V8s for Vocations, Gallup, New Mexico;
The Rev. Matthew Keller started the V8s for Vocations project by restoring a donated ’72 Chevelle SS in 2014. It was raffled in 2016 to provide scholarships for seminarians to become priests for the Diocese of Gallup. The Diocese is the poorest in the United States, and creative ways to sustain the life in the Diocese are much needed.
All proceeds support the education and formation of seminarians who will return and serve in the Diocese of Gallup, the poorest in the United States. The Diocese of Gallup serves predominantly Native American and Hispanic populations across New Mexico and Arizona. Due to persistent financial difficulties, it does not own a seminary, and thus is obliged to send seminarians to another state or overseas, ensuring that future priests receive the education they deserve. This effort is a costly one, and creative projects such as the V8s for Vocations allow the Diocese to keep fostering vocations for the future of the Catholic Church.