Program of Priestly Formation in the United States of America, Sixth Edition

Book excerpt: Local norms for structuring seminarian formation and teaching the next generation of priests Seminarians are the future of the priesthood. During these formative years, they learn what it means to conform their hearts to the service of the Church and develop the charity, faithfulness, and compassion they will need to minister to their future parishioners. The Program of Priestly Formation guides those who teach seminarians with advice on forming compassionate spiritual fathers who will serve their parishioners well. It also outlines the structural elements of seminary formation and the various people responsible for accompanying a seminarian through his formation. The Program of Priestly Formation: Begins with an introduction to priestly formation, outlining its foundations in community and its missionary spirit Explores the theological foundations of the ministerial priesthood and the Church’s role in promoting priestly vocations Outlines the process of admission into a formation program and local norms for how seminarians are evaluated throughout their education Organizes guidance around the four dimensions of formation–human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral–and how to incorporate these at each stage of seminary formation The Program of Priestly Formation is intended for bishops, priests, seminary rectors, seminary faculties, formators, and all who minister to seminarians as they fulfill this high call to form missionary disciples and lay the foundation for a lifetime of priestly formation. This new edition of the Program features: A newly designed cover with beautiful sacred art Colored tabs with paragraph numbers at the top of each page for easy navigation Carefully designed pages to make each page readable, organized, and inviting A document summary explaining the intended audience, the document’s origin, and the purpose it seeks to serve within the mission of the Church The official text of this work written by the USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations This edition is part of The USCCB Collection from Ascension, which features official documents from the United States bishops previously published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).