Formation Handbook 2021-2022
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NOTRE DAME SEMINARY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY FORMATION HANDBOOK 2021-2022 i August 1, 2021 Dear Seminarians: The seminary community is truly a home where the Word of God nourishes, sustains, and grows your faith as a believer and disciple of Jesus Christ. As Our Lady and Saint Joseph cared for Jesus, the Word Incarnate, in a homestead where Our Lord grew in wisdom and strength so too does your priestly vocation. The Church envisions the seminary as a real, constitutive community after that of the apostolic community which was comprised by those first apostles chosen by Jesus Christ as they learned and witnessed the events of our salvation. While each of you belong to your diocesan Church or religious community, it is here at Notre Dame Seminary where your connection to Christ and the Universal Church is made possible while you discern a priestly vocation. In short, Notre Dame Seminary is not accidental to your status as a seminarian rather is a most essential element of it. Indeed, this community is an apostolic community intended by our Lord, Jesus Christ. As a visible community and society of believers, we must observe structure, common discipline, and a way of life that enables you to facilitate a healthy prayer life, a well-formed intellectual formation, personal human growth, and a heart of a future shepherd. This handbook represents the commitment of the Church to you as envisioned by the governing documents of priestly formation, particular the USCCB’s Program of Priestly Formation and the Holy See’s Ratio Fundamentalis. Since every community is organic by nature, this handbook does not capture every aspect of community life. I ask that you read carefully through it and review its content with your formation and spiritual directors. If you need clarification, please feel free to see me. Fidelity to the norms of community life signifies your own commitment to priestly formation. I wish you all the best in this upcoming year. May the Lord bring to completion the graces you have already thus far received. Sincerely yours in the Lord, Very Reverend James A. Wehner, S.T.D. Rector/President ii Table of Contents Table of Contents GENERAL INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 6 A. The Mission of Notre Dame Seminary ....................................................................... 6 B. Brief History of Notre Dame Seminary ...................................................................... 8 C. Location .................................................................................................................... 11 D. The Archdiocese of New Orleans ............................................................................. 11 E. The City of New Orleans and the Parish of Orleans ................................................ 11 F. The Purpose of a Priestly Formation Program ......................................................... 11 G. Governing Documents on Priestly Formation .......................................................... 12 H. The Unique Mission of Notre Dame Seminary ........................................................ 13 I. Accreditation............................................................................................................. 14 PRESUPPOSITIONS TO FORMATION .............................................................................. 14 A. Formation in the Present Context ............................................................................. 14 B. Hopes and Obstacles of Today ................................................................................. 15 C. Priestly Formation and the Call to Holiness ............................................................. 16 D. The Identity and Life of the Priest ............................................................................ 16 E. Priestly Consciousness of the Church ...................................................................... 18 AGENTS OF THE PRIESTLY FORMATION PROGRAM ................................................ 19 The Holy Spirit ................................................................................................................... 19 The Seminarian ................................................................................................................... 20 The Holy See ...................................................................................................................... 20 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ................................................................... 20 Chancellor ........................................................................................................................... 20 Board of Trustees ................................................................................................................ 21 Rector-President.................................................................................................................. 21 Vice Rectors for Discipleship, Configuration, Pastoral Synthesis ..................................... 23 Director of Spiritual Formation/Spiritual Director ............................................................. 24 Director of Pastoral Formation and Field Education .......................................................... 26 Director of Human Formation ............................................................................................ 27 Director of Liturgy .............................................................................................................. 28 Director of Sacred Music .................................................................................................... 28 Academic Dean ................................................................................................................... 29 Director of Intellectual Formation/Assistant Academic Dean ........................................... 30 Director of Hispanic Formation .......................................................................................... 30 Director - Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services .................................... 31 Director of Counseling Services ......................................................................................... 32 Business Manager ............................................................................................................... 32 Administrative Assistant to the Rector-President ............................................................... 33 Director of Facilities ........................................................................................................... 34 Directors of Admissions ..................................................................................................... 35 iii Registrar .............................................................................................................................. 35 Director of Library Services ............................................................................................... 35 Information Technology Department ................................................................................. 36 Director of Food Service..................................................................................................... 36 Director of the Development Office ................................................................................... 37 Consultative Bodies ............................................................................................................ 37 THE DIMENSIONS OF PRIESTLY FORMATION ............................................................ 38 A. Premise ..................................................................................................................... 38 B. Theology Level Formation ....................................................................................... 39 C. An Integrated Formation .......................................................................................... 40 D. Human Formation ..................................................................................................... 40 E. Spiritual Formation ................................................................................................... 44 F. Intellectual Formation ............................................................................................... 50 G. Pastoral Formation .................................................................................................... 52 THE GOALS OF INTEGRATIVE FORMATION FOR ALL SEMINARIANS AT NOTRE DAME SEMINARY ............................................................................................................... 61 A. Overall Thresholds For Human Formation ............................................................... 61 B. Overall Thresholds For Spiritual Formation ............................................................ 63 THE DISCIPLESHIP STAGE OF FORMATION................................................................. 66 A. Human Formation Thresholds .................................................................................. 67 B. Spiritual Formation Thresholds ................................................................................ 70 C. Intellectual Formation Thresholds ............................................................................ 72 D. Pastoral Formation Thresholds ................................................................................. 76 THE CONFIGURATION