Formation
Integrated Community Formation
Community as the Basis of Formation
Life in community is the context of all priestly formation at Bishop White Seminary. In contrast to today’s society, in which isolation is the norm, we have deliberately established community as the organizing principle for all personal growth that follows. When men are in healthy relationships–with themselves, fellow seminarians, and those they serve–they steadily grow in self-knowledge and self-giving.
The seminary culture–especially common prayer, meals, shared work, and recreation– promotes unity, friendship, and a healthy esprit de coeur among men from different backgrounds. The result is a supportive, family-like atmosphere in which men have the freedom to work on all other aspects of formation. Even then, the men work on formation together, not as individuals, but as a small “civilization of love.”
In particular, the men join together for Miserando, our unique service program in collaboration with the Missionaries of Charity. This helps to cement a real spiritual camaraderie–that we are brothers together on mission for Christ.
Human Formation
Men who are Bridges to Christ
“The human personality of the priest is to be a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ the Redeemer of the human race. As the humanity of the Word made flesh was the instrumentum salutis, so the humanity of the priest is instrumental in mediating the redemptive gifts of Christ to people today.”
~Program of Priestly Formation, 75
Bishop White forms men who not only have a strong faith, but who have a strong character–who understand how to interact as normal, healthy, responsible adults. Since grace builds upon nature, the human formation program is designed to help a man develop the virtue and discipline to cheerfully embrace a life of chaste celibacy, simplicity of life, and obedience.
In addition to close observation and paternal correction by formators, we also have an on-staff counselor who meets with each man regularly. The counselor also runs small “process groups” to facilitate conversations about difficult circumstances in the past or present.
Practically speaking, seminarians attend etiquette classes, are assigned house jobs, take turns cooking and cleaning, do yard work, and are generally expected to actively contribute to the life of the seminary. In this way, men are taught the values of service and self-sacrifice that are essential characteristics for parish priests.
Spiritual Formation
“The basic principle of spiritual formation is…to live in intimate and unceasing union with God the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. This is the foundational call to discipleship and conversion of heart. Those who aspire to be sent on mission, as the apostles were, must first acquire the listening and learning heart of disciples.”
~PPF, 107
Abiding in the Heart of Christ
Spiritual formation at Bishop White Seminary is focused on helping men to encounter the heart of Christ, and thus develop a spiritual foundation for a lifetime of priestly ministry. This balance includes daily private prayer, daily Mass, and regular confession.
We find that most men are already practicing devotional prayer and adapt quickly to liturgical prayer, but they are much less familiar with mental prayer. Thus with the help of the faculty, especially his spiritual director, seminarians are introduced to the rich tradition of the Church and learn the methods of lectio divina, meditation, and the daily examen.
Pastoral Formation
The pastoral formation program at Bishop White Seminary is designed to help seminarians acquire the personal integration of human, spiritual, and intellectual formation necessary for the effective exercise of pastoral charity. The purpose of pastoral formation at the college level is discernment, as well as to help develop the virtue of zeal, or “the ardent desire to bring all people closer to the Lord” (PPF, 239).
It is remote preparation for ministry, not proximate preparation. The goal is not to impart specific skills to a seminarian which he may use in ministry. Rather, the purpose is to help each seminarian develop the heart of a pastor by accompanying him to various aspects of ministry and guiding him in a profound theological reflection on that ministry.
By the time a seminarian moves on to theology studies, he will have experienced pastoral ministry in three basic areas which comprise priestly activity: liturgy, catechesis, and works of mercy. During later theological studies, pastoral formation will introduce the seminarian into progressively more diverse situations, requiring a greater degree of pastoral skill, theological reflection, and personal integration.
The seminarian needs to understand that the proclamation of God’s Word is the first task of the priest (Presbyterorum ordinis, 4). Bringing God’s Word through preaching and teaching requires that the seminarian “couple the deepest convictions of faith with the development of his communication skills so that God’s Word may be effectively expressed” (PPF, 239).
Intellectual Formation
“‘For the salvation of their brothers and sisters, they should seek an ever deeper knowledge of the divine mysteries.’ Disciples are learners. The first task of intellectual formation is to acquire a personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the fullness and completion of God’s revelation and the one Teacher.”
~PPF, 137
At Bishop White, we strongly believe in the value of academic rigor, but always balanced by the overall goals of seminary formation. Rather than fall into the “STEM mentality” of learning only as a means of achievement, we seek to instill a sense of curiosity, wonder, and awe. We help men to enter the conversation with our tradition–especially as a gateway to worship.
The goal of intellectual formation is to deepen the seminarian’s understanding of the world and of the Faith, thus drawing him closer to the mysteries of God, while at the same time equipping him to credibly proclaim the Gospel of Christ to people in today’s society.
Our intellectual tradition, while rigorous by any standard, is imbued with a healthy awareness of the pastoral goals it serves (cf., Pastores dabo vobis #55). We train our men to be good parish priests striving for holiness each day.