By Father Daniel Leonard Rector of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary
I am honored to serve as the fourth rector of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary (SJV). It comes with the tremendous task of looking after the gift of the priestly vocation that God has placed in the hearts of some men. It is a mission of accompaniment to help form them in the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral dimensions. I like to say that the seminary is an essential parish in a diocese. It is a parish of parishes as we prepare future pastors. The Decree on Priestly Training of the Second Vatican Council, “Optatam Totius”, says it beautifully when it describes the seminary as “the heart of the diocese.” (n.5)
The year 2024 will mark the 25th anniversary of Saint John Vianney Seminary. SJV continues the work of St. Thomas Seminary (1907-1995), which was led by the Vincentian Order. To date, SJV has prepared over 200 priests for ordination to Holy Orders. It is a history and legacy of which we can all be proud.
In June 2022, the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published a new edition of the “Program for Priestly Formation” (PPF, 6th edition). This document guides seminaries and priestly vocation programs that form men for the ministerial priesthood. The document was released following the Holy See’s 2016 document, “Ratio Fundamentalis Institutiones Sacerdotalis.”
The goal of priestly formation remains the same: our future priests’ holiness and their gradual configuration to Christ, Head and Shepherd, Servant and Spouse. However, the PPF lays out some important new language and distinctions. Following the Holy See’s document in 2016, it speaks of four stages of formation: Propaedeutic, Discipleship, Configuration, and Vocational Synthesis.
Propaedeutic Stage
Saint John Vianney Seminary has had a “Spirituality Year” from its beginning, focusing on the formation of the seminarian’s interior life. It is good to see that this stage of formation is now mandatory for all seminaries in the U.S. Little will change at SJV since we have a program that has matured over 24 years. We have a separate building on the campus where the first-year seminarians, with their priest formators, can grow in the interior life, self-knowledge, and freedom. However, there will be some changes following the PPF, which is the particular law for the United States seminaries. These are:
The name “Spirituality Year” will change to “Propaedeutic Year” following the terminology of the Church. The word propaedeutic means introduction and comes from the Greek words “pro” (meaning “before”) and “paideuein” (meaning “to teach”). Even though it is an introductory year, it is an intensive year.
This stage will now be 12 consecutive months instead of ten. First-year seminarians will arrive in August and spend a month working with people experiencing poverty in January. After their 30-day retreat in June, they will return to their home diocese for a period of diocesan immersion.
The PPF considers it premature for seminarians at this stage to wear clerics. So, beginning in August 2024, our first-year seminarians will not wear clerical clothing. They will, however, continue to wear clerics in the other stages of formation.
Discipleship Stage
The period of formation previously known as “Pre-theology” or “Philosophy” will now be called the “Discipleship Stage”. This stage includes studies of philosophy to train the mind in the search for truth and prepare our seminarians to study theology. The new terminology emphasizes that more must happen in this stage than intellectual studies alone. The seminarian must deepen his human, spiritual, and pastoral formation. He must deepen his relationship with Christ as a disciple, coming to a greater understanding of God’s call to a lifelong commitment to celibacy. The seminarian should continue forming his character in the virtues and show missionary spirit, zeal, and closeness to the poor. At SJV the pastoral work of our seminarians at this stage will focus on the corporal works of mercy, including working in hospitals, nursing homes, homeless shelters, and jails.
Configuration Stage
The stage previously known as “Theology” or “Theology Studies” will now be named the “Configuration Stage”. As the name suggests, it is a time for the seminarian to model and identify his life with Christ, the Good Shepherd and High Priest of the New Covenant. It is a challenge for the seminarian to acquire proper priestly spirituality. During this stage, the seminarians receive the ministries of lector and acolyte that mark this self-configuration to Christ. The seminarian should have greater integration of the dimensions of formation, i.e., human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. He should show fidelity to the magisterium and pastoral leadership. In his theology studies, he should acquire “an ever-deeper knowledge of the divine mysteries” (Pastores dabo vobis, no. 51).
Vocational Synthesis Stage
The “Vocational Synthesis Stage” is not entirely new. The Code of Canon Law states: “After completing the curriculum of studies, and before being promoted to the priesthood, deacons are to spend an appropriate time, to be determined by the bishop or by the competent major superior, taking part in the pastoral ministry and exercising the diaconal order” (CIC can. 1032 §2). Transitional deacons (those destined to become priests) were usually ordained during or at the end of their third year of theology. The transitional deacons would then serve in a local parish on the weekends for their fourth year of theology. This will continue to be the case for the next three years at SJV.
However, the implementation of the Vocational Synthesis Stage will bring significant changes to our formation program. At SJV, we have modified our theological studies program this year so that this will take three and a half years instead of four. Beginning in January of 2027, transitional deacons will be ordained after they finish their theological studies. The newly ordained transitional deacon will then work at least six months at a local parish, away from the seminary. Deacons from other dioceses will return to their home diocese for this stage.
Rather than “on-the-job training,” the goals for this period include adjusting to priestly life and ministry and integrating with the local presbyterate.
Conclusion
Pope John Paul II said that seminarians are “in a very special way, the future and hope of the Church; their presence in the seminary testifies to the magnetic attraction that Christ exercises on young people’s hearts.”(Address to Roman Seminarians, 21 February, 2004).
We thank God that there are young men prepared to dedicate their lives to Christ in the priesthood. We must follow the invitation of the Gospel to constantly pray to the Lord of the harvest to send new workers to his harvest and to sustain them in their commitment.
I want to thank all our benefactors for their generous and continued support of our mission to form good priests for the future of the Church. We couldn’t fulfill this vital mission of the Church without your help!
Please pray for all our formators, faculty, and staff. Also, pray to our patron, St. John Vianney, for our seminarians, that the Holy Spirit may make them priests in the image of Christ the Good Shepherd.
To support the formation of our future priests, please visit archden.org/futurepriests.