In the area of spiritual formation, our seminarians seek to grow in their relationship with Christ through prayer and contemplation.  In this relationship, they encounter the overwhelming love of God in their lives and share in His merciful compassion.

College
The College Division Spiritual Formation Program is designed to enable a seminarian to develop a Christ-centered life that is oriented to priestly commitment.  This program endeavors to integrate the seminarian’s vocational expectations with the challenge of the Gospel, the experience of community living, and the eventual spiritual requirements of the Catholic priesthood.  To achieve this goal there are four objectives:

• To help the seminarian know, love, and follow Jesus Christ more completely as a committed disciple
• To instruct the seminarian in the importance of a strong liturgical life that encourages participation and emphasizes vocational awareness within the sacramental life of worship
• To assist the seminarian in establishing a personal prayer life, fostered by group spiritual conferences and individual direction
• To acquaint the seminarian with the implications of the goal to which he aspires, so that in time he will be capable of making a lasting commitment to Christ and His Church

Seminarians make a serious effort to grow in their relationship with Jesus.  They share a life of common prayer rooted in the daily celebration of the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  They meet with a spiritual director every three to four weeks to discuss their progress in their spiritual lives.

Pre-Theology
The spiritual conferences offered in Pre-Theology I are designed to help seminarians to understand and commit to liturgical and personal prayer in their daily lives, as well as to understand the process and significance of individual spiritual direction.  The spiritual conferences offered in Pre-Theology II are designed to help seminarians develop a right understanding and practice of the devotional life of the Church  and to gain a deeper insight into the meaning and practice of  the spirituality of the diocesan priesthood.

The classes of IV College and Pre-Theology II engage in a combined retreat at the conclusion of the academic year.  This experience is held off campus and includes conferences and the opportunity for the seminarians to meet individually with the priest who conducts the retreat.  The retreat provides a setting that enables the seminarians to prayerfully reflect upon their vocational discernment at this point in their formation.

Theology
The Theology Division Spiritual Formation Program is designed to invite the seminarian to identify and establish attitudes, habits, and practices in spiritual life that will benefit him in his preparation for the Priesthood and in his ongoing formation after Ordination.  These spiritual disciplines are intended to provide a foundation that will encourage a zealous and loving priestly ministry.  The three general objectives are:

• To impart the seminarian with maturing insights and enriched spiritual values, so that he can arrive at a firm and informed conviction regarding his own priestly vocation
• To acquaint the seminarian with the implications of a conversion of mind and heart, so that in time he will be capable of making a lasting commitment of himself to Christ and His Church as a priest
• To help the seminarian to seek to follow the example of Christ, the Priest, who gave His life for the world