Christ the Cornerstone

Forming future priests ‘on fire’ with God’s love

“The goal of priestly formation is to form men who are in the likeness of Jesus Christ for service in the Church and the world.” (Father Eric Augenstein, director of seminarians for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis)

The publication date for this column is Friday, Nov. 4, the memorial of St. Charles Borromeo. Known primarily as a reformer, St. Charles was a kind and holy man who cared deeply for the poor and the sick, and who gave away his inherited wealth in order to serve God’s people with humility and compassion.

As the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan in the 16th century, Charles Borromeo’s reforms touched many areas of the Church’s life, including the education and formation of future priests.

Because of his zeal for priestly formation, St. Charles is today considered to be the patron saint of seminarians, and many dioceses throughout the world have seminaries named for this holy man.

St. Charles knew that the health and vitality of every local Church depends on the holiness and authentic pastoral ministry of her priests. That’s why every diocesan bishop is charged with a particular responsibility to make sure that his seminarians are being fully formed in four areas: human, spiritual, pastoral and intellectual. To neglect any one of these foundational dimensions of priestly formation would be to put newly ordained priests at a serious disadvantage in their ministry to God’s people.

As in the days of St. Charles Borromeo, the pope and the Holy See are concerned about priestly formation around the world, as they should be. We bishops have to make sure that we’re doing good, solid formation of holy priests for the sake of the Church, for the well-being of all involved, for good preaching, the proper celebration of the sacraments, for pastoral care, for proper administration, for every aspect of the Church’s life and ministry.

The basic mission of seminaries across the United States is to form men to be effective parish priests. These seminaries, including our own Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary in Indianapolis and Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad, follow documents of the Second Vatican Council in carrying out this mission. The Church regularly updates its norms for priestly formation so that those who are ordained are in the best position to share the Gospel in diverse parish communities.

Starting this fall, seminaries across the U.S., including Bishop Bruté and Saint Meinrad Seminary, have begun implementing a new edition of the Program of Priestly Formation developed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops with guidance from the Vatican.

The four dimensions of priestly formation (human, spiritual, pastoral and intellectual) remain solidly in place, but what the revised Program of Priestly Formation emphasizes is the two principles of gradualism and integration that must be respected when preparing men for ministry as priests today.

The first principle, gradualism, is the concept that seminary formation happens gradually over a period of time, and what we have to remember is that authentic formation goes deeper over time. It’s not something that can happen quickly.

The second principle has to do with the integration of the four dimensions of priestly formation. Our Church needs priests who are mature human beings, deeply spiritual men who are good shepherds (pastors) and who understand and can communicate effectively what the Church teaches about Jesus Christ and his Church.

Above all, we want priests who have had a personal encounter with our Lord, and who are “on fire” with God’s love. This normally happens gradually, and it requires that intellectual knowledge be integrated with a heightened spirituality and a deeply human care and concern for the people a priest is called to serve.

We are truly blessed to have two excellent seminaries serving the Church in central and southern Indiana—as well as many other dioceses in the U.S. and other countries.

As archbishop, I take my responsibility for priestly formation quite seriously, and I am deeply grateful for the solid formation our priests receive at Bishop Bruté, Saint Meinrad and the other schools where we occasionally send seminarians.

When Charles Borromeo served as an archbishop, he was convinced that the most important way for him to educate his future priests was by his personal example. If his seminarians were to be formed to lead holy lives of priestly service and pastoral care, St. Charles believed that he had to be the first to give a good example and renew their apostolic spirit.

I pray that my brother bishops and I will have the same spirit and set a good example for our seminarians, priests and all the people we are called to serve in the likeness of Jesus Christ. †