Priestly Formation Research Articles

Cleveland Makes Old Things New: Changes to Priestly Formation and Ministry Preparation, 1953–2020

Abstract: In 1953, Archbishop Edward F. Hoban established Borromeo Seminary, which allowed the Diocese of Cleveland to control all facets of its priestly formation program. Students would move from Borromeo to Saint Mary Seminary and on to ordination. At the height of their enrollment, the seminaries were educating more students than there were priests ministering in the diocese. However, declining numbers through the 1970s and 1980s forced the diocese to reconsider the costs and benefit of maintaining two campuses. When Bishop Anthony Pilla contracted a consulting firm to conduct a feasibility study, the firm recommended closure of both facilities and moving the entire priestly formation program to Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. Although this proposal was rejected, it forced the Presbyteral Council of the diocese to determine how to keep both programs at home. The result was a new model for ministry training that was more resilient and responsive to the needs of the local church.

Health communication in times of crises: Catholic Priests’ perspectives on Anointing of the Sick

ABSTRACT The present study examined the Anointing of the Sick (AOS), one of the Roman Catholic Church’s sacraments, administered when individuals are in poor health, facing a major medical procedure, and/or facing death. As recovery is unknown at the time tie of AOS, we studied AOS as a final conversation (FC; Keeley, 2004, 2007, Keeley & Generous, 2017). Based on surveys from US Priests, primarily located in the Northeast, we identified the FC topics discussed between Priests, families, and the sick/dying during AOS. Findings underscore the significance of studying EOL communication in the Catholic Church and its applicability in Priestly formation. This work informs Keeley’s FC theme of messages of religious faith/spiritual beliefs.

Thomas Aquinas and Priestly Formation: From His Life to Vatican II

Abstract: This article outlines the relationship between Aquinas's thought and priestly formation, beginning in the thirteenth century and ending with the twentieth-century Magisterium. In relation to the other articles in this special issue, this article is meant to serve as a kind of introduction, providing important historical context for those more specialized treatments of the relevance of Aquinas's thought for different aspects of priestly formation today. Beginning with his personal formation for the priesthood, this article examines Aquinas's role in the formation of priests during his own life, and then the subsequent role of Aquinas's thought in priestly formation before the Council of Trent, and during the post-Tridentine period until the twentieth century.

The Spiritual Formation of Priests: Lessons from St. Thomas Aquinas

Abstract: Saint Thomas Aquinas is often considered a model for the intellectual formation of future priests. His positive influence on their spiritual formation merits further consideration. This essay examines three areas of St. Thomas's teaching that prove useful for those in priestly formation: (1) the true nature of holiness as a life animated by the theological and moral virtues and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, (2) the sanctifying capacity of philosophical and theological study, and (3) the importance of the Eucharist in the lives of seminarians and priests. In each case, St. Thomas's teaching conforms to the documents of the Church's Magisterium that guide the work of priestly formation.

Thomas Aquinas in Intellectual Formation: Philosophy

Abstract: In light of the newly-published sixth edition of the Program of Priestly Formation, and other ecclesial documents, this essay offers reflections on philosophy's role in seminary formation. It discusses the value of requiring seminarians to study philosophy at all, and the value of requiring them to study St. Thomas's philosophy in particular. Philosophy prepares a priest to study theology, but it aids his pastoral ministry in ways that go well beyond this. The paper also addresses dangers involved with putting an emphasis on St. Thomas.

Thomas Aquinas in Pastoral Formation

Abstract: The thought and pedagogical methodology of St. Thomas Aquinas can and should inform priestly pastoral formation. To this end, the article begins by sketching the main elements of priestly ministry, aided by Thomas and the Second Vatican Council. It outlines modern systematic and magisterial approaches to priestly pastoral formation. For all of the surveyed sources, Jesus Christ is the model for priestly ministry and the focus for priestly formation. The article then presents how pastoral formation was a motivating force for Thomas in his writing and preaching. The author theorizes Thomistic helps for pastoral formation today. Thomas gives theological principles that are of fundamental importance for fruitful pastoral life. The most important is that all theology and pastoral practice flow from a unified, godly perspective. But Thomas's principles must be developed for pastoral practice. As such, the author proposes how theologians and seminary formators can further expand upon and implement Thomas's insights.

