2 Mount St. Mary s Seminary

Transcription

1

2 2 Mount St. Mary s Seminary

3 Mount St. Mary s Seminary Dear Friends, What a joy it is to share with you what makes Mount St. Mary s Seminary such an extraordinary place for priestly formation. The Mount is truly a seminary with a national scope whose alumni have been serving as priests for many dioceses across our great country. Since our humble beginnings in 1808, we have continued to thrive in partnership with bishops and religious superiors in preparing candidates for the priesthood who strive for holiness, are devoted to the Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Mother, and love and think with the heart and mind of the Church. Here at the Mount we embrace the four pillars or dimensions of priestly formation: human, intellectual, pastoral, and spiritual. Through the development in virtue, the seminarian s good character becomes a bridge for others to encounter Christ. Our fully accredited academic program helps each seminarian to foster a love of learning that leads to Christ who is truth incarnate. In the multiple pastoral experiences a seminarian has during his time of formation, he grows in pastoral charity as a true shepherd of souls. Finally, through prayer, liturgy, and spiritual direction, the seminarian matures in his communion with Christ and His Church and his interior life becomes the core for his future life and ministry as a priest. As I pray with the seminarians, teach them, share a common life with them, and try to be a good father and shepherd to them, I am continually in awe of the grace God has given me to lead such a place and such men, and to prepare them for the Catholic ministerial priesthood in the Third Millennium of Christianity. If you would ever like to visit the Mount, please know that the door is always open for you. I am convinced that you will not only find a place of great hospitality but also you will be impressed with the quality of formation we offer to today s seminarians. Sincerely in Christ, REV. MSGR. ANDREW R. BAKER, S.T.D. / RECTOR Mount St. Mary s Seminary 3

4 On Mary s Mountain EMMITSBURG, MARYLAND Founded in 1808 by French immigrant missionary priest Father John Dubois, Mount St. Mary s Seminary is located on the side of what is called Mary s Mountain, and has a solid tradition of excellence in the formation of future Catholic priests. NATIONAL SHRINE GROTTO OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES Fr. Dubois s original cabin was located on a piece of land on the mountain behind the seminary. According to legend he was attracted to a light on the mountain and found a blessed spot, and erected a crude cross the symbol of the holy work he was undertaking. This area is now the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, one of the oldest known American replicas of the Lourdes shrine in France. Seminarians can be found praying here, or walking through the picturesque network of paved paths flanked by shrines to saints, as well as the Stations of the Cross and mysteries of the Rosary. Seminarians also participate in weekly Mass and major feasts held on the site. NATIONAL SHRINE OF ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON When Elizabeth Ann Seton and her companions arrived in Emmitsburg in June of 1809, they spent nearly six weeks living in a log cabin on Mary s Mountain before moving to the valley below. Until her death in 1821, Mother Seton worked tirelessly, founding the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph and the American parochial school system. A magnificent basilica bearing her name and containing her tomb stands two miles from the seminary. 4 Mount St. Mary s Seminary

5

6 6 Mount St. Mary s Seminary

7 To invite men to go up to the mountain (Haggai 1:8), so that we might send down holy, self-sacrificial shepherds for the people of God, to light a fire on the earth for the salvation of souls. Mount St. Mary s Seminary Vision Statement Mount St. Mary s Seminary 7

8 The Four Pillars of Formation A Community Dedicated to Formation PILLAR ONE / HUMAN FORMATION To be a credible witness for Christ, a priest must be authentic, approachable, kind, and uncompromising in character as a Christian gentleman. His humanity must be a bridge and not an obstacle for others to encounter Christ. Our formators become familiar with each man and his needs in the context of a trusting and open relationship. If a young man has difficulties or areas for growth, our formation faculty will mentor him by setting practical and realistic goals that deal forthrightly with all areas of concern. Over time, a willing seminarian will exhibit a remarkable growth in maturity, virtue and character. We form men to love with the heart of the Church and think with the mind of the Church. The model constantly placed before them is that of a faithful father and joyful shepherd who speaks the truth of the Gospel with love. The seminarians themselves are highly formative for one other. When a new man arrives, he finds himself pulled into a fraternity that will not allow him to become socially isolated. In this way, candidates receive valuable human formation simply by being in the seminary environment and interacting with their brothers in Christ. EVALUATION MEETINGS The Mount has a unique format for meeting with bishops and vocation directors to discuss the progress of seminarians. Instead of the vocation director going from office to office to speak with various personnel, the rector calls together the Director of Human Formation, Director of Pastoral Field Education, and the formation advisors of all the seminarians from that diocese, who meet together to review the formation progress of all their seminarians. 8 Mount St. Mary s Seminary

