MASTER OF DIVINITY FORMATION PROGRAM

OBJECTIVES OF THE FORMATION PROGRAM

The primary objective of the Formation Program at Mundelein Seminary is to help prepare men for parish priesthood.  The seminary seeks to develop true pastors, mature and holy men, who will live, work, and pray with the people they serve in parish ministry. To that end, we pursue the following six objectives:

I.  To deepen the INTERIOR LIFE of students preparing for the priesthood.

Tomorrow’s priests must be men of prayer, of an active intellectual life and of a sincere and heartfelt love for God’s people.  To that end, the seminary fosters growth in prayer, and a love of study, in many ways.

The Eucharist is the center of all Christian formation and the core of priestly formation.  Attendance at daily Eucharist is required for the entire student community.

The Liturgy of the Hours is the official prayer of every diocesan priest.  Students are taught the “why” and “how” of the Liturgy of the Hours and they are encouraged to make the Liturgy of the Hours their special prayer with and for the Church. Students are required to pray the Liturgical Hours in community until they go on Pastoral Quarter. The Program of Priestly Formation guides gradual practice of all the Hours; by third year of theology, all should be regularly praying all five hours.

Spiritual direction is an essential part of the Formation Program of the seminary.  It is a safe and confidential internal forum in which a man may discuss his spiritual life, primary goals of which are growing intimacy with and freedom in the Lord.  Any life experiences, good or bad, positive or negative, life-giving or challenging can be the “stuff” of spiritual direction.  The student chooses his own spiritual director and meets regularly with this priest.  The spiritual director cannot participate in any seminary feedback or evaluative process for his directees.

The sacrament of Reconciliation is an important element in the life of every priest and seminarian.  The sacrament is available to every seminarian on a weekly basis.  Seminarians are encouraged to avail themselves of the sacrament with regularity. In addition, there are communal celebrations of Reconciliation in preparation for Christmas and Easter.  The sacrament is always available on a personal basis to the seminarians with any priest, with the exception of the rector.

Spiritual retreats are a constituent element of every seminarian’s life.  A five-day on-campus retreat begins the fall quarter for Pre-Theologians, 1st Theologians, and 2nd Theologians.  Upon their return from the Pastoral Internship, the 3rd year theologians experience a five-day directed retreat. There are retreats prior to reception of the diaconate and the priesthood.  In addition, each separate living area or “cam” has a weekend retreat during the year.  There also can be small group or individual retreats conducted during the year.

Mornings of prayer and recollection are conducted once each quarter.  A Day of Prayer marks our patronal feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Seminarians are encouraged to dedicate one hour of personal prayer each day, at least some of that time before the Blessed Sacrament.  Attendance is required of all at the Wednesday morning holy hour before the exposed Blessed Sacrament; Morning Prayer and Benediction conclude the time.  Each Sunday evening, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.  That time concludes with Night Prayer and Benediction.

Each day every seminarian should spend time in personal devotional prayer, in reading scripture, praying in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and in cultivating a devotion to Mary. Communal rosary is available each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evening at 6:30 p.m.; these are led by the respective cams.

Each of the six years has its own class formation program into which are built elements of prayer, reflection on the Scriptures, presentations and small group work.  Faith sharing is encouraged in many of these meetings.

Since the study and the incorporation of Scripture is of primary importance for priests, each seminarian is expected to learn how to pray the Scriptures.  Opportunities for such prayer are built into class formation sessions and seminary retreats.

God’s people deserve learned as well as holy priests. A love of study is encouraged here as well as a sense of responsibility for ongoing education and formation after ordination.

 II. To shape an appreciation of true FRATERNITY which will be essential in a seminarian’s future ministry as a priest.

Many efforts are made to find ways to help seminarians get to know each other well, to trust each other, and to live out their time of preparation for priesthood in a united manner.  The fraternity learned in the seminary is a small step towards the fraternity needed in the priesthood.  Experience has shown that priesthood grows when shared and supported.