Teaching on Jews and Judaism in Selected US Catholic Seminaries

Interviews with the academic deans or their designees at nine leading Catholic theologates in the US disclosed that there was a serious discrepancy between the formation of Catholic priests and the aspirations of the Second Vatican Council and subsequent official ecclesial teachings on the Catholic Church’s proper relationship with Jews and Judaism. Most of the seminaries had no access to Jewish scholars and had no relationship with the local Jewish community. They also failed to provide any guidance to seminarians on the pastoral care of Catholic-Jewish couples and families, even in dioceses with large Jewish populations. The seminaries, for the most part, were not engaged in promoting Catholic-Jewish scholarship, and they appeared to have no systemic programs on antisemitism or the modern State of Israel. Most significantly, the seminaries provided no homiletic instruction to future priests on addressing the anti-Judaic content in the New Testament, especially during Lent and Holy Week.

Features of the educational process and formation of priests at the Ivano-Frankivsk Theological-Catechetical Theological Institute - Ivano-Frankivsk Theological Academy under the leadership of Bishop Sofron Mudryi

The article examines the peculiarities of the educational process and spiritual formation of seminarians - future priests of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church during the administration of Bishop Sofron Mudryi at the Ivano-Frankivsk Spiritual Seminary, the Ivano-Frankivsk Theological and Catechetical Institution, and later the Ivano-Frankivsk Theological Academy. This work highlights the important aspects of Bishop Sofron in ensuring the formation process, where he contributed to the comprehensive growth of future ministers. Also, the special efforts of the rector were analyzed, which were aimed at the high spiritual and intellectual education of seminarians following the example of European higher educational institutions. In addition, the article highlights a wide range of theological publishing activities of Sophron Mudryi, which were used by candidates for the priesthood to obtain quality theological education.

Visi Teologis dan Manajemen Pembinaan Calon Imam berdasarkan Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis

The purpose of this study is to comprehend the basic guidelines of priestly formation in which priesthood candidates purify their vocation motivation and align it with the priestly vision, which isbased on a theological vision of Christ as the High Priest. This theological vision of Christ as the High Priest is then elaborated specifically in a rule of life for the priesthood candidates. This rule of life is constructed based on six aspects of formation: personality, spirituality, community, intellectual, pastoral, and vocation. After interpreting the theological vision, the priesthood candidates are invited to develop their vocation together in a community of priesthood candidates where they are invited todevelop themselves together in various fields of skills. This is what is called managerial activity, which even in formation, the elements of management affect the lives of the priesthood candidates. Based on this, the priestly formation is based on a formation guideline contained in the Ratio FundamentalisInstitutionis Sacerdotalis formation document. The goal of priestly formation is for the candidates to realize their future identity as priests of Christ. Therefore, in order to achieve this goal, priesthood candidates engage themselves in various activities that lead to the goal of formation. In the management term, this cycle is referred to as management functions. The management function itself consists of planning, organizing, implementing, supervising, and evaluating.

Changing Stages of Priestly Formation in Seminaries

The sixth edition of The Program for Priestly Formation (PPF6) is the governing document for Catholic seminary formation. This edition, based on the Ratio Fundamentalis (2016), is a major shift in how seminary formation is being conceived. Besides the PPF6 and the Ratio, Pope John Paul II’s influential post-synodal exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis (I Will Give You Shepherds) is also examined. Focusing on the human aspects of formation, the PPF6 lays out a 7–10 year program of studies. While not downgrading the academic aspects of seminary education, the emphasis on forming a holistic, well-rounded priest configured to Christ is causing some upheaval in Catholic seminaries. This session examines the context of Catholic seminary formation, explores the foundational documents governing seminary formation, and presents two case examples of the real-world application of that discernment. The seminaries highlighted are St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver and Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in the Milwaukee area.

Towards the Altar: An In-depth Exploration of Seminarians’ Aspiration Towards Priestly Vocation

The seminary formation of Catholic aspirants to the priesthood is a complex journey that involves careful discernment of personal aspiration and motivation. Specific formation programs were designed and formulated to abet them in their vocation discernment. This study examines different motives that keep Propaedeutic seminarians in their initial formation phase. It is a case study investigating the other areas of seminary structure and personal motivation that impelled them to pursue seminary formation. The primary data for this study was obtained from the Holy Infant Seminary of the Diocese of Pagadian, a diocese in Zamboanga del Sur in the western hemisphere of Mindanao, Philippines. Employing the case study technique, the researchers conducted direct interviews with fourteen propaedeutic seminarians to evaluate and examine their motivation. The study's findings show three significant themes which help them cope with the demands of priestly formation: seminary activities or programs, strategies to nurture vocation, and personal motivation factors.

