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Seminary Seminary Life is made up of study, prayer, liturgy, exercise, formation, apostolate work, house jobs, recreation, travel, and spiritual direction. Every morning we have Morning Prayer & Mass as a community before heading off to school at different universities across Rome. We have lunch together back at the NAC, and then are free to study, exercise, prayer, or do whatever else we might need, until Evening Prayer and dinner. The evening is a time for formation, meetings, relaxing, or other community related events. Rome offers a wide variety of opportunities for food, culture, and fine arts, so there is always something for us to do. The Formation Process is made up of two separate stages: minor and major seminary. A man must have the equivalent of a college major in philosophy at a Catholic college or university, in order to enter the major seminary. Most men will either attend a four-year college seminary while earning their philosophy degree, or, if they have already earned a degree in another field, enter a pre-theology program for two years to take the philosophy courses needed to enter major seminary. Major seminary is a Master's level theological program, four years in length, and consists of regular theological coursework, as well as, classes particularly designed for priest formation. There are two cycles of theological study in the Roman major seminary formation process: 1st cycle Baccalaureate of Theology (3 years), and 2nd cycle Licentiate or Masters Degree (1-2 years). Men who have completed the 1st cycle are usually eligible to be ordained transitional deacons, and then to receive ordination to Priesthood at the end of the 4th year. Not everyone remains to finish the 2nd cycle License due to the great need for priests back home, but they are able to return if their respective diocese should need. ____________________ Minor/College: St. John Vianney College Seminary at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN. Major/Graduate: Pontifical North American College (The American Seminary in Rome, Italy) ____________________ Discernment Questions (For those curious about God's vocation for them) The following are a list of fourteen steps in discernment, designed by the Vocations Director of the Diocese of St. Cloud, MN. Knowing that each person has been uniquely made by God with a special vocation in mind, it is good to keep the following things in mind while asking the question, "What does God want me to do with my life?" 1. Pray Good communication is necessary in any relationship, but especially in one with God. Every vocation includes the call to prayer. 2. Study the Faith Learning is a lifelong process and so is faith-building. We need not know everything there is to know, but there are lots of things that are helpful for living a Christian life. 3. Know your options Don't allow fears to hold back a good search of all the options. The Church offers marriage, priesthood, consecrated life, brotherhood and sisterhood, as the primary vocations in the Christian way. Each one is unique in its service to the world, but each also has a variety of options therein. You may never know unless you check. 4. Affirm or eliminate options educationally Be thorough, intentional, and prayerful. Affirm the options that relate well to the person you are and who you might like to be. Eliminate those options which do not appeal to you or do not seem to fit well to your personality. 5. What brings me peace? If you are experiencing strong anxiety or tension over a particular option, then reflect on which decisions would leave you with peace of mind and heart. Peace always resides in the soul when a choice is made in union with God's will. 6. What are others saying? Don't be afraid to listen to what other people are saying. Sometimes it is easy to be blind to the personality everyone else seems to see in us. 7. Frequent reception of the sacraments Eucharist and Confession are the two best friends of vocational discernment. They keep one close to God and honest about the way he or she lives. 8. Ask the right questions to the right people Everyone has an opinion, but very few people are qualified to give a good one when it comes to God's work in us. Make sure to ask people who seem to have a good grasp of their faith, how to live it out correctly, and have done some good discernment of their own. 9. Listen to your conscience God gave us that little voice in our head for a reason. It is there to guide us by reasoning things out in a critical way. If your heart and conscience are trying to tell you something, it would be best to do it. 10. Be Generous Self-donation is a necessary part of discernment, because it forces us to look outside of our selves for the sake of God's mission. It is easy to get so caught up in our own problems/issues/lives that we may lose hope if we don't have a way to express ourselves in service for the other. 11. Live healthy relationships Discernment gets clouded when sin is in the way. Healthy relationships does not just mean romantic ones, it means all friendships need to be lived in an appropriate Christian way. 12. Get off the fence It is also very easy to remain too open about all the options that are in front of us, so that eventually the right moment could pass by and be passed up out of fear of losing another option less important. 13. Leap of Faith/use the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is waiting to be talked to. Discernment is rarely easy, and in the end God always seems to ask his faithful members to make a leap of faith instead of giving them all the answers. Be not afraid. 14. Know the Holiness of all Vocations There is no vocation (from the list above) that is better or more holy than the other. Each is a specific witness to the beauty of God's plan of Salvation of all mankind. Every person is called to a unique and personal vocation in Christ. For whatever role God has called you to do, He has included your personal fulfillment, happiness, and salvation. Whatever role that is, there is no other role which will provide you with a greater potential of holiness. Do what He wants, and all will be perfect in the end.