9 PILLAR TWO / SPIRITUAL FORMATION Mount St. Mary s Seminary invites men to go up to the mountain so that we might send down holy, self-sacrificial shepherds for the salvation of souls. During an internal evaluation conducted by the seminary, we asked vocation directors what they valued most about Mount St. Mary s, and they overwhelmingly cited the strength of our spiritual formation. As one visiting priest put it, I ve noticed that men at the Mount don t just learn things about Jesus; they learn to fall in love with Him. Several priests at the seminary as well as adjunct spiritual directors help men to develop an intimate relationship with the Trinity nourished by prayer, Scripture and Tradition, celebration of the sacraments, and marked by a sincere devotion to Our Lady. THE HABIT OF PRAYER The habit of prayer is formed by daily Mass, Morning and Evening Prayer, a personal daily Holy Hour, and other private devotions, especially the Rosary. A very strong fraternity among the men lends accountability to prayer. From the very beginning, seminarians are expected to integrate a daily Eucharistic Holy Hour into their prayer life, with the expectation that they will adopt it as a lifetime habit of devotion. A Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration is available twice each day at the seminary. Mount St. Mary s Seminary 9

10 PILLAR THREE / INTELLECTUAL FORMATION The goal of intellectual formation is to acquire a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ and his saving doctrine, while at the same time equipping him to credibly proclaim the Gospel of Christ to people in today s society. We expect academic excellence from candidates with the view that they must thoroughly grasp the Church s teaching as taught by the Magisterium. Our intellectual tradition, while rigorous by any standard, is guided by the goal of the pastoral life. The Mount takes a personalized approach to academic mentoring with an array of resources for both the most advanced students as well as those who may struggle to meet academic expectations. We have a variety of resources available to ensure academic achievement: an advanced technology infrastructure, writing specialists, student-tostudent tutoring, and a Learning Skills Department that can help identify and address learning challenges. DEGREE PROGRAMS At the pre-theology level, the seminary offers the philosophy credits required by the PPF, which can lead to a Master of Arts in Philosophical Studies (M.A.P.S.). At the theology level, students earn the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and may earn the Master of Arts in Theology (M.A.) or the Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.). Dual degree candidacy is common, especially for those who will pursue advanced studies in the U.S. or Europe. The seminary is fully accredited by the A.T.S. and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. 10 Mount St. Mary s Seminary

11 FACULTY Mount St. Mary s has well-credentialed faculty that are frequently called upon to lead retreats and academic workshops across the country. Several faculty members regularly appear on radio and television, including EWTN. All our priest faculty have extensive pastoral experience in parishes and many have served as pastors in their respective dioceses. PRE-THEOLOGY Our pre-theology program provides a solid foundation in catechesis, priestly spirituality, and the perennial philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. At the outset, we introduce men to the seminary by helping them form a spiritual plan of life. We also place a high priority on helping new seminarians take time to seriously discern celibacy. Academically, we ensure that men possess the intellectual skills needed to articulate a wide range of philosophical concepts knowing that the priest must be able to engage believers and non-believers alike. Our carefully planned curriculum requires Latin and Greek as well as all the philosophy courses required by the Holy See and the U.S. bishops. After two years of formation, our men are well prepared for serious theological study as well as deeper discernment of their vocations. PASTORAL FORMATION SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS The national shortage of clergy means that priests are becoming pastors much sooner than in the past. Recognizing this trend, the Mount holds special workshops and seminars taught by experts in areas such as stewardship, pastoral psychology, parish finance and management, and the leadership qualities of a modern pastor. The Mount has been blessed with a grant from the Lilly Foundation with which we have developed a series of computer-aided modules (CAMs) called Pastors and Stewards. These online courses help each seminarian acquire the basic skills to administer the temporal goods of a parish. Mount St. Mary s Seminary 11

12 SPECIAL PROGRAMS Holy Land Pilgrimage The entire deacon class travels to the Holy Land for a 17-day pilgrimage, including a five-day canonical retreat on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. The pilgrimage is a capstone experience, pulling together years of Scripture study, Christology, and spirituality. The men are able to pray at the places where Jesus walked and where He instituted the sacraments, including an overnight vigil in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The experience contributes immensely to their preaching and spirituality, and helps fulfill the Holy Father s request that we become aware of the suffering of the Christians in the Holy Land. The pilgrimage is subsidized by generous donors. Spanish Training As the U.S. Hispanic population approaches 50 percent, proficiency in Spanish has become very important for priests. In addition to Spanish classes, we celebrate a weekly Spanish Mass, have a Spanish schola, send seminarians to several Hispanic pastoral field education sites, and offer an immersion program in Guatemala. Students may also pursue a Certificate in Hispanic Ministry. Depending on the needs of the diocese and the ability of the student, the seminary can craft a course of study that ranges from familiarity with the language and culture to the ability to preach and provide counsel in Spanish. English as a Second Language The Mount s seminarians come to us from across the globe. We have full-time faculty who administer a highly regarded ESL program and help men fully understand their theological coursework. The fraternal culture at the Mount also helps foreign students to learn U.S. customs and assimilate the culture. 12 Mount St. Mary s Seminary

