Issues Facing Discipleship Stage Formation

ISSUES FACING DISCIPLESHIP STAGE FORMATION:

A Report Sponsored by the Lilly Foundation's “Pathways for Tomorrow” Initiative

A Study on the Issues facing Discipleship Stage Formation

A Study on the Issues facing Discipleship Stage Formation

St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry

Dr. Marco Stango

Lead Researcher and Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Dr. Stephen J. Loughlin

President and Professor of Philosophy

Dr. Matthew G. Kuhner

Vice President/Academic Dean and Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology

in collaboration with

Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate

Jonathon L. Wiggins, Ph.D.

Thomas P. Gaunt, Ph.D.

Principal Investigators

Table of Contents

I. Introduction: the School and the Study Funded by the Lilly Foundation’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative

II. The CARA Survey

III. Major Findings of the CARA Study

IV. Summary of the Major Findings

V. Analysis of and Response to Findings

VI. Next Steps: A Proposal

VII. Appendix I: National Survey of Diocesan Vocation Directors about Pre-seminarian Formation

VIII. Appendix II: Survey Instrument with Response Frequencies to All Questions

IX. Appendix III: Transcription of Open-ended Question Responses

X. Appendix IV: St. Bernard’s and the Discipleship Stage: Philosophy, Theology and the Integrative Formation of Seminarians

I. Introduction: The School and the Study Funded by the Lilly Foundation’s Pathways

for Tomorrow Initiative

St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry is an accredited Roman Catholic graduate and professional school that educates and assists men and women in academic, ministerial, interpersonal, and spiritual formation for the purpose of serving the Catholic Church through diverse forms of lay and ordained ministries, theological scholarship, and Christian service in society. St. Bernard’s has served upstate New York since 1893, specifically the Dioceses of Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and Buffalo. Accredited by NC-SARA since 2019, the School offers its degree and certificate programs throughout the United States by means of its welldeveloped distance education program and technology. The School offers four graduate degrees (a Master of Divinity and three Master of Arts degrees in Pastoral Studies, Theological Studies, and Catholic Philosophy), as well as four Graduate Certificate programs (in Catholic Biblical Studies, Catholic Philosophy, Catholic Bioethics, and Catechetical Leadership), and a Certificate in Evangelization (in partnership with the Saint John Society in Portland, Oregon). Additionally, the School’s Diaconate Formation program serves those pursuing their vocation with the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany, NY, and of Allentown, PA. The School works closely with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, providing a Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy degree that is specially tailored to the training of their seminarians in the discipleship stage, preparing the next generation of Catholic priests for the configuration stage of their formation at one of the many national seminaries utilized by the Diocese. Drawing upon the very best that the Catholic philosophical and theological traditions have to offer, St. Bernard’s continues to educate the leaders of the Catholic Church at all levels, from the laity to those who are called to the priesthood and religious life.

While enjoying close ties with the Dioceses that the School serves, St. Bernard’s is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit educational institution accredited by the Association of Theological Schools. The administration of St. Bernard’s possesses both a breadth and depth of experience in higher education and a faculty that is well trained and zealous to meet the challenges faced by the Roman Catholic faith today.

In 2021 the Lilly Foundation awarded a grant to St. Bernard’s to conduct a study on the status of pre-theology (discipleship stage) formation in the United States in the context of the Foundation’s initiative Pathways for Tomorrow. This initiative is directed “to help theological schools strengthen and sustain their capacities to prepare and support pastoral leaders for Christian churches,” particularly as it concentrates upon those who are, or who will soon be, ordained pastoral leaders.

