By Rev. Fr. Dr. Prosper Abotsi
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This article examines how the Seminary raises young men of taste and brilliance for the world through a formation process that aims at preparing them for the Ministerial Priesthood by giving them a specific form.
We shall look at the Seminary as a Nursery and the relevant programmes put in place to ultimately achieve its objective. The investigation will necessarily include the contribution of communities outside the walls of the Seminary. Our exposition will be brought to an end by a conclusion.
The Seminary as Nursery
The English word Seminary is a derivation from the Latin word semen which means seed or seedling. Thus, it has the metaphorical reference to a nursery where young men are trained and prepared for the specifically ministerial Priestly life. It constitutes seedbed for Seminarians (seedlings) who think they have heard the call to share in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, the High Priest. These seminarians are convinced that they have the seed of the vocation to be Catholic Priests, but the Church has to nurse them.
Classified under “The Sacraments at the Service of Communion and Mission” (Compendium,n. 321 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church), Ordination to the Priesthood provides Pastors of the souls of the faithful.
As the environment where such future leaders are nursed, the Seminary has the responsibility and commitment to nurturing and nourishing the seeds of this vocation.
The Seminary offers opportunity and necessary conditions for turning out cultured, spirit-filled, virtuous, and pleasant personalities who become assets for the Church.
Four principal areas constitute the supporting pillars for the campus nursing process of the Priestly Vocational seedlings (seminarians), namely: spiritual, academic, human and pastoral.
The spiritual form involves nourishment from liturgical participations including the daily Holy Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, devotions like the cult of Mary, the Sacred Heart, the Ways of the Cross. Others have group devotions to Saint Anthony, Legion of Mary, Charismatic Renewal. Furthermore, we start an academic year with a retreat, do a day Recollection for Advent, Lent and Pentecost and do daily meditation prior to the Holy Mass and spiritual Reading before the Evening Prayers.
Each Seminarian also has a Spiritual Director of his choice for periodic consultations, while the Seminary has a Spiritual Director who oversees its spiritual life, and teaches courses in Spirituality to all levels of the seminarians. Still about details within the spiritual pillar for the nourishment of Seminarians, a sizeable spiritual Library is devoted to a good collection of books and other relevant documents on spirituality.
The academic endeavour, ranges from courses in Spirituality, Philosophy, Liturgy, through the Scriptures, Sociology, Psychology, Communication, to Computer and Languages including English, Greek and Latin. Aware that to fear God is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding (cf. Job 28, 28), the height, the depth and breadth of the academic pursuit are measured by the form which the Church accepts for her priests.
Academic Seminarians who will have the heart of Christ, whose life is tasteful to people like salt and is light for those in the shadow of sin and death.
To be continued
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