Pastoral Formation

Pastoral Formation

1. The whole purpose of seminary formation is to help seminarians become true pastors of the Christian faithful after the examples of Our Lord Jesus Christ (OT, 4; PO, 11). The seminarians should be trained to undertake the ministry of the shepherd, that they may know how to represent Christ to humanity and that they may win over many by becoming servants of all (1 Cor 9:19).

2. The fundamental objective of pastoral formation is to make the students to acquire themselves the knowledge and skills indispensable to the pastoral ministry. All courses taught in the Seminary will have a pastoral dimension so that the seminarians are convinced that the knowledge given to them is useful and applicable to concrete situations.

3. The Pastoral Formation involves learning the principles and techniques, which according to the needs of place and time are relevant to the ministry of teaching, sanctifying and governing the people of God. They are carefully instructed in whatever pertains to the sacred ministry, catechetics and homiletics, divine worship, dealing with the people, parish administration and other related tasks (Cann. 255-256).

4. During the course of Philosophy, the students go for Oratory mission on every Sunday where they give moral instruction to the youth and children, visit the sick, take tuition to the poor and entertain the differently abled people. This will enable them to interact with various life situations of the people and to bear witness to the charity of Christ.

5. After the study of Philosophy, the candidates are sent to a parish, mission station or an institution for one year of Regency under the supervision of competent persons. In this the programme is to be carefully planned and the duties entrusted to the regent are to be preferably of a pastoral or missionary nature (Charter, 3.2.4.i).

6. The seminarians are initiated into the art of exercising the ministry not only in theory, but also in practice. In order to promote their pastoral knowledge and skills, they will engage themselves in the apostolic ministry during the period of formation. This pastoral ministry under the guidance of a competent person could take the form of a week-end apostolate in parish communities with groups of adults, youth or children, with groups involved in social action or even with problem groups like alcoholics and drug addicts (Charter, 3.2.4).

7. The theologians are slowly inserted into the living pastoral tradition of their particular church. They will learn to open the horizon of their mind and heart to the missionary dimension of the Church’s life. This is carried out systematically under the direction of experts in the pastoral work and the seminary staff. They participate in various activities such as exposure camps, ashram experience and socio-pastoral camps. During these programmes the competent authority will instruct and guide them and later they will assess the seminarians and their ministry carefully.

8. The Deacons are given practical pastoral courses for two months. It consists of methods of effective preaching, administering the sacraments gracefully, conducting seminars to different types of people etc. Then they are sent to parishes for diaconate ministry under the guidance of experienced pastor. During this period, a deacon seeks to develop and demonstrate self-confidence as an ordained minister, competence in pastoral, theological and ministerial skills, ability to evolve a methodology of pastoral action and confidence to handle a wide range of responsibilities (Charter, 3.2.4.j).