Normas básicas para la formación y promoción del clero secular. México 1540,1555 y 1585. Un aporte a la historia de la Ratio fimdamentalis institutionis sacerdotalis en Hispanoamérica Colonial

The article focuses on the beginnings of the process of formation and promotion of the Mexican clergy in the 16th century (before and after the Council of Trent). This formation and promotion were a common itinerary to all the Spanish-American dioceses of the time, each with its own peculiarities. This article deals with four of the most significant moments in this development: the clergy seminary founded in Michoacán by Bishop Vasco de Quiroga (the “Tata Vasco”) in 1540, the first center for the formation of the clergy in Spanish-America; the norms promulgated by the First Provincial Council (1555); the creation of the conciliar seminaries established by Trent (1564); and the complete assimilation of the Tridentine reform in the Third Provincial Council (1585), which assumes the new system of priestly formation. One of the innovations that produced a substantial change in the Ratio fundamentalis institutionis sacerdotalis during this period, was the change from classic scheme of individual assimilation of the formative contents through conventual and cathedral chairs or episcopal schools or attendance at universities, to the implementation of a formal, systematic and ecclesiastical education under the direct supervision of the bishop, including an organic plan of subjects in order to achieve an integral formation (humanities, theology, moral, canons, spirituality and pastoral), imparted through classes by a stable faculty in a building constructed or remodeled for this purpose.

Power versus Ministry? Recent Challenges for Priestly Formation in Responding to the Double Crisis in the Catholic Church

The author offers theological reflection on a paradigm of transforming the power of ministry proven in the beginnings of the Church: to see and serve Jesus Christ in the suffering human being. An impressive topos of this paradigm is found in the Johannine scene of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial (John 19). Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus provide interesting examples of a shift from power to ministry, which can be useful for the education and formation of future priests. Several verbs characterize the paradigm: to see, to be present, to listen, to serve, to be generous, to cooperate. The final reports from national commissions of inquiry in different countries show similar findings and propose comparable recommendations for the training of future priests. Finally, the author illustrates the implementation of some preventive measures to evaluate the suitability of candidates before entering the formation process.

Teaching Mariology in Catholic Seminaries in the USA

This article begins by explaining the importance of Mariology for Catholic theology. It provides an overview of a 2015–2016 survey of 32 Catholic seminaries in the USA on how Mariology is covered in the curriculum. It then examines documents of the Congregation for Catholic Education on the teaching of Mariology in Catholic seminaries. It also looks at what the sixth edition of the US Bishops’ Program for Priestly Formation (2022) says about Mariology and Marian devotion in seminary formation. The article discusses why some believe Mariology should be covered in Ecclesiology because of Vatican II’s choice to integrate Mariology into Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. Whether Mariology can be adequately covered in courses in Ecclesiology is then considered. The article ends with a recommendation for having Mariology taught as a required stand-alone course in all Catholic seminaries.

Use of Mobile Phones Among Prospective Pastors Helps in Carrying Out Daily Routines

Communication and information technology is experiencing rapid development. This development can be seen from the means of communication, namely mobile phones. Mobile is a portable tool because it can be used to communicate, but also to gather information and is practical to carry anywhere. Through cell phones, it is quite easy for the public to access news and information that has happened and is happening. This convenience is also experienced in the education or training of prospective priests (seminaries). The educational process for the formation of prospective priests (brothers) has had an impact or influence on the development of information technology in the world. This research is to see the use of mobile phones among prospective priests which helps in carrying out daily routines. In this study, the author will conduct interviews with 5 seminarians of St. Paul's Major Seminary, Yogyakarta. The five brothers are students currently undergoing a master's program at Santa Dharma University. The purpose of this study was to find out the use of cell phones as a means of technological progress that helps the brothers carry out their daily routines. In addition, mobile phones are also a means of gathering information related to pastoral learning and services.

Scienze nel seminario e nella formazione sacerdotale permanente – tra necessità e sfida

Our society is being increasingly dominated by science and technology. Can the Church and its ministers stand on the sidelines? Or should it be involved in the discussion and understanding of the cultural dynamics that drive contemporary society? This contribution considers some motivations to encourage the study of the sciences in the ecclesiastical field, beginning in the seminaries and the permanent formation of priests and also looks at those engaged at various levels in the pastoral field, including the laity. It shows how stereotypes about the world and about humans have created misunderstandings and schisms within society that still endure within some cultural circles. Some of the challenges are addressed, such as the need for good communication and dialogue, and we finish with a reflection on the concept of authority, to which we often turn to validate certain affirmations. The contribution does not seek to be exhaustive but to raise some questions as a stimulus for research and reflection.