13

14 PILLAR FOUR / PASTORAL FORMATION The Mount s great strength for more than 200 years has been the formation of parish priests filled with pastoral charity and trained for a variety of parish settings. Upon ordination, men are equipped to be true shepherds of souls: to teach, evangelize, counsel, minister to the sick and needy, promote vocations, and to competently administer and lead a parish. PASTORAL FIELD EDUCATION The location of Mount St. Mary s affords access to more than 85 sites for pastoral assignments that range from rural parishes to urban institutions in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. We choose each site and supervisor carefully, and set clear expectations. When making field assignments, we take into consideration the man s experience and the need for a diverse experience of ministry. PASTORAL INTEGRATION AND APPLICATION SEMINAR We have developed a unique seminar to ensure that Mount priests can work effectively in a normal parish setting. Deacons participate in a formation seminar under the guidance of an experienced priest, which engages over 400 questions taken from real-life parish scenarios on topics ranging from medical ethics and liturgy to canon law and Scripture in essence, the whole spectrum of pastoral theology. It is a tremendous help for them to effectively answer some of the most difficult questions that arise in pastoral ministry. 14 Mount St. Mary s Seminary

15 15

16

17 Mount St. Mary s Seminary prepares men for the Catholic ministerial priesthood in the Third Millennium; men who love with the heart of the Church, think with the mind of the Church, and are formed to have an integrated core of human, intellectual, spiritual, and pastoral virtues modeled by Jesus Christ, Our High Priest. Mount St. Mary s Seminary Mission Statement

18 Celebrating Sacred Mysteries LITURGICAL TRAINING At the Mount we promote a great love for the liturgy and the celebration of the sacraments. Our aim is to prepare men to celebrate the Mass and the sacraments so that by their reverence and devotion they show forth the Person of Christ. Seminary faculty present the fullness of the Church s liturgical tradition in all its transcendent beauty. We present the practicalities of celebrating the sacraments in a parish setting, teaching men to take a balanced approach. We teach them to have an appropriate sense of liturgical decorum and to foster full participation according to the mind of the Church and the expectations of their bishop. The Mount provides formal training in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite to seminarians whose bishops have requested it. PREACHING PRACTICUM Seminarians at the Mount are taught to present the truth of the Gospel with clarity, charity, and in a manner that is compelling to the listener. From the beginning, seminarians enter into various situations by which they become more comfortable speaking about the faith in a public setting. Then they take formal training in a preaching practicum to help hone their skills. 18 Mount St. Mary s Seminary

19

20 The New Evangelization PROCLAIMING CHRIST TO ALL PEOPLE Mount graduates are rooted in the Church s tradition and are equipped and eager to bring Christ to others in today s society. The Seminary is involved with and sponsors several programs to put into action the lessons of their education. MOUNT 2000 Every February, 1,500 teens descend on Mount St. Mary s campus for a weekend youth retreat that includes Eucharistic Adoration, catechesis, and fellowship. The event is run by seminarians and includes a very strong emphasis on developing a prayer life and discerning one s vocation. MARCH FOR LIFE The Mount has had a strong presence at the March for Life since it began in The seminary hosts youth groups on campus, and seminarians serve at liturgies on the day of the March. 20 Mount St. Mary s Seminary

21 CAMPUS MISSION TRIPS New forms of outreach have been initiated by seminarians as they have taken to heart the challenge of the New Evangelization. A large group of men organize mission trips in collaboration with the local Catholic chaplain to college campuses to speak with students about Christ and His Church in a loving and non-confrontational way. The men returned to seminary with a renewed enthusiasm for their studies, especially philosophy, because of its importance when speaking to non-believing students. SPORTS CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM Many sports teams at Mount St. Mary s University have a seminarian who serves as its chaplain. The seminarians receive special training that they might spiritually mentor both male and female athletes. Many priest alumni report that the chaplaincy provides valuable pastoral experience, especially for working with young people. Mount St. Mary s Seminary 21

22

23 The formation of future priests is considered by the Church to be one of the most demanding and important tasks for the future of the evangelization of humanity. Blessed Pope John Paul II in Pastores dabo vobis

24 Mount St. Mary s Seminary Old Emmitsburg Road, Emmitsburg, MD MAIN PHONE FAX FACEBOOK