RSVP

Premise

Council, Assemblies and Squire Circles “adopt” or “sponsor” one or more seminarians or postulants and provide financial assistance and moral support.

 

Financial support

Councils and Assemblies write checks, payable to their adopted seminarians or postulants, for $500 per sponsorship. Squire Circles can write checks in $100 increments.

 

 

Refund

Councils, Assemblies and Circles complete and file Form 2863 with Supreme. Councils and Assemblies receive a $100 refund for each $500 donated. Circles receive a $20 refund for each $100 donated. NOTE: The form requires copies, front and back, of the cancelled check(s), and must be submitted by June 30 of the fraternal year.

 

Limits

A Council, Assembly or Circle can donate up to $2,000.00 to a single individual and receive a refund of $400.00. Donations above that amount will not receive refunds.

 

Who is Eligible?

In short, any seminarian in formation for the priesthood. Any man or woman who is a novice or postulant in a religious order or community. Supreme also offers the ability to sponsor military chaplains.

 

Who is Not?

Ordained priests or other religious seeking assistance for continuing education. Religious brothers who are not in formation for the priesthood. Candidates for the permanent diaconate.

 

Selecting a Seminarian

 

Each year (typically late August/early September) we circulate a list of the Diocesan seminarians for that fraternal/academic year. The list includes information concerning prior sponsors for seminarians, and also includes other seminarians, prior military chaplain sponsorships, and postulants.

Councils, Assemblies and Circles are encouraged to renew/continue sponsorships from year to year.

Generally, Councils, Assemblies and Circles are free to select the seminarians they would like to sponsor, with one large caveat.

The Diocese has asked that we work to spread sponsorships around, with a Diocesan goal of three (3) sponsorships for each Diocesan seminarian. As the fraternal year progresses, Councils, Assemblies and Circles will get steered toward seminarians who have not yet gotten three sponsorships.

 

Timing

Pledging support doesn’t help a seminarian – cutting the check and delivering to the seminarian does. That’s the primary goal. The secondary goal for each fraternal year is to to get each Diocesan seminarian at least one check by September 30, and a second check by January 31.

 

Reporting

In order to track the program, and meet our Diocesan goal, it is imperative that Councils, Assemblies and Circles keep the Diocesan RSVP Chair informed of sponsorship decisions, check issuance, and Form 2863 submissions:

 

John Little
john@johnlittlelaw.com
(214) 573-2307 (Mobile)
(214) 989-4180 (Office)

 

 

How to Pay

Sponsorship checks are to be made payable to the seminarian or postulant.

For Dallas Diocesan seminarians (including those at Redemptoris Mater), checks are mailed to the Diocesan Vocations Director:

 

Fr. Zachary Webb
Director of Seminarians
3725 Blackburn Street
Dallas, Texas 75219

If your Council/Assembly/Circle is in a position to deliver a check directly to a seminarian you MUST send a copy to Father Webb’s office.

For all other seminarians or postulants, checks should be mailed to the seminarian or postulant directly.

 

 

1. This requirement is critical. Each year, we have one or more Councils pledge support in August that don’t write checks until the spring. Fr. Webb’s office, and our Diocesan RSVP chair, both attempt to track when checks are written and to whom they are written.