Psychosexual Integration & Celibate Maturity. Handbook for Religious and Priestly Formation, red. J. Parappuly SDB, J. Kuttianimattathil SDB, Salesian Psychological Association and South Asian Formation Commision of the Salesians, Bangalore 2012, tom I-II

Psychosexual Integration & Celibate Maturity. Handbook for Religious and Priestly Formation, red. J. Parappuly SDB, J. Kuttianimattathil SDB, Salesian Psychological Association and South Asian Formation Commision of the Salesians, Bangalore 2012, tom I-II

The Priest and the Friend: Notes on Priestly Formation and on Christian Life in General

The Priest and the Friend: Notes on Priestly Formation and on Christian Life in General

Be A Good Listener- Learning from Saint Francis de Sales

The purpose of the study is to show that the spirituality of Francis de Sales in his work, “Introduction to the Devout Life” is still relevant today, especially for the formation of priests and religious candidates in Indonesia. His work was written when as the Bishop of Geneva, he was concerned for the spiritual life of the laity in his diocese because of the Protestantism movement that swept most of Europe at that time. Francis wants to tell his people that, not only in the Protestant Church, but in the Catholic Church also that holiness belongs to everyone, not only for the clergy, monks, and nuns. His book provides a practical guide for anyone who wants to develop a spiritual life. De Sales offers a new perspective that the first step to develop a spiritual life does not begin with the celebration of the sacraments and liturgies but from the human longing for God that arises from everyone's heart. This longing of God must be cultivated and nurtured, first of all, in spiritual friendship with those who are more experienced in spiritual life. In the formation, this is known in several forms such as spiritual guidance, personal assistance, or cura personalis.

Configured to Christ: On Spiritual Direction and Clergy Formation by James Keating

Reviewed by: Configured to Christ: On Spiritual Direction and Clergy Formation by James Keating Christopher R. Armstrong James Keating Configured to Christ: On Spiritual Direction and Clergy Formation Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing, 2021 314 pages. Paperback. $19.95. It has been said that, on one occasion, St. Thomas Aquinas asked St. Bonaventure about the source of his wisdom, about the books he read, by which he gained such unparalleled knowledge. St. Bonaventure pointed to the crucifix in his library. James Keating has done that for his readers in his book, Configured to Christ: On Spiritual Direction and Clergy Formation, a selection of his previously published essays. The author hopes that such selected essays will help those responsible for forming clerics to be "seized by the beauty of God" (xxvii). To that end, the essays are arranged into three parts. The first part is on the interior life of the clerics. Its paradigm and exemplar is the life and thought of St. John Henry Newman, "Theologian of Prayer" (21–47). The second part is on the formation of the cleric, the longest section with nine essays devoted to the subject. Of all of those essays, the one which is most salient is "Seminary Formation and Interior Silence," "the main task" (143) of seminary formation. In that essay, Keating unpacks the nature of interior silence, reflects on how to learn to be silent, and concludes with some practical tips for the consideration of formators. The third part addresses the pastoral mission of the cleric. One of the principal duties of a cleric is to preach. To that end, two essays worth reading and re-reading are "Contemplative Homiletics" (237–253) and "Contemplative Homiletics: Being Carried into Reality" (255–274). Those two essays emphasize the twin values of brevity in preaching and providing a space of silence in which to allow God the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of one's hearers. In short, all of the essays contemplate the beauty of God and draw from the science of the cross. Clearly, everyone engaged in seminary formation should read this book, especially in the United States in light of the Program of Priestly Formation in the United States of America, Sixth Edition, which is being implemented in seminaries across the nation. Seminarians [End Page 319] themselves could profit from reading this book as a means of understanding the responsibilities of their formators. As most seminaries are also responsible for the formation of permanent deacons, the chapter on "The Deacon: Identity and Holiness" (213–234) is noteworthy. If there be a lacuna in the selection of essays, it would be the lack of one devoted to bishops, both for their role in the formation of clerics in the diaconate and presbyterate but also for their own formation as clerics in the episcopal order. As I read the essays, I took extensive notes and recalled my own formators to whom I am most grateful in solidifying my priestly identity. These beautifully written essays are worth reading and re-reading, a real school in Divine Beauty. Christopher R. Armstrong Mount Saint Mary's Seminary & School of Theology Cincinnati, Ohio Copyright © 2022 Society for Catholic Liturgy