THEOLOGY FORMATION PROGRAM OF SRC

I.

Objectives of the Theology Seminary Formation

The goal of formation in our congregation is our growth and

constant maturing the following of Christ along the way of the
evangelical counsels as Servants of the Risen Christ.1 In scholasticate
formation program, an SRC monk is form to become a true pastors of
the Church, after the model of Jesus Christ, the Head of the Body and
the Good Shepherd.2 Priest live their vocation in the midst of the
people of God, from within and never outside the Christian
community, as a member of and as one ordained for the priestly
people of God.3 Within and before the community, priests stand as the
sacramental representatives of Christ, the Head and Shepherd of the
Church. This vision requires that the candidates for the priesthood
should achieved the following goals:
a. A deepening of personal relationship with Jesus Christ and of
the desire to appropriate his values;
b. A vibrant sense of ecclesial belonging and commitment to
service with and for the Christian community;
c. A growing animated and critical awareness of the contemporary
world of the Filipinos in which God;s spirit is powerfully at
work;
d. A deepening of personal faith and discernment of Gods will;
and
e. A lively and critical understanding and appreciation of the
Christian faith through a solid grasp of the Christian tradition
related to contemporary culture.
1 SRC Decree 182 p. 32
2 The Updated Philippine Program of Priestly formation no. 24, p. 16
3 PCP-II, 510

While recognizing that the Holy Spirit is the primary agent of the
formation and renewal of a person, a theology seminarian must
nevertheless take full responsibility for his formation. His openness,
cooperation and desire to grow are essential for the fruitfulness of
seminary formation. The efforts of seminary formation team, the
bishop, the other priests, the religious men and women, concerned lay
people and seminarians families are meant to facilitate the process
that a seminarian must undergo in a deeply personal way.
II.

The Human Formation of a Theology Seminarian

A suitable human formation is necessary foundation for priestly

formation. Serious and keen attention to the factors arising from
personal history and culture and from the wider Philippine history,
culture, society, etc. that form the humanity of the seminarians is
needed to understand the seminarians and to formulate programs
suitable for their unique needs. The young men who are called by the
Divine Providence to exercise the priestly office among men of our
time bring special dispositions that match the mind and attitudes of
modern men. Priestly formation cannot ignore the current influences
from culture, family life, multimedia, economics, politics, etc. human
beings before their entry into seminary.
The goal of human formation of seminarians in theology is to seek
to be reflected in them, as much as possible and always , by Gods
grace, the human perfection which shines forth in the Incarnate Son
of God and which is reflected with particular liveliness in His
attitudes towards others as we see narrated in the Gospels. It is not a
vague abstract goal of being human that seminarians aspire for. It is
rather the acquisition of the concrete values and attitudes in the
priests pastoral service. Hence, human formation cannot divorced
from growth in spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral life. Human
formation has Christological, Evangelical, Pastoral and Cultural
aspects.
The cultivation of human qualities patterned after Jesus values and
attitudes is aimed at preparing seminarians for bearing the
responsibilities of the ordained life, not only for purely personal

growth, which is value in itself. The need to be educated to love the

truth, to be loyal, to respect every person, to have a sense of justice, to
be true to their word, to be genuinely compassionate, to be men of
integrity and especially, to be balanced in judgement and behavior.
Looking up to the human personal qualities necessary for effective
ministry and quality of relationship they need to foster within a
community.
Some Specific Areas of Human Formation
Human formation happens concretely though value clarification
and value formation. The contemporary situation of the Filipino
seminarians calls for emphasis on some specific areas of human
formation in view of the ministry.
A. Self-Esteem and Self-giving
Cultural inferiority, the increasing volatility of the Filipino
family life, the false images of a good life presented by multimedia
and the scars brought by poverty and violence are some of the reasons
why some Filipino seminarians suffer from low self-esteem.
B. Attitudes Towards Authority
C. Celibate Chastity and Sexuality
D. Detachment and a Lifestyle of Simplicity
E. Motivational Maturity
F. A sense of Justice
G. A Moral Conscience
Responding to the Demands of Human Formation
A. The Collaborative Effort of Seminary Administrators
B. The Role of the Rector
C. The Role of the Spiritual Directors
D. Other Professional services
E. The Role of the Pastoral director
F. The Role of the Professor
G. The Responsibility of the Bishop, Other Priest, Religious,
Families and Lay Collaborators
III. The Spiritual Formation of a Theology Seminarian.

Some Specific Areas of Spiritual Formation

A. Praying the Word of God
B. The Sacramental Life and Liturgical Prayer
a. The Eucharist
b. Reconciliation
c. The Liturgy of the Hours
C. Personal Prayer, Solitude, and silence
D. Community Retreats and Recollections
E. Devotion to Mary and Saints
F. Popular Religiosity
G. Spiritual Direction
H. Seeking Christ in People
Some Response to the Needs of Spiritual Formation
A. On Prayer
B. Spiritual Direction
C. Spiritual Formation Program
D. The Role of the Seminary Administrators
VI. The Intellectual Formation of a Theology Seminarian
VI. Community Living: The living Context of seminary Formation