February 7, 2023 at 5:19 p.m.
Forming courageous priests for tomorrow
Forming courageous priests for tomorrow
Seminaries typically have, or are affiliated with, so-called theologates, where major seminarians study theology for four years. Houses of formation usually will accommodate and assist in forming aspirants to the priesthood. The men may also attend studies in philosophy there — usually at local colleges — the completion of which is a prerequisite for the theologate.
As crucial as theological knowledge is, its place in the life of the seminarian — as, eventually, the priest — is more than intellectual. It must be integrated thoroughly into the spiritual, affective and social life of the future cleric, if his preaching, teaching and sanctifying mission is to be more than repetition of what can be read and recited from a book. This is what stymied those two travelers on the road to Emmaus. They were attempting to figure out the mystery of Jesus from what they had heard, read and thought they knew — until he himself showed up in their lives and they recognized him “in the breaking of the bread.”
Of all the so-called “four pillars” of priestly formation — human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral — none is more fundamental than holistic human formation. Grace builds on nature and the ability of a man to be a holy, joyful and effective priest depends upon his level of maturity in every sense of that word.
Sadly, we have witnessed in recent decades the pain and suffering that men who were advanced to ordination, emotionally and morally unfit, inflicted on so many of their spiritual sons and daughters: father-wounds, many of them no doubt also wounded by various forms of abuse themselves. Today, those who are charged with forming and mentoring men who present as aspiring to the priesthood, are increasingly aware of the need to identify toxic patterns and the signs of emotional dissonance such as addictive behaviors, intemperance and social instability — in short, an inability to relate in a mature manner with others.
A priest must be able to accompany, guide, and collaborate with many different people, with men and women of all ages and conditions, with children, young people and vulnerable adults, all of whom look to him with trust for spiritual and moral example and support. Many men who are discerning a call to Holy Orders are themselves in need of mentoring and healing, being raised in a world with so many dysfunctional family patterns and much brokenness from a culture that does not feed many of our most essential human needs.
In my travels last week with Father Tom, I was encouraged and even surprised by the remarkable response of the venues we visited to the challenges of human formation of priestly aspirants. In each of those houses of formation, we learned of the difficult choices that had to be made during the months in which the pandemic caused many institutions to just shut down and even disengage with those in their employ or care. Not so, with St. Patrick’s in Menlo Park (California) or St. Francis de Sales in Milwaukee (Wisconsin). Faced with the difficult choice of sending their men home or keeping them at the formation centers, with due regard to safeguarding measures, they courageously chose to trust in this opportunity to form their men in the training that comes from working together.
Person after person that we spoke with gave powerful testimony of how they learned to pitch in, taking on tasks and roles normally provided by support staff. They cooked, did laundry, cleaned jakes, and got to know one another better, even as they pursued their academic studies, often online, with the resources available. What emerged, as faculty members and the men themselves testify, was a deeper sense of unity, community, fraternity and even friendship, all of which they will likely carry into their lives, whether they ultimately discern to go on to ordination.
It began to dawn on me what great work many of these seminaries and houses of formation are doing, helping young men mature and grow in virtue. Challenging them to identify their strengths and weaknesses, to see one another as brothers rather than rivals, they are forming relationships of trust and honesty, not just trying to get through, flying below the radar screen. In one meeting Father Tom and I had with a group of first-year theologians, we witnessed men speaking in the most respectful tones of their appreciation for the priests and lay people who were forming and mentoring them — and for one another. They exhibited a sense of deep trust and gratitude for being together, essentially to bring out the best in one another.
I wanted to share these experiences here to encourage everyone, not only to pray for and support vocations, but to know that there are wonderful things happening in many of our seminaries and houses of formation. As I said to one group of men in their propaedeutic year — prior to entering full seminary formation — my hope for them is that, regardless of where the Lord may ultimately lead them, they will be better men, more mature and self-aware, committed to truth and living virtuous lives, joyfully, and better than when they began.
During the Lenten season soon upon us, I would encourage all of us to take some time, in prayer and sacrifice to pray for vocations and our men in formation. Wednesdays might be a good day to observe the traditional fast, that is, abstaining from meat, except at the main meal, with two other light, meatless meals. This is entirely voluntarily, of course, but that in itself would enhance the beauty and purity of the sacrifice! I have long suspected that many men and women are being called to the priesthood and religious life. What they have often lacked is the accompaniment of mentors and formators who will walk the walk with them, challenge and encourage them, forming bonds of prayer and friendship that will also model the fraternity they will need to continue after they are ordained or consecrated.
No one is an island, and what I learned from these recent visits is that we have wonderful formation communities that we can count on. The men themselves testify to it! We can be proud of them. They deserve our full support and daily prayer to become true and holy spiritual fathers, leaders of tomorrow that the People of God are hungering for, men of virtue, faith and character.
Follow Bishop Ed on Twitter @AlbBishopEd.
250 X 250 AD
250 X 250 AD
Events
250 X 250 AD
Comments:
You must login to comment.