Seminary

Seminary Life is made up of study, prayer, liturgy, exercise, formation, apostolate work, house jobs, recreation, travel, and spiritual direction.

Every morning we have Morning Prayer & Mass as a community before heading off to school at different universities across Rome. We have lunch together back at the NAC, and then are free to study, exercise, prayer, or do whatever else we might need, until Evening Prayer and dinner. The evening is a time for formation, meetings, relaxing, or other community related events.

Rome offers a wide variety of opportunities for food, culture, and fine arts, so there is always something for us to do.

The Formation Process is made up of two separate stages: minor and major seminary.

A man must have the equivalent of a college major in philosophy at a Catholic college or university, in order to enter the major seminary. Most men will either attend a four-year college seminary while earning their philosophy degree, or, if they have already earned a degree in another field, enter a pre-theology program for two years to take the philosophy courses needed to enter major seminary.

Major seminary is a Master's level theological program, four years in length, and consists of regular theological coursework, as well as, classes particularly designed for priest formation.

There are two cycles of theological study in the Roman major seminary formation process: 1st cycle Baccalaureate of Theology (3 years), and 2nd cycle Licentiate or Masters Degree (1-2 years).

Men who have completed the 1st cycle are usually eligible to be ordained transitional deacons, and then to receive ordination to Priesthood at the end of the 4th year. Not everyone remains to finish the 2nd cycle License due to the great need for priests back home, but they are able to return if their respective diocese should need.

____________________

Minor/College: St. John Vianney College Seminary at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN.

Major/Graduate: Pontifical North American College (The American Seminary in Rome, Italy)

____________________

Discernment Questions (For those curious about God's vocation for them)

The following are a list of fourteen steps in discernment, designed by the Vocations Director of the Diocese of St. Cloud, MN.

Knowing that each person has been uniquely made by God with a special vocation in mind, it is good to keep the following things in mind while asking the question, "What does God want me to do with my life?"

1. Pray

Good communication is necessary in any relationship, but especially in one with God. Every vocation includes the call to prayer.

2. Study the Faith
Learning is a lifelong process and so is faith-building. We need not know everything there is to know, but there are lots of things that are helpful for living a Christian life.

3. Know your options
Don't allow fears to hold back a good search of all the options. The Church offers marriage, priesthood, consecrated life, brotherhood and sisterhood, as the primary vocations in the Christian way. Each one is unique in its service to the world, but each also has a variety of options therein. You may never know unless you check.

4. Affirm or eliminate options educationally
Be thorough, intentional, and prayerful. Affirm the options that relate well to the person you are and who you might like to be. Eliminate those options which do not appeal to you or do not seem to fit well to your personality.

5. What brings me peace?
If you are experiencing strong anxiety or tension over a particular option, then reflect on which decisions would leave you with peace of mind and heart. Peace always resides in the soul when a choice is made in union with God's will.

6. What are others saying?
Don't be afraid to listen to what other people are saying. Sometimes it is easy to be blind to the personality everyone else seems to see in us.

7. Frequent reception of the sacraments
Eucharist and Confession are the two best friends of vocational discernment. They keep one close to God and honest about the way he or she lives.

8. Ask the right questions to the right people
Everyone has an opinion, but very few people are qualified to give a good one when it comes to God's work in us. Make sure to ask people who seem to have a good grasp of their faith, how to live it out correctly, and have done some good discernment of their own.

9. Listen to your conscience
God gave us that little voice in our head for a reason. It is there to guide us by reasoning things out in a critical way. If your heart and conscience are trying to tell you something, it would be best to do it.

10. Be Generous
Self-donation is a necessary part of discernment, because it forces us to look outside of our selves for the sake of God's mission. It is easy to get so caught up in our own problems/issues/lives that we may lose hope if we don't have a way to express ourselves in service for the other.

11. Live healthy relationships
Discernment gets clouded when sin is in the way. Healthy relationships does not just mean romantic ones, it means all friendships need to be lived in an appropriate Christian way.

12. Get off the fence
It is also very easy to remain too open about all the options that are in front of us, so that eventually the right moment could pass by and be passed up out of fear of losing another option less important.

13. Leap of Faith/use the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is waiting to be talked to. Discernment is rarely easy, and in the end God always seems to ask his faithful members to make a leap of faith instead of giving them all the answers. Be not afraid.

14. Know the Holiness of all Vocations

There is no vocation (from the list above) that is better or more holy than the other. Each is a specific witness to the beauty of God's plan of Salvation of all mankind. Every person is called to a unique and personal vocation in Christ. For whatever role God has called you to do, He has included your personal fulfillment, happiness, and salvation. Whatever role that is, there is no other role which will provide you with a greater potential of holiness. Do what He wants, and all will be perfect in the end.