What is Formation?

- Men for Christ, the Church, for Others
  
  Saint John Paul II outlined in his Apostolic Exhortation, Pastores Dabo Vobis, four essential areas of a seminarian’s preparation for the priestly vocation. These four dimensions of seminary life are human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation. The seminary seeks to assist men in precisely these four areas, because all four are of vital importance in forming a man to be a balanced, holy, learned, and effective priest of Jesus Christ.
  
  In addition to their classes at CUA, which include classes in philosophy, theology, and ancient languages, seminarians at Saint John Paul II Seminary live by a rule of life that assists them as they grow in virtue and the interior life. It includes daily Mass, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, regular conferences, days of recollection, apostolic work, and devotions, as well as time for study and recreation. The family atmosphere of the seminary is a school of charity and a way to grow in the human virtues that are an indispensable preparation for priestly work.
Four Dimensions of Priestly Formation
- Human
- Spiritual
- Intellectual
- Pastoral
Human
- Forming Well-Rounded Disciples
  
  The human personality of the priest is to be a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ (PDV 43). The priest is thus to be a man of solid moral character with a finely developed moral conscience, a man of prudence, discernment, and communion. He should be able to listen and communicate well. He should demonstrate respect for and vigilance over his body, relate well to others, including those of diverse backgrounds, and be a good steward of material possessions. He should be affectively mature and capable of assuming the role of a public person (see PPF 183). In a concentrated way, human formation will include the spiritual and psychological preparation for a life of healthy and joyful celibate chastity.
Spiritual
- Beloved Sons
  
  The spiritual formation of a priest begins with the foundational call to a life of discipleship and conversion of heart, so that he may live in intimate and unceasing union with God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit (cf. PDV 45). Such a life of communion with God is more than a personal or individual relationship with the Lord; it is always mediated through the Church, which is His Body. The spirituality cultivated in the seminary is therefore specifically priestly: it is a spirituality of communion rooted in the mystery of the Triune God and lived out in practical ways in the mystery of ecclesial communion. Hallmarks of a seminarian’s mature spiritual life will include a profound devotion to the Holy Eucharist and the liturgical life of the Church, a commitment to regular Confession, spiritual direction, a love for the Holy Scriptures, personal meditation and devotions, a special love for the Blessed Virgin Mary, asceticism and penance, as well as simplicity of life and obedience.
Intellectual
- Trained Minds
  
  As rational beings, the intellectual life is part of what it means to be human. Each disciple, then, must be a learner, beginning with a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ, the fullness and completion of God’s revelation and the one Teacher. Seminary intellectual formation further deepens the catechesis that is a part of every Christian’s formation, since it is destined to be shared in the community of faith, in the Church; it thus has an apostolic and missionary purpose and finality (PPF 263). The seminarian’s intellectual formation will therefore include a more systematic understanding of the mysteries of faith oriented towards priestly ministry, especially preaching. Underlying this theological formation are rigorous academic and intellectual habits that are developed prior to major seminary, as well as a broad education in the liberal arts, culture, communication skills, and especially philosophy that are presumed for the higher sciences. These are the particular focus of the propaedeutic and discipleship stages represented at St. John Paul II Seminary.
Pastoral
- Future Leaders
  
  Pastoral formation is, so to speak, the culmination of the previous three dimensions of formation, since the end of the seminary process is to form a man who is capable of standing and acting in the community in the name and person of Jesus Christ as Shepherd of the Church. The priest is to appropriate the “mind of Christ” and communicate the mysteries of faith through his human personality as a bridge, through his personal witness of discipleship rooted in his spiritual life, and through his capacity to articulate the faith which he has come to know and love (cf. PPF 368). In a manner appropriate to those not yet in major seminary, candidates for the priesthood at Saint John Paul II will receive pastoral formation aimed at effective public ministry, a personal synthesis of their formation for pastoral application, and an initiation into various pastoral experiences, especially among the poor and the elderly.
- Ecclesial Context of Formation
  
  Uniting these four dimensions of formation is the purpose and context of the seminary itself, which is to form, in the words of the Program of Priestly Formation, “not just of a well- rounded person, a prayerful person, or an experienced pastoral practitioner, but rather of one who understands his formation within the context of his call to service in the Church” (PPF 116).
  
  Preparing men to serve the Church is the core identity of Saint John Paul II Seminary. All that follows in this seminarian handbook should be read in light of this overarching, pre-eminent goal: to form holy and effective priests of Jesus Christ, as men of the Church, men prepared to embrace and advance the New Evangelization in our culture, our time, our place, and most especially of all – among our people. “To understand who he is, and therefore how he should live, the priest must understand himself in relationship with the Church. His participation in Christ’s priesthood is called ‘ministerial’ precisely for its service to the members of the Body” (PPF 28).