By Father Norman Carroll
Vocations director
Following the 2016 Vatican document: Ratio Fundamentalis Institutiones Sacerdotalis and the formulation of the sixth edition of the Program for Priestly Formation (PPF6) here in the United States, seminaries in the U.S. have begun programs for the Propae-deutic Stage.
PPF6 uses the terminology of “stages” of formation rather than dynamics or pillars as used previously. The idea here is that formation, with a focus on an individual seminarian, should be flexible assessing the candidate’s readiness for advancement over a “class” model.
The other stages of formation are: Discipleship, Configuration and Vocational Synthesis.
Our diocese also has had a Pastoral Year that will stay in place. We have a college seminarian who has begun this program this year and college and graduate applicants for this fall will be required to enter into this stage as their beginning of formation.
The Propaedeutic Stage is always the first stage of formation and the first time a man is considered a seminarian. Since this stage is always the beginning it will not affect our current seminarians. The Propaedeutic Stage must always be lived in community with a team of priest formators. This stage can be housed in the same building as other stages of seminary formation, provided it is a distinct community with its own living area, formators, horarium (daily schedule), scope and sequence.
Our diocese will be sending men to St. John Paull II College Seminary in Washington D.C. where this beginning stage has begun to be modeled into the freshman year at the seminary and Catholic University of America.
Men with a college degree will attend the Propaedeutic program sponsored by the Society of St. Sulpice (Sulpicians) in Baltimore. This society of diocesan priests also staffs the seminary our men attend. Oblate and former pastor of Immaculate Conception in Elkton, Md., Father Jim Yeakel is the associate director.
The Propaedeutic Stage is introductory in nature, but also intensive through its focus on significant times of growth in prayer, trust, and fraternity. This stage should last at least 12 consecutive months. These months should maintain their own specific character and allow the seminarian to lay a foundation for a new way of life centered in Christ and in communion with his local Church through involvement in parish settings and in charitable works.
Because of the 12-month requirement, the first year will begin earlier in the summer and continue further into the next summer. In many ways this new stage is the result of young adult men presenting themselves around the world with new found or rediscovered faith and some lapse in practice of their faith.
While full of vigor for their vocation and sense of call, the church has the responsibility to help them respond and begin formation with a good foundation especially in the human and spiritual dimensions.
“The fundamental idea is that seminaries should form missionary disciples who are ‘in love’ with the Master, shepherds with the smell of the sheep who live in their midst to bring the mercy of God to them,” according to No. 3 Introduction of the Ratio Fundamentalis.
Father Norman Carroll is pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Bear and director of the Office of Priestly and Religious Vocations for the Diocese of Wilmington.
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