Cam Life - A word derived from the Italian word camerata ("dormitory” or living area which promotes Christian community). The seminarian is expected to engage fully in the life of the cam throughout the year.  The cam atmosphere is designed to be welcoming, supportive, and growth-filled.  All the members of the cam meet regularly each week, once for Evening Prayer on Monday, and again for Night Prayer and socializing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m.  Cam members will experience an annual week-end retreat away from the seminary.  During the year, many cams will sponsor special events to which all seminarians and faculty are invited.  In short, the cam is the day-to-day environment in which, it is hoped, the seminarian will flourish and grow.

Class formation programs are designed to meet special needs and to serve common concerns that arise as seminarians move toward priesthood.  They provide opportunities for support and encouragement and for mutual sharing.  Each class has a unique program which engages on a weekly basis throughout the school year.

In Pre-Theology I, the student is introduced to the seminary and its expectations and he is helped to discern further his call to the priesthood.

In Pre-Theology II, the formation is designed as a bridge between the introductory pre-theology program   and the theology I-IV programs. The program incorporates all four pillars of formation and stresses balance and integration. Theological reflection is used frequently throughout the year to assist with this process.

In First Theology, men learn methods of prayer and the basics needed to live a celibate life. Human formation is a particular focus.

In Second Theology, the focus is on lived discipleship.  The document “Pastores Dabo Vobis” guides this year’s program.

In Third Theology, formation is centered on faith sharing and pilgrimage.  During their third year, the men have the option to spend the winter quarter on pilgrimage.  There are also presentations and a preaching practicum.

In Fourth Theology, the program addresses transition into priestly ministry and public leadership in the Church.

III. To encourage COLLABORATION at many differing levels and kinds of ministry.

Actual experience in the apostolate is an integral part of the seminary program.  In the course of his years at Mundelein, a seminarian engages in a variety of ministerial opportunities leading up to priesthood itself.

The following opportunities enable a man to give active expression to his faith and love, and to discern God’s action in the lives of the people he serves.

In Pre-Theology I, the men engage in institutional field education and service at a variety of sites up to five hours each week.

In Pre-Theology II, the focus is on the service of the poor. The field education sites were chosen specifically because of their assistance to and level of contact with the poor and marginalized. At the conclusion of the winter quarter, the men spend 10–12 days on a mission trip where issues of social justice are addressed.

In First Theology, the men participate in field education, which is parish-based. Ministry normally involves a weekly commitment of 1½ to 2 hours. Some possible ministries that students may help with are the following: religious education (teachers, aides, and substitutes), youth groups, parish-based outreach programs to the poor, Ministry of Care, R.C.I.A., or assistance with liturgy in some way.

In Second Theology, the men spend the entire spring quarter away from the seminary on a pastoral intensive experience in a parish of their diocese.

In Third Theology, the men have several opportunities to expand into more specialized areas of ministry.  They may also choose to design their own track based on their perceived needs.  The third-year men have the option to spend the winter quarter on pilgrimage.

In the summer before Fourth Theology, the men do a 10-12 week experience of Clinical Pastoral Education in a hospital setting.  Once they are ordained deacons, they are assigned to a parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago (or nearby diocese) for weekend work.

Men are encouraged to form contacts with Chicago parishes or parishes in nearby dioceses on an ongoing basis through their seminary years.

The important presence of women at so many levels of church life and service demands respect and whole-hearted cooperation from tomorrow’s priests.  Women hold key positions on both the academic faculty and the formation faculty, as well as in the many departments of seminary administration and maintenance.  The need to work well with women is addressed in a variety of ways during the seminarian’s stay at Mundelein.

IV. To address the reality of an increasingly MULTICULTURAL church in the United States, and to be ready to minister in a culture other than one’s own.

The seminary itself is a close reflection of the catholicity of the Church.  There are men from Poland, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Central and South America, the Philippines, Vietnam, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana and Kenya. There are also priests and religious women from two dioceses, other than Chicago, that are represented on the faculty here at Mundelein. Special emphasis is placed on the development of skills in Hispanic ministry due to the impact of this set of cultures upon the Archdiocese of Chicago, the U.S. Church, and the whole Church.

During the course of the time here at Mundelein, many men will study Spanish in a summer intensive.  Many will take short intensive courses in either Hispanic ministry or African-American culture; there will also be opportunities for language courses in Polish.

