The Seminarian Support component of the “Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante” campaign is particularly exciting to me because it directly affects the men who will serve as our future priests.
When a man goes to seminary, he enters an environment which will aid his discernment of priesthood and his preparation for it through four areas of formation: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral.
Human formation consists in the development of wholesome habits and skills that make the seminarian into what St. John Paul II described as “a bridge […] for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ.”
Spiritual formation assists the men in learning how to pray and see the fruits of prayer in their own lives.In their intellectual formation, candidates for priesthood take on a Liberal Arts education with specializations in philosophy and theology.
The pastoral formation functions as a synthesis of the entire work of the seminary which equips the man with the practical ability to share the fruits of his studies in the wide array of ministry settings.
Growth in these four areas of formation is fostered by priests who both model them and mentor the seminarians in the day-to-day life of the seminary community.
As Assistant Vocations Director, I am so grateful for all those who, through the “Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante” campaign, are assisting the Church in this sacred responsibility of forming future clergy.