Of particular concern to St. Bernard’s is the way by which the next generation of Catholic clergy will be formed, especially considering the sexual abuse scandals that have caused many within the Catholic Church to reconsider the human and spiritual formation of those called to the priesthood and religious life. As the Appendix to the Lilly Foundation’s initiative so wisely declares: “spiritual maturity, moral integrity and relational ability”1 are critical for pastoral leadership. St. Bernard’s is keenly aware that the aforementioned challenges are not sufficiently

1 Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, “Appendix: Challenges and Opportunities Facing Theological Schools,” p. 3.

met through simply ‘doubling down’ on past practices, particularly in assigning the dimensions of formation (human, pastoral, spiritual, intellectual) to institutions isolated from and working independently of one another. Such an approach is not sufficiently rooted in nor respectful of the complex relational integrity that is the human person, especially of those called to be ordained leaders among God’s people. Education alone will not importantly prevent the reoccurrence of past abuses nor will this fully prepare pastoral leaders who are ready to meet the modern challenges of the church. As ATS’ newly adopted accreditation standards recognize, a school of theology must “work more intentionally to prepare students to serve as pastoral leaders who not only possess knowledge and practical skills but also display spiritual maturity and embody the moral character needed by Christian leaders today.”2 The question, naturally, is how to bring this about.

St. Bernard’s initial attempt at addressing this issue began in 2018 with our contribution to the Diocese of Albany’s program for the training of their seminarians. Upon his installation in 2014, the Most Reverend Edward Scharfenberger, Bishop of Albany, set out to evaluate a model of priestly formation that would address a number of challenges his Diocese was facing. Among these challenges were:

a) a model that would be fiscally responsible and sustainable;

b) a plan that would recruit, support and retain local, national, and perhaps international seminarians throughout their formational process with the goal of helping them to reach ordination and become well-equipped for a life of service as a diocesan priest for the Albany Diocese;

c) the ability to admit men into priestly formation who may lack a bachelor’s degree and/or philosophy training, both of which are required for admission into seminary for the configurative stage of their formation;

d) the establishment of a team that would exert direct oversight and intentional involvement in the formation and education of these men;

e) the founding of a house of formation in the Diocese of Albany, to aid men in formation to progress in maturity, integrity, and competency in the midst of the community they would serve after ordination.

Responding to these challenges, St. Bernard’s designed classes and a degree program crafted distinctively for the discipleship stage of formation: the Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy (MACP). Concurrently, the Diocese established the Saint Isaac Jogues’ House of Formation and appointed a team of both lay and religious formators.3 Under their guidance, seminarians in the discipleship stage engaged upon a life of study, reflection, and prayer aimed to address the heart and intersection of the human, pastoral, spiritual, and intellectual dimensions of formation. While studying at St. Bernard’s and living at the House of Formation, seminarians were able to become a part of the larger local community through parish placements and the ‘integrated classroom’ environment provided by St. Bernard’s where men and women, both lay and religious, studied together, thereby forming relationships with the wider Catholic community in

2 Ibid

3 On the importance of having both priests and lay professors, see Congregation for the Clergy, “The Gift of the Priestly Vocation,” Ratio fundamentalis institutionis sacerdotalis , n. 143.

Albany and beyond and exposing them more effectively to the issues currently facing Catholics in today’s world.

St. Bernard’s MACP exemplifies the way in which the Church understands the crucial importance of the philosophical studies during the discipleship stage, as explained in Pastores dabo vobis:

A crucial stage of intellectual formation is the study of philosophy, which leads to a deeper understanding of the person, and of the person’s freedom and relationships with the world and with God. A proper philosophical training is vital, not only because of the links between the great philosophical questions and the mysteries of salvation which are studied in theology under the guidance of the higher light of faith, but also vis-à-vis an extremely widespread cultural situation which emphasizes subjectivism as a criterion and measure of truth: only a sound philosophy can help candidates for the priesthood to develop a reflective awareness of the fundamental relationship that exists between the human spirit and truth, that truth which is revealed to us fully in Jesus Christ. Nor must one underestimate the importance of philosophy as a guarantee of that ‘certainty of truth’ which is the only firm basis for a total giving of oneself to Jesus and to the Church. It is not difficult to see that some very specific questions, such as that concerning the priest’s identity and his apostolic and missionary commitment, are closely linked to the question about the nature of truth, which is anything but an abstract question.4