Each Thursday, the Eucharistic Liturgy is conducted in both English and Spanish.  At various times during the year, there are liturgies and celebrations of other ethnic and cultural feasts.  There is a Hispanic choir, a choir that specializes in various kinds of African music, and a Polish schola.

V. To develop the LEADERSHIP of all candidates for priesthood.

Not only is a priest a public leader entrusted with the responsibility to decide for, direct, and guide a particular church, he is also a religious leader who represents the larger Church.  This means that he must learn to function in a leadership role at all times.

While at Mundelein, each seminarian is expected to volunteer for various tasks and responsibilities in the community.  At times, he will be asked to take on specific responsibilities by the rector or by members of the faculty.

A seminarian must assume personal responsibility for his formation. This means that, while many opportunities for individual and group formational experiences are presented to him, ultimately he alone determines how deeply he will allow these experiences and these opportunities to prepare him for priesthood.  The hope is that he will grow in this sincere spirit of self-motivation which will be very essential to his life as a diocesan priest.

Each candidate for the priesthood has a “formation advisor” from the formation faculty during his years in the  seminary.  The formation advisor works with the man in the external forum.  The two meet together at least twice a  quarter and whenever necessary. The formation advisor is both a helpful guide for the man and also a person of accountability.  Together they work out an agreement or covenant at the beginning of each year outlining the expectations of the seminary and a man’s personal goals for his formation.  This covenant and how it is carried out is shared with those responsible for the man’s training.  To this end, the formation advisor meets with the man’s vocation director during the year.  The formation advisor also writes up a review of the man’s progress towards priesthood at the end of each year.  This report is shared with the rector, the man’s bishop, his vocation director and the man himself.

There are a variety of accountability factors during a man’s stay at the seminary.  Each man receives feedback from both peers and faculty on a number of occasions throughout his years here.  He also has an opportunity to offer feedback to the seminary itself along the way.

In Pre-Theology I, at the end of the year, men receive specific feedback from their peers and from their field experience ministry, and are expected to evaluate their own year as well in a written statement.  They share all this information with their advisor.

In Pre-Theology II, the men receive feedback from their field education supervisor, from their mission trip supervisor, from their cam director and four cam brothers, and finally from a professor of their choice. At the end of the year, the men are also expected to write a year end self-evaluation. All of the feedback is shared with their advisor.

In First Theology, the men undergo endorsement, a process by which peers and faculty state whether they think the men are fit to go on to priesthood.  They also receive specific written feedback from both peers and faculty, whom they choose, as to how they are seen and what they need to do to continue to grow and develop.  At the end of the year, they write their own summary of how the year has gone for them.  They are encouraged to share all of this with their spiritual director and advisor.

In Second Theology, men also undergo the endorsement process.  In addition, they are evaluated at the end of their pastoral intensive by their work supervisor and by those with whom they worked in the parish.

In Third Theology, the men once again go through the endorsement process in the spring quarter. (If a man is to be ordained to the diaconate prior to his return in fourth year, he will also go through the certification process in the spring quarter of third year.) In addition, they receive feedback from selected peers and faculty. Each man prepares an end of the year summary of his experience of the year.

In Fourth Theology, the men are evaluated at the end of their C.P.E. experience.  Also, they go through a process of certification before the reception of the order of Diaconate.  In the certification process, the seminary recommends the man to his local church as being eligible for ordained ministry with regard to his human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral development.

During all these processes, a man is evaluated in the following areas: his personal development as a candidate for priesthood, his relationship with his advisor, his participation in the public prayer of the seminary, his fulfillment of his field education requirements, his participation in class formation sessions, his participation in community formation sessions, his attendance at the annual retreats, his involvement in cam life, and his academic progress.

VI. To build a strong ATTACHMENT to the local church.

Each seminarian is encouraged to learn about the history of his diocese, to grow in a greater appreciation for the mission of the Church in his diocese, and to know the diocesan policies, agencies and significant personnel who serve the mission. 

During their years in the seminary, the men are encouraged to meet often and regularly with their diocesan brothers. Each Thursday evening, diocesan brothers meet for evening prayer.  They also get together informally on other occasions as well.

The pastoral intensive in the spring quarter of second year takes place in a man’s own diocese.  During this experience, many dioceses and individual priest supervisors take great care to introduce the men to the various aspects of diocesan life and its institutions.