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1) A seminarian, cooperating with God’s grace, is the
person primarily responsible for his formation. He fulfills
this role under the guidance of the rector and the seminary
faculty in accordance with this rule of life.
2) In his first year of formation, a seminarian will
develop his own personalized expression of the Seminary’s
“rule of life” that will help him integrate his formation
and create a balance in prayer, study, work, exercise,
recreation, rest, and time for community. Each year this
personal rule of life will be reevaluated by the seminarian
and shared with his spiritual director, and changes will be
made as needed.
3) A seminarian commits to interiorizing and
assimilating the four pillars of formation and to growing in
self-knowledge, self-discipline, the virtuous life, and the
ability to relate to others.
4) A seminarian commits to understanding, practicing,
and integrating the counsels of chaste “celibacy for the
sake of the kingdom,” simplicity of life and obedience.
5) A seminarian commits to cultivating holy, healthy,
and appropriate relationships, establishing appropriate
personal and social boundaries, and demonstrating affective
maturity and the capacity to lead a life of chaste celibacy.
6) A seminarian commits to attending required
functions and accounting for missing them. He commits to
addressing formation failures with the appropriate
authorities and to responding openly to formators.
IV. Rules for
Spiritual Formation
1)
A seminarian commits to attending Mass every day.
2)
A seminarian commits to praying the Liturgy of the
Hours daily and to making progress in this “prayer
for the Church” as he moves forward in formation. Upon
entering seminary, he commits to praying at least morning
and evening prayer daily; he also commits to praying these
with the seminary community whenever the community gathers
for morning or evening prayer. The seminarian commits to
praying the five prescribed “hours” of the Liturgy of the
Hours each day by the end of Second Theology.
3)
Upon entering seminary, a seminarian commits to at
least thirty minutes of personal prayer daily and to
making progress in personal prayer as he moves forward in
formation. After two years in seminary, he commits
to at least one hour of personal prayer daily. A
seminarian’s personal prayer includes time for quiet
reflection and time for meditation on the scriptures. He
also is committed to the devotional prayer of the Church,
including Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the Rosary.
4)
A seminarian commits to at least three hours of
spiritual reading each week over and above assigned readings
for class.
5)
A seminarian commits to regular spiritual direction
and to receiving the sacrament of reconciliation at least
once a month. In the first two months of spiritual
direction with a new spiritual director, the seminarian
commits to meeting with his director every two weeks.
Subsequently, he commits to meeting with his director at
least once a month, but preferably every three weeks.
6)
A seminarian commits to ongoing fasting or
self-denial and works of mercy as a way of growing
spiritually and making progress in the counsels of
obedience, celibate chastity, and simplicity of life.
7)
A seminarian commits to making a yearly retreat and
to attending all spiritual conferences and days of
reflection and recollection offered by the seminary.
V. Rules for
Intellectual Formation
1)
In order to inculcate a spirit of studiousness, a
seminarian commits to studying at least three hours every
day.
2)
In order to foster a love for truth, a seminarian
commits to reading at least one chapter from a scholarly
book or one scholarly article every week in addition to any
other required reading assignments.
3)
A seminarian commits to reading resources which
emphasize a Catholic point of view on current issues and
cultural topics in the areas of politics, the arts, science,
and other fields of study.
4)
A seminarian commits to becoming conversant with the
classics of Catholic theology and to reading such authors as
St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and other recognized
doctors of the Church.
5)
A seminarian will assimilate what he has learned so
as to try to become an eloquent communicator of the Catholic
faith. He will seek out conversations about substantial
matters so as develop the facility of clear and cogent
argumentation.
6)
A seminarian will strive to read doctrinal and
disciplinary documents from the Holy Father, and from Curial
and Episcopal authorities.
7)
A seminarian will look for opportunities to witness
to and teach about the Catholic faith.
VI. Rules for
Pastoral Formation
1) Upon beginning formation, a seminarian commits to
service and charity within the seminary community and to
recognizing the pastoral nature of all aspects of seminary
life and formation. As formation continues, he commits to
broadening his pastoral focus to include the external
community.
2) A seminarian commits to taking personal
responsibility for his liturgical training and development.
He will work to integrate into his formation the growing
responsibilities that come from being instituted to the
ministries of reader and acolyte, admitted to candidacy for
Holy Orders, and ordained to the diaconate. By Third
Theology, a seminarian is to be prepared for a leadership
role in Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, Exposition of the
Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary and other devotional prayers.
3) Throughout his pastoral training and field work, a
seminarian commits to striving to become more like Jesus,
the “True Shepherd,” who teaches, sanctifies, governs, and
leads.
4) Throughout his
pastoral training and field work, a seminarian commits to
growing in understanding the sacramental dimension of
priesthood, developing the heart of a missionary, developing
effective public ministry skills and cultural sensitivity
skills, and learning how to work with the ecumenical and
interfaith communities.
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