The seminary was inaugurated on February 12, 1980. The first house of formation was located in the Parish of Saint Anne in Abranches – Curitiba, Parana. In the beginning there were 11 seminarians in the Philosophy course and Father Pedro Gielinski, CM, was the formator. It was a provisional location, because in the same year, work on the construction of the building of the future formation house began.
It was possible to complete the construction, with the support from the Region of Venezuela (Province of Colombia), sponsors and the collaboration of the Vincentian parishes. The inauguration took place on March 2, 1981. On that occasion a mass was celebrated, presided by Msgr. Ladislau Biernaski, CM († 2012) and 44 priests concelebrated. The religious, seminarians, benefactors and friends of the seminary also attended the celebration.
This year we are celebrating the Jubilee of 40 years of the Vincentian Seminary of Our Lady of Graces (Seminário Nossa Senhora das Graças), here in Orleans, Curitiba, Parana. There are many reasons to give thanks to God for all these years: the effort of each one who passed here; the dedication of the formators; all the men who were formed here, as priests, brothers or lay people active in the Christian community. We thank for the Makon Project, created by the seminarians of this house, a project that consists in bringing food, a talk, friendly presence to the people who live on the streets of Curitiba. This year the project has turned 15 years old. We thank God for everybody who helps to keep this project going, the partnerships and the 25 volunteers, who during this time of pandemic were not able and still cannot be helping physically as they did in the previous years, but who always remain in harmony. We thank the seminary partners who help us in the formation and promotion of the seminary, being a friendly and edifying presence for all of us.
Throughout 2021, the community of the Vincentian Seminary of Our Lady of Graces intends to visit all the parishes and works of the Province of Curitiba intending to get to know the different work realities, accompany peregrination of the image of Our Lady of Graces and the commemorative candle of the 40 years jubilee of the seminary.
Nowadays the seminary accommodates the philosophy course, with 8 students, and the theology course, with 6 seminarians. Father Joélcio Saibot, CM, is the the director of formation of both. Seminarians study at the Faculdade Vicentina (FAVI) – Vincentian college in Curitiba, the capital of state of Parana.
