I'm happy to offer a brief description of the programming at Pope St. John XXIII Seminary that supports spiritual growth.
A healthy, strong prayer life helps seminarians develop and mature. At the heart of this development is our daily celebration of the Eucharist. We also gather in the chapel to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, and for a weekly holy hour.
Each seminarian is assigned a spiritual director, a priest, with whom he meets on a regular basis. This important relationship allows a man the chance to explore his spiritual life more deeply.
Regular reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is encouraged. Men may go to confession to their own director, make use of a weekly offering in house, or go to confession in a local parish.
Each fall, seminarians go on retreat for five days. They are grouped together according to which class they are in. It's a silent, preached retreat, held at retreat houses in the region.
The spiritual directors also offer a conference three times each semester, and three times during the year time is set aside for the house to spend time in spiritual recollection, with the assistance of an outside presenter.
Finally, it's important to acknowledge the way the men help to form one another. Unplanned conversations, faith sharing groups, student initiated prayer opportunities, exposure to helpful books and other media, and acts of service contribute to how men grow in their understanding of living as a priest of Jesus Christ.
Rev. Vincent Daily
Coordinator of Spiritual Formation
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