The Ratio fundamentalis elaborates further:

By this course of studies, it will be possible to enkindle in seminarians ‘a love of rigorously searching for the truth and maintaining and demonstrating it, together with an honest recognition of the limits of human knowledge,’ and to do so from a pastoral perspective, giving attention ‘to the necessary connection between philosophy and the true problems of life’.5

Diocesan formators played a key role in the discernment and vetting of future priests as the men in formation lived locally for two full years during their discipleship stage before leaving for seminary and the start of the configuration stage. This model where seminarians were kept in the Diocese for an extended period of time, required the collective efforts of many people, both lay and religious, to ensure that seminarians were exposed and readied to minister to the social and cultural challenges specific to the congregations of the Albany Diocese.

The Diocese admitted men into formation not only from the local area, but from across the country and even the world. The program included men from Nigeria, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Haiti, Taiwan, Kenya, the Philippines, and Vietnam, who learned about the needs of the Church in the United States and who continue to discern their ministry in this country

St. Bernard’s worked closely with the Diocese, offering it a great deal of flexibility, allowing men who already had philosophical training or who had come to their vocation at a later age to

4 John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis to the Bishops, Clergy and Faithful on the Formation of the Priests in the Circumstances of the Present Day, Ch. 5, n. 52.

5 Ratio fundamentalis, n. 164.

be admitted to the Master of Divinity program instead of the MACP, and, upon completion, to transfer their coursework into the seminary, thereby making the best use of the time they spent in formation before ordination. Conversely, men who needed more time for discernment and/or to complete their bachelor’s degree could do so at a local college while still living in community at the House of Formation and taking courses in philosophy with St. Bernard’s on a part-time basis The involvement of key representatives from the whole of the Diocese, united in their efforts to provide all that is required for advancement in the intellectual, human, pastoral, and spiritual formation of seminarians, was the distinguishing mark of this collaborative effort, one that has begun to yield good fruits with the ordination of the first of the graduates of the MACP to the transitional diaconate in 2023, and with ordination expected in the Spring of 2024.

Naturally, there is a great desire on the part of the administration of St. Bernard’s to apply the experience gained through its service of the Diocese of Albany to other Dioceses both locally and nationally. This led, consequently, to investigations and discussions that culminated in the pursuit of a grant from the Lilly Foundation to explore further the challenges faced by St. Bernard’s in sharing its riches in other areas, as well as to learn from the experiences of others as they grapple with this most pressing issue, the formation of the next generation of priests for service in the Catholic Church.

II. The CARA Study

The study promoted by St. Bernard’s and funded by the Lilly Foundation’s Pathways for Tomorrow had two major goals:

1) To conduct a study of Roman Catholic diocesan bishops and vocation directors across North America to:

a. gain a better understanding of the nature and scope of their challenges with regard to priestly formation;

b. to capture data relevant to the potential development of more localized formation communities as a way to mitigate some of these challenges while also exploring and addressing potential imperfections of this approach. The study would employ a mixed methods design, utilizing tools to capture both qualitative and quantitative data, such as mass-distributed surveys and interviews/focus groups held in key dioceses from representative demographic types. Key differentiating factors among diocesan communities would be considered, such as urban/rural, population size and density, and demographic growth vs. decline;

2) To assess the ways by which we could take St. Bernard’s cooperation with the Diocese of Albany’s program of discipleship stage training of their seminarians and open this up to other Dioceses, either through inclusion of others in the Diocese of Albany’s program, or through the establishment of a partnership with their own Diocese.

The study was conducted by St. Bernard’s in collaboration with CARA (the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) at Georgetown University. The first part of the project began in Spring 2021 and involved CARA conducting nine interviews with bishops, vocation directors, and other relevant personnel about the state of the discipleship programs they use and their met and unmet needs in that area. This part of the study was concluded in May 2022. The findings from that study informed the survey created for the second part of the project.

