One of the most successful seminaries in the world is in Enugu, Nigeria. The Bigard Memorial Seminary is named after St. Jeanne Bigard, a French laywoman who founded the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle for vocations in mission countries. Presently there are close to 700 seminarians studying in this century-old seminary. This seminary saw the ordination of 4 future Cardinals, 3 future bishops, and thousands of priests, ordained not only for Nigeria, but also for Sierra Leone and Cameroon. Pope John Paul II visited this seminary in 1982. Last year Pope Francis sent a message on the centennial of its creation, encouraging those who run it to persevere in their mission, based on prayer, study, commitment and fraternity, thereby bringing more people closer to God, and training more priests. As quite a few seminaries are finding it hard to continue because of lack of vocations, Bigard Seminary sets the example for the rest of the world.
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