Those who are accustomed to praying for our seminarians on the vocations poster will notice a few small changes in next year’s poster.
No longer will the stages of seminary formation be designated as college, pre-theology, and theology.
Instead, men in formation will progress through the propaedeutic, discipleship, configuration, and vocational synthesis stages.
Admittedly, this may seem like a slight change in language, or rather, a multiplication of Church jargon.
However, these changes are meant to help us better understand the nature and purpose of seminary formation in our current cultural context.
With this understanding, perhaps we can propose an answer to the question that seminarians often receive: “Why does seminary take so long?”
A journey in discipleship
Published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in June of 2022, the sixth edition of the Program of Priestly Formation (PPF) included some significant changes to seminary formation, not least of which are the above terms for the stages of formation.
The document reflects an integral view of priestly formation, that is, formation in the priesthood is not merely an academic pursuit; rather, formation is a journey in discipleship.
This journey begins in one’s Baptism, where one “puts on Christ” (cf. Gal 3:27), and seminary is meant to intensify this journey, such that a man learns to configure his life to Christ, the Head and Shepherd.
Put simply, a man in seminary formation is learning to take on the heart of Christ, who loved us and gave his life for us (cf. Gal 2:20).
The Church knows that such a journey does not happen overnight, and thus the stages of seminary provide a gradual approach for a man in formation.
The first stage is a propaedeutic, or preparatory, year. This year is focused mostly on the human and spiritual dimensions of priestly formation.
A man in this stage will take a deliberate step away from academic studies, live in a smaller community, and grow in his knowledge of himself and the Church’s spiritual patrimony.
In our current age, the Church recognizes the need for a man to “step away” and lay a foundation for future seminary formation, given that the current culture often inhibits the virtues necessary for following Christ.
Additionally, this propaedeutic stage allows for greater discernment.
By the end of this first year, both the seminarian and the seminary will gain clarity as to whether the man is called to continue on with seminary formation or take another path of discipleship.
Continued growth
With the foundation laid in the propaedeutic stage, a man continues his growth in virtue in the discipleship stage.
This stage includes the study of philosophy and further growth in spiritual and human formation, with the goal that the seminarian develops an “intimate relationship with Christ through meditation and contemplation.”
Next, a seminarian enters the configuration stage, in which he prepares to model his life on Christ, the Head and Shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep.
The seminarian studies theology, and the configuration stage culminates in his ordination to the diaconate.
The final stage, the
vocational synthesis stage, represents a time of transition into parish life and further priestly identification.
Now ordained a deacon, the seminarian concludes his preparation for the priesthood by living and working in the parish setting so as to gradually prepare himself for the priestly responsibility of the care of souls.
After a minimum of seven to eight years, the seminarian is finally ordained a priest.
Let’s return to our original question: Why does seminary take so long? Because the priest, as St. John Paul II said, acts “in the name and person of Christ himself,” and seminary is a time of gradually learning to conform one’s life to the person the priest represents.
Fr. Jared Holzhuter is the vocations director for the Diocese of Madison.