 |
 |
        |
 |
FORMATION OVERVIEW
Seminary formation and academic preparation for priesthood generally takes four to six years depending on your familiarity and knowledge of the Catholic faith and your academic background in the study of theology and philosophy. Many arch/dioceses also require that seminarians spend a year in parish work in their respective arch/dioceses as part of the formation experience and as a requirement of ordination. The formation program at Theological College carefully follows the norms of the newly revised fifth edition of the Program of Priestly Formation. The Formation Experience at TC The best introduction to the formation program at Theological College lies in a reflection on the sacrament of orders and its meaning for priestly formation. By that sacrament men are specially configured to Christ, head and pastor of the Church, and empowered to act in the name of the whole people of God. Conferr-ing a spiritual and indelible mark, the sacrament of orders creates a permanent and irrevocable link to Christ and to the Church. These relationships to Christ and the Church charge a priest to preach the Gospel, to sanctify the people of God and to lead them on right paths in imitation of Christ who came as prophet, priest and shepherd for the salvation of all people. The sacrament of orders confers on a priest an identity and a mission which call for a special way of life, involving celibacy, simplicity of life, obedience, prayer and pastoral service. The goal of the seminary is to provide a man with the human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation for the reception of the sacrament of orders and the means to meet the expectations attached to the priestly office. The seminary should also equip him with a secure foundation for on-going education and continuing personal and spiritual growth after ordination. The formation program of Theological College is grounded in the documents of the Church which govern priestly formation, in particular the Fifth edition of the Program of Priestly Formation, with its emphasis on the four pillars of human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation, and the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis. In addition, since Theological College is under the direction of the priests of the Society of St. Sulpice, the seminary program is also enlivened by the spirituality of the Society and the French School. THE SULPICIAN TRADITION The formation program of Theological College is guided by the principles and ethos of the Sulpician Fathers as articulated by Father Jean-Jacques Oliér, founder of the Society of St. Sulpice: “to live supremely for God in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (vivere summe Deo in Christo Jesu), so much so that the inner life of his only Son should penetrate to the in- most depths of our heart and to such an extent that everyone should be able to say …‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Sulpician spirituality is rooted in the 17th century French school and is integral to priestly formation at Theological College. The approach gives special emphasis and recognition to the importance of mental prayer and spiritual direction. Particular devotion to Our Lady under the title Sedes Sapientiae, Mary, Seat of Wisdom, is another distinctive characteristic of the formation experience at Theological College. |
|