When first-year seminarians Augustine Jirak and Samuel Deloney walked into a bustling St. Joseph’s House of Formation on move-in day, they joined 23 other men discerning God’s call. Together, they form the largest seminarian class in Newman University’s history.
Of the 25 seminarians enrolled this fall, 13 are first-year students and 12 are transfers. This also marks what is likely one of the highest seminary enrollments in the country among institutions that combine seminary education with a full university experience.
The record-setting seminarian class comes as Newman also celebrates broader enrollment growth across campus. The university reported an impressive 32% year-over-year increase and the second-largest new undergraduate class in its history. Two feeder schools, Bishop Carroll Catholic High School and Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School, also enrolled a record-breaking 41 students at Newman this fall.
How it happened
In June 2025, the Catholic Diocese of Wichita was recognized as a “standout model for seminary formation in the U.S., recognized for its effective approach that attracts many vocations” during the international gathering “Joyful Priests — I Have Called You Friends” with Pope Leo XIV. For years, Newman has played an important role in this preparation by educating seminarians before they enter major seminary, where they receive graduate-level academic instruction, spiritual and pastoral formation.
In partnership with St. Joseph’s House of Formation, Newman’s School of Catholic Studies provides formation in a one-of-a-kind university environment — all while emphasizing the development of the whole person.
“This model reflects our joyful Catholic mission and the thriving vocations culture of the Diocese of Wichita,” said Michael Probus, vice president for enrollment management. He attributes Newman’s unique approach and partnerships with the diocese in Wichita, Dodge City and Salina to the successful enrollment of so many young men discerning the priesthood.
There are currently 56 seminarians enrolled at Newman, and a pipeline of graduates entering the priesthood continues to grow. In May, three men were ordained as priests and five additional men were ordained as transitional deacons — the final step before entering the priesthood. With the fall 2025 incoming class of seminarians reaching an all-time high, Newman foresees its partnerships with the diocese continuing to expand.
“What happens here at Newman is very, very important to me and to all the people of our diocese,” the Most Rev. Bishop Carl A. Kemme said during Newman’s opening Mass of the Holy Spirit. “Here you’ll find professors who know your name, classmates who become friends and a mission that gives purpose to your effort. John Henry Newman wrote, ‘To live is to change.’ May this year shape you into what God is calling you to be.”
Meet first-year seminarian Augustine Jirak
Members of the incoming seminarian class described a lively, crowded atmosphere as they moved into the St. Joseph’s House of Formation off campus on Aug. 13.
For Jirak, a parishioner of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Colwich, Kansas, the size of the incoming cohort was a point of pride — and adjustment.
“There’s a lot of us, a lot of names to memorize and a lively house,” he said with a smile. “We also have very full classes with many great men growing in virtue and knowledge here at Newman.”
As the third oldest of 12 children, Jirak said communal living felt familiar.
“It wasn’t really much of a problem because, having 11 siblings, it’s been a bit chaotic over the years,” he said. “But it’s always (been) a good time, a place of prayer and career fellowship.”
Jirak’s discernment journey into the seminary was a byproduct of his environment. Growing up, he described being actively involved in his parish and the Catholic Diocese of Wichita as a whole.
“We’ve had a lot of great examples of priests,” Jirak said. “Being around that culture and having a priest in my family (Rev. John Jirak) was inspirational. Following in his footsteps and some of my former pastors’ has been really great.”
Regardless of where his discernment journey takes him, Jirak is placing his full trust in God’s plan.
“It’s all about following his will and accepting whatever he wants for me,” he added.
Meet first-year seminarian Samuel Deloney
Deloney emphasized the fullness and promising nature of the House of Formation this semester.
“At the house, there are so many different walks of life, experiences and age groups,” he said. “It is a little tough striking the balance of those relationships with many people of different backgrounds, but it’s a great challenge and helps you learn how to love people where they’re at.”
As a young altar server, Deloney — who hails from Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Fort Scott, Kansas, — was encouraged by several people to consider a future in the priesthood.
“It always kind of bothered me when people would say that because I thought they didn’t know who I was or didn’t understand me,” he explained. “So I pushed it away.”
It wasn’t until he participated in a Catholic SEEK conference as a college student at Pittsburgh State University that he took his faith to the next level.
“I taught Totus Tuus and encountered a lot of kids with very similar family dynamics that I had growing up,” Deloney said. “For the first time, I saw the priesthood as fatherhood. I knew if I went down this route, I could help people heal those family relationships by showing them the love of God.”
Deloney described his entry to Newman as “really special.”
“You can tell the professors care and are here to push you,” Deloney said. “In my freshman and sophomore years at Pittsburgh State, being a secular college, it was about just getting your degree and getting out into the world. But here you can definitely tell there’s a sense of trying to help us be formed holistically as individuals, not just intellectually, but as humans as well.”
That’s something Newman really promotes well: ‘Who are we and what is our mission to the world?’
Samuel Deloney, first-year seminarian
He hopes to grow in his faith and support fellow seminarians and they continue their education at Newman.
“One great thing about seminary is being surrounded by these men who help push you,” he added. “That’s something Newman really promotes as well: ‘Who are we and what is our mission to the world?’ So whether that is a life as a priest or a father and husband, that base of ‘how can I give of myself to others and those around me’ will be very beneficial.”
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At Newman, students grow intellectually and spiritually in its core values of Catholic identity, academic excellence, a culture of service and a global perspective.
