Men.
SJV forms each seminarian to be a well-rounded man of communion, a man who fosters true unity and peace among those he serves. This is accomplished through a life of prayer, fraternity, and individual accompaniment from seminary staff. Each seminarian meets regularly with his priest formation advisor who encourages and challenges him to grow in self-awareness and self-possession so that he can make a sincere gift of himself in service and charity.
"For priestly formation, the importance of human formation cannot be sufficiently emphasized. Indeed, the holiness of a priest is built upon and depends, in large part, upon the authenticity and maturity of his humanity." -Ratio Fundamentalis #63
Formation Staff
SJV's seven full-time priests and director of counseling services are committed to the formation of our seminarians. They represent a variety of sending dioceses and received their formation at the Saint Paul Seminary (St. Paul), the Pontifical North American College (Rome), Mundelein Seminary (Chicago), and Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary (Denver), bringing a depth and breadth of knowledge and experience to the formation program at SJV. The priest staff receives training and regularly contributes at the Institute for Priestly Formation and the Seminary Formation Council.
Human Formation Conferences
Weekly human formation conferences, supported by process groups, help men in the Propaedeutic Stage integrate into seminary life, learn communal living, and grow in authentic masculinity. These conferences, offered by formation staff, equip the men with both theoretical and practical information pertaining to their growth in self-knowledge and maturity.
Process Groups
Throughout the Propaedeutic Stage, seminarians participate in weekly Process Groups. Each group is comprised of 8 or 9 men and is facilitated by SJV's director of counseling services. Process Groups aim to create an atmosphere of fraternal trust and support in which seminarians can unpack their experiences at SJV and explore the ways formation is taking root in their lives.
"The memories of my time at SJV are some of the fondest of my life. I encountered the Lord in prayer among my brothers and learned from the generous witness of inspiring priests. I remain deeply grateful for the ways SJV has formed me." -Fr. Colin Jones, Class of 2014
The Propaedeutic Stage aims at nurturing excellence of character and growth in self-knowledge as we grow in communion with God.