Priestly Formation in Seminary
The apostles spent three years close to Jesus, preparing for when they would be sent out in his name. They spent time with him, they were taught by him, and they were formed into a small community centred on him. Today the Church uses special places of formation called seminaries to prepare men for priesthood.
The purpose of the years at the seminary is to relive, in a way, the experience of the Twelve. If you are accepted for priestly formation, you are likely to be in a seminary for up to six years, (although account will be taken of your age and experience). There you will spend time in prayer, you will study, you will gain experience in various pastoral situations and you will be part of a community.
A seminary is a residential college run by the Church where students and staff (both priests and laypeople) live together in a community of faith. During his time in the seminary, each student tries to discover God's will for him, and whether Jesus is calling him to be a priest. The purpose of the formation in seminary is not simply to train someone to do priestly things, but to form the whole person and also to enable the student and his local bishop to make a mature decision as to whether priesthood is for him.
Our Seminaries
The dioceses of England and Wales have seven seminaries for preparing men for priesthood, and not all of these are in this country. During parts of the 16 th and 17 th centuries, a time of great religious and political upheaval, it was illegal to be a Catholic priest or to attend Mass. Because of this persecution, it was necessary for priestly formation to take place in other parts of Europe, and so colleges were established in places such as Valladolid (Spain), Rome and Douai. Even when it became possible to prepare men for priesthood in this country once again, some of the colleges abroad were kept and are still doing their work today, some 400 years later.
Today, we have seminaries in Rome, ( The Venerable English and Welsh College and The Beda ), in Durham ( Ushaw ), in Birmingham ( Oscott ), and in London ( Allen Hall and Wonersh ). The college at Valladolid in Spain plays a distinctive role today in preparing candidates for life in the other seminaries, perhaps by helping them to understand their faith in more depth or by helping them in academic or spiritual areas. Each of the seminaries has its own website and these are well worth visiting.
Life in seminary
Although priestly formation in the seminary is seen in its totality as a single experience, it can be broken down into the four main areas listed below:
- Liturgy and Prayer
The apostles asked Jesus to teach them to pray, and were often with him when he prayed. Anyone preparing for ministry must become above all, a man of prayer. Daily Mass is the centre of community life, and celebrating the official prayer of the Church (The Divine Office) together is an important part of each day. Prayer groups of various kinds exist in all seminaries. The student has to develop his own distinctive prayer life, and it is vital that he spends some time each day in private prayer. Every seminary organises Days of Recollection and longer Retreats during the course of each year. Each student also has a ‘spiritual director’ who helps him respond to God and to discern his vocation, as well as watching over his growing prayer life and overall spiritual development.
- Study
The apostles were taught by Jesus, and they in their turn went out to teach others. As Saint Paul put it, 'This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you' (1Corinthians 11.23) Much time is spent at the seminary studying. There are courses in the Scriptures, the Church's teaching on doctrine and morality, liturgy, Church history, Canon Law and Philosophy, as well as courses which help students to understand better the society in which they will serve. Many of these are explained on the seminaries’ websites.
The seminaries have links with universities at home or overseas. Some students may take courses which lead to a degree or certificate in theology. Courses are very flexible however, and as much account is taken as possible of the individual experience, needs and abilities of each student.
The student is preparing for a ministry of serving, teaching and preaching. He can only give straightforward instruction, counsel and advice if he has a deep well of knowledge from which to draw.
- Pastoral Experience
The apostles and the seventy-two disciples were sent out by Jesus during their three years with him (Luke 9:1-6; 10:1-10). The same happens to those preparing for the apostolic ministry today. From the beginning of their formation, students are sent out for various pastoral experiences so that they can develop pastoral skills and learn a great deal about themselves and the priestly ministry.
Pastoral experience, (which is a bit like work experience in schools), would include visiting the elderly and the sick, at home or in hospital. There would also be opportunities to spend time in primary and secondary schools, in youth groups, in prisons, and with the disabled. Parish pastoral visiting, calling from house to house and developing the vital ministry of presence of being with people, would also be available. Once or twice a year students may spend an extended period of several weeks or a month in a parish or other pastoral placements.
For many students their formation now includes a pastoral placement of about six months to a year, somewhere in the middle of their training. The student is very much like a lay pastoral assistant during this time, and it can be a very important experience for seeing whether he can cope with an eventual role as a pastoral leader in a parish.
Pastoral training in the seminary also includes work in preaching, counselling, spiritual direction and catechetics.
- Human formation
A priest is a public figure and people must have confidence in him. He must also have confidence in himself. It is important that those who will serve as priests be rounded, balanced individuals who know what their gifts, talents and weaknesses are. No one would expect someone who had just entered seminary to be good at everything. One of the opportunities that seminaries provide is space and time for growth as a person. Living in community with others helps with this. If there are particular issues that an individual needs help with (for example having the confidence to stand up to speak in front of others) then this is all part of seminary formation.
A priest also needs to commit himself to the specific demands of priesthood, including promises of celibacy and obedience. It is important for someone preparing for priesthood to spend time coming to a mature understanding of these.
A demanding experience!
The three years the apostles spent with Jesus were far from easy, and the same is true of seminary life. Jesus does not promise a cosy, comfortable life, but renouncing oneself, taking up the cross and following in his footsteps. Your time in seminary formation is as vital for you as those years spent with Jesus by the apostles themselves. How much you benefit from seminary life will depend largely on you.
You will be challenged to become even more a man of God, someone prepared to live a life of joyful and loving sacrifices, a life totally at the disposal of your Lord. You will be challenged to come to terms with celibacy, to see if you can live a celibate life with joy and fulfilment. You will be challenged to grow in faith, to deepen your understanding of you faith and to develop the pastoral skills you will need.
Seminary life is certainly a testing time, a challenging and demanding experience. Only if it is so can your formation really help to prepare you for the tremendous ministry of the priesthood. If you read a Gospel account of how the apostles were formed by Jesus, you will have some idea of what to expect in the seminary. It will of course be very different to that small band wandering round Galilee with their Master. Times are different, and there are new demands and needs. But the heart of it all is the same: Jesus forming a group of special friends to share his own ministry, and forming them in the ways of radical discipleship and total commitment to him.
Key moments in the Seminary
During his time of preparation, the student reaches various landmarks on his journey to the priesthood:
- at some stage after the initial two years, he will be accepted as a Candidate for Holy Orders . For the first time he publicly proclaims his desire to be a priest and his commitment to continue his formation. The Bishop receives him as one he hopes will persevere in his training and become a priest.
- he will receive the Ministry of Reader . Although a lay ministry, this will also remind him of his need to prepare for the priest's task of proclaiming the Gospel
- he will receive the lay Ministry of Acolyte , looking ahead to the priest's role in the Eucharist and the other sacraments.
- towards the end of his time at the seminary he will be Ordained a Deacon . He may now baptise, preach, preside at weddings and funeral, and lead the people in prayer. He commits himself to life-long celibacy and to praying the Divine Office. The new deacon will exercise his ministry either in the seminary or in a parish.