Seminarians for Life International

A program of Human Life International

Seminarians for Life (SFLI) is a project of Human Life International (HLI) that was initiated in 1989 by Rev. Paul Marx, O.S.B. as a worldwide pro-life educational apostolate for Catholic seminarians.  Since there is no modern day moral or societal problem that can compare with the worldwide scourge of abortion - - where over 2 billion children have died from just surgical abortions globally over the past 50 years - - SFLI is responding to the overwhelming need for formation in and pastoral action for spreading the Gospel of Life in today’s world.  

Seminarians benefit from the SFLI program in many ways. HLI conducts visits to seminaries all over the globe and offers pro-life conferences and materials to educate, inform and organize seminarians to address the life issues as priests in today’s world. HLI also conducts special seminarian training institutes during the summer vacation months every year where we bring together seminarians and their faculty from many nations who learn and pray together.  Seminarians are both educated and equipped as they prepare for the priesthood.  The HLI Seminarians for Life International newsletter goes out to the world’s seminaries in six different languages.

HLI places a great emphasis on the magisterial documents of Popes Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and particularly the encyclical letters Humanae Vitae and Evangelium Vitae.  Additionally, the most important documents from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pontifical Council for the Family are discussed and distributed. This is done to re-emphasize the high priority that the Church places on the defense of innocent human life and to inspire seminarians to faithfully proclaim the Church's teaching in their priestly ministry.

Pro-life groups are now flourishing in seminaries throughout the world thanks to HLI’s Seminarians for Life International outreach.  It is a testimony to the SFLI program that many actively pro-life priests have come forth from its ranks and bring renewed zeal to the respect life work in their priestly assignments, wherever they may be.   For example, Fr. George Adimeke in Nigeria “graduated” from an HLI Summer Seminarian Institute in 2005 and now as an active pro-life priest he served as a primary host during the HLI missionary trip to his country in 2009.  Fr. Aloysius Mugisha is also an avid pro-life priest thanks to the strong HLI seminarian program in Kenya.  Fr. Aloysius enabled the launching of a new HLI affiliate in his current station in Ethiopia.