I'm feeling really down right now after realizing how expensive it is to become a priest.

I felt ready to begin my journey to the priesthood, but I needed to enter seminary first.

The vocational director explained that studying for a degree in seminary would cost $40,000-$50,000 a year. "Thankfully," the diocese covers half, and scholarships help with another portion, but l'd still need to take out loans to cover the rest, amounting to thousands of dollars. It feels wrong to go into debt for the Church when I would already be sacrificing everything to serve it.

I don't understand how the Church claims to have a clergy shortage yet doesn't provide sufficient financial support for those pursuing the priesthood especially those in low income families. It doesn’t help when I see that the Church is paying millions and millions of dollars to abuse lawsuits

I know the Church is facing difficult challenges right now, but neglecting the formation of future priests the very people who will sustain and drive it forward feels horrible.

Edit: added lawsuits