The second part of the project involved the distribution of the above-mentioned survey to various dioceses, archdioceses, and eparchies in the United States during May 2022. The survey was sent to 193 dioceses, archdioceses, and eparchies across the country, both via email and traditional mail. There were 101 responses, yielding an impressive 52% response rate.6

The survey covered two groups: (a) those who used discipleship stage programs within their dioceses, archdioceses, and eparchies (numbering 27 of the 101 respondents), and (b) those who used discipleship stage programs outside their dioceses (numbering 74 of the 101 respondents) 7

Based on the interviews and the survey, CARA produced the National Survey of Diocesan Vocation Directors About Pre-Seminarian Formation on behalf of St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry (the full survey is included in the Appendices of this report). The National Survey is a quantitative study of the responses given by the vocation directors across the country. What follows in the next section are the major findings of this survey, after which a summary will be presented, an analysis of and response to these findings, and lastly a proposal putting forward a possible next step based on these materials read in light of St. Bernard’s experience in formational efforts.

III. Major Findings of the CARA Study

Dioceses with their Discipleship Stage/Pre-seminary Formation Institution within their Diocese

Attributes of the Local Discipleship Stage Institutions

• Among the 27 dioceses with their discipleship stage formation institutions located within their diocese, 48% have a local house of formation that is formally affiliated with their diocese and another 22% have a local house of formation that is independent of their diocese.

• Slightly more than half (a combined 53%) say that it is “somewhat” or “very” much of a strain for their diocese to provide priests and other personnel to staff the local formation institutions within their diocese.

• 12% have a local institution they use for discipleship stage formation that only accepts men from their dioceses. The other 88% accept men from other dioceses and religious institutes.

• Nearly three in four dioceses (73%) send their seminarians in the discipleship stage to an institution where they also send their candidates for theology studies.

6 CARA and St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry, National Survey of Diocesan Vocation Directors about Pre-Seminarian Formation, August 2022, p. 1

7 National Survey of Diocesan Vocation Directors about Pre -Seminarian Formation, p. 2

Satisfaction with the Local Discipleship Stage Programs They Use

• Some 91% of bishops and 95% of responding vocation directors are reported as being “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the local institution that provides their dioceses with discipleship stage formation.

• Catholic seminaries concentrate upon the four dimensions of formation in their programs Vocation directors evaluate their local discipleship stage programs as being of “high quality” in the area of spiritual formation (77%), followed by the program’s intellectual formation (68%), pastoral formation (59%), and human formation (52%).

• More than eight in ten (83%) indicate that their local program meets the standards set for formation by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Program for Priestly Formation “somewhat” or “very” well.

• About eight in ten (82%) report that they are “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with how well their program helps seminarians in the discipleship stage to discern their vocation to the priesthood.

• Fully 100% of vocation directors indicate that they are “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with how well their local programs identify the men who have problematic behaviors that may prevent them from being accepted into the priesthood.

• 87% say their local programs are reasonable and affordable for their dioceses.

• 56% indicate that their local institution serves those candidates for whom English is a second language “somewhat” or “very” well.

• 87% say they are “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the level of communication between their programs’ leaders and their diocese.

• 91% report that their men emerge from their local programs with sufficiently strong ties to their dioceses upon completion of the program.

• Asked why they send their men to the particular local program they do, vocation directors are most likely to cite diocesan ownership and operation of the program, and the convenience of the institution’s location.

Openness to a Change in their Discipleship Stage Programs

• 17% of dioceses with local discipleship stage programs say they have been considering changing the program they use. Similarly, 17% indicate that they are “somewhat” or “very” interested in exploring a partnership with an institution with experience and expertise in discipleship stage programs that could provide their diocese with the

resources needed (such an accredited degree program, theology and philosophy professors, formators, and spiritual directors) to establish a new kind of program.

