Tapping at heaven's door

Seminarian keeps a foot in the dance world

Seminarians at the Pontifical North America College kneel before being installed as acolytes in Rome March 4.

David Rider still does the occasional barrel roll, but now he usually does it wearing a Roman collar. He's kept his tap shoes since entering the seminary, but his goal has changed dramatically. "I just want to be a normal parish priest" who just wants to "celebrate the Mass devoutly, hear confessions, baptize babies, and bring God to people in their suffering and their joy," the seminarian said.

Vatican statistics show a continuing rise in the number of candidates for the priesthood worldwide. The data: a 4 per cent increase in 2005-2010, going from 114,439 seminarians to 118,990 candidates for the priesthood, are clearly illustrated in the bustling halls of Rider's seminary, the Pontifical North American College, where the current enrolment is 247 seminarians.

For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.