Module Overview:
Did you know that Adam, in the garden of Eden, was a priest? Who was Melchizedek? What does the Old Testament priesthood have to do with Catholic priests today? In this module, we will walk through the scriptural roots of the Catholic priesthood with Dr. John Bergsma. Dr. Bergsma will reveal how the priesthood is a major thread holding together the biblical storyline and how those who receive Holy Orders today are sewn into that same story!
Module Overview:
Psalm 105:5 tells us to remember God’s wonders—His miracles and the judgments He pronounced. God is the essence of goodness, mercy and love. But sometimes, we forget what He has done for us. This module, our closing seminar, will consider the importance of “remembering” and how our memories can serve us in discernment, particularly emphasizing the virtue of hope. Among other topics, we will also reflect upon the nature of time, Christ’s words, “do this in remembrance of me,” and ways we can better serve the path of remembering what God has done for us.
Module Overview:
This module will consist of a theological investigation of the doctrines and magisterial teachings concerning the singular role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the providential plan of salvation. This will be followed by examining the important relationship between discipleship, discernment, and Marian devotion. Lastly, there will be a theological and pastoral analysis of the Marian messages from the principle apparitions of Mary in the modern world.
Module Overview:
This module reviews specific challenges present in the entertainment industry and offers life skills for dealing with them. The unit suggests apps and other resources that promote balanced participation in social media, protect against pornography, and support Catholic spirituality. By discussing practices such as periodic “media” fasts and other helpful suggestions, seminary applicants will discern ways to become wise media consumers and good witnesses to the faith.
Module Overview:
Loving the Church well as a celibate priest relies upon an understanding of manhood, chastity, spiritual fatherhood, and celibacy. This module will explore these four themes as elements of a healthy celibate and priestly life, capable of giving life in the order of grace in such a way that it contributes to the priest’s own flourishing and happiness as a man.
Module Overview:
This module looks specifically at the different ways a missionary disciple may be called to live out the Christian life found in the Gospels and the teachings of St. Paul. Drawing from Theology of Body, it explores the nuptial meaning of the body as a gift of self for God and for others as part of an integral vision of Man.
Module Overview:
“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). This three-week module will be an exercise in contemplating Jesus Christ as the definitive interpreter and living icon of God the Father (Jn 1:18; Col. 1:15). Following the guidance of Sacred Scripture and the theological reflections of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, we will bring to light the glorious features of the face of the Father. This is the true God and Father whom (with Christ and in Christ) we are called to imitate as his beloved sons/children (Eph 5:1; Mt 5:48).
Module Overview:
This module reflects on the call of God and the way of seminary life. By emphasizing missionary discipleship, this module starts the conversation on the importance of being an instrument of grace in the place God calls you.
Module Overview:
This introduction to the practice and daily discipline of praying the psalms in priestly formation endeavors to build an awareness of liturgy as a participation in the prayer of Christ and the prayer of the Church. It discusses how the Liturgy of the Hours is connected to both the Mass and personal prayer, and why this prayer is essential for progress in vocational discernment.
Module Overview:
This module explores the role of the priest who is “in persona Christ” – the power to act, in the person of Christ, when exercising their sanctifying, teaching, and guiding functions for the sake of the mystical Body of Christ, the Church. With a special emphasis on the sacrament of the Eucharist, this module then explores how the sacrifice of Christ helps shape and form friendships into holy, sacramental friendships.
