Pastoral Formation
Pastoral formation is a key aspect of seminary formation. By taking part in some of the many ways that the Church carries out her mission, seminarians acquire the skills they need to be of service as priests.
Hands on
In the first two years of formation, seminarians are assigned to a more ‘hands on’ pastoral assignment. Each week during term time they will be engaged in some form of service to the poor and marginalised. Examples include preparing and serving food at the soup kitchen for the homeless run by the Missionaries of Charity and helping the same sisters at their orphanage for disabled children in the city.
Teaching
From thrid year onwards, seminarians tend to move into an assignment with more empahsis placed on teaching, so that they can begin to develop skills in sharing the Faith which they are learning about in their theological studies. Examples of these types of placement include chaplaincy work at the Catholic University of America’s Rome campus and sacramental preparation at St Patrick’s Parish for English speakers in Rome.
Summer
Pastoral formation continues in Scotland over the summer. Each seminarian will spend some time - usually a month - on pastoral placement in their diocese, working at the ‘coal-face’ with the clergy and laity who minister in the parish. There is also a three year cycle of pastoral formation for those in theology who, during those years, will spend a month on the Summer Pastoral Program, learning from experts in fields such as prison minstry and pro-life ministry, will travel to World Youth Day with their diocese, or will spend two months in Africa, experiencing the Church there.