something that you think you might be willing to do, my recommendation to you is that you ought to go immediately to your local public library and check out audio tapes or CDs for learning how to speak French. You should begin right away spending at least an hour a day listening to the lessons and repeating the sounds you hear.
Follow their instructions especially if they say you should use a recording device to playback your answers to their questions and prompts, OR if they say you should just LISTEN at first and start recording your own voice LATER. Whatever they say, do it. Obedience is a virtue and indispensable in a seminary.
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If you can find them, get recordings of Catholic prayers, and
start praying the Rosary in French. You might actually
enjoy it!
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You ought to get started ASAP because if you go to France to attend seminary, you are going to have to learn to speak French, no two ways about it. I have a friend who did this and he said the hardest part was taking Moral Theology in French.
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I gave him a lot of moral support (no pun intended) which helped his confidence, and later he thanked me for that.
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Some might tell you it's possible to just stick with English but let's face it. You're going to be learning and using Latin, anyway (traditional Catholic liturgy), and guess what? French is closer to Latin than English is! So you can kill two birds with one stone. Plus, I can assure you that you will encounter FAR MORE appreciation and friendliness and respect from others if you prove to them you are willing and able to make your best effort. Little tip from the trenches -- in Paris, especially, locals look down their noses at people who try to speak French with an English accent -- but it gets worse than that -- a lot of Parisians look down their noses at
Frenchmen who speak French with a
RURAL FRENCH ACCENT, that is, making it known they're not from Paris! The point is, the speaking of French will be a real eye-opener for you. You had better get started right away!
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French is a very strange thing for Americans to do, but with practice you can actually master it. You might find yourself able to awaken those vocal muscles that we don't use at all, to become very good at getting rid of your American/English accent. One trick for that is for you to start imitating THEM when they speak English -- if you can learn to speak English with a French accent, you will be helping yourself to learn French with a French accent!
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Some claim to be able to acquire a foreign language in a few months but if I were you I would estimate you ought to give yourself at least a year of intense study. If you can do better, great, but get started immediately!