• Asked why they would or would not be interested in engaging in such a partnership, 2 of 27 dioceses with local institutions expressed interest. The rest indicated that they are not interested because they already own and operate a successful discipleship stage formation program within their dioceses.

Dioceses with their Discipleship Stage/Pre-seminary Formation Institutions Outside of their Diocese

Attributes of their Discipleship Stage Formation Institutions Outside of their Dioceses

• Among the 74 dioceses in this category, 19% have a local house of formation that is formally affiliated with their diocese, and another 15% have a local house of formation that is independent of their diocese.

• On average, vocation directors report that their discipleship stage formation institutions are 450 miles away from their dioceses.

• More than seven in ten dioceses (72%) send their seminarians in discipleship stage to an institution where they also send their candidates for theology studies.

Satisfaction with their Outside Discipleship Stage Programs

• Some 97% of bishops and 87% of responding vocation directors are reported as being “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the outside institution that provides discipleship stage formation for their diocese.

• Examining the four dimensions of formation, vocation directors are especially likely to evaluate their discipleship stage programs as being of “high quality” in the area of intellectual formation (75%), followed by the program’s human formation (68%), spiritual formation (64%), and pastoral formation (60%).

• Nearly all dioceses (96%) report that they are “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with how well these programs help seminarians in discipleship stage to discern their vocation to the priesthood.

• Fully 100% of vocation directors indicate that they are “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with how well their discipleship stage programs identify men who have problematic behaviors that may prevent them from being accepted into the priesthood.

• Nine in ten (89%) say the outside program they use is reasonable and affordable for their diocese.

• 49% indicate that their institutions serve men for whom English is a second language “somewhat” or “very” well.

• 93% say they are “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the level of communication between their programs’ leaders and their diocese.

• 94% report that their men complete these programs with sufficiently strong ties to their dioceses.

• Asked why they send their men to a particular program outside their diocese, vocation directors are most likely to cite the quality of its formation programs, its location and convenience for the candidates, and the good relationship they have with the rectors and other formation staff at the institutions.

• Most vocation directors, when asked whether they have had any challenges in finding a discipleship stage program that is the right fit for their diocese, indicate that they do not have any challenges in that area. That said, however, the issue that did arise most frequently was in finding the right fit for each of their candidates with programs that take into account their age, life experiences, and academic competencies.

Openness to a Change in their Discipleship Stage Programs

• 21% whose discipleship stage programs are located outside of their diocese say they have been considering changing the program they use.

• A sizable proportion of respondents do identify some benefits to having a local discipleship stage formation program. Half (51%) believe having a local program would increase their future priests’ ties to their dioceses (if they were to serve in local parishes during their pre-theology programs), and a third (34%) believe they would have more men entering into discernment if they had a local program.

• A combined 23% indicate that they are “somewhat” or “very” open to establishing a local program and 32% report being “somewhat” or “very” interested in exploring a partnership with an institution with experience and expertise in discipleship stage formation programs that could provide their diocese with the resources needed (such an accredited degree program, providing theology and philosophy professors, formators, and spiritual directors) to establish a new kind of program.

• When asked why they would or would not be interested in engaging in such a partnership, 11 of the 51 who responded listed a unique reason for why they would be interested. Among those who say they are not interested, the most commonly cited reasons are the success of their current programs, the insufficient number of priests they

have to staff such a program, and usually not having enough pre-seminary candidates to make it worthwhile for their diocese.

IV. Summary of Findings

The general narrative that can be drawn from the survey responses seems clear:

1. Most of the dioceses that have an in-house discipleship stage/philosophy program or have a long-standing relationship with a higher-education institution are satisfied with the status of these programs and are not interested in exploring alternatives to their programs;

2. The viability of a diocesan house of formation is put into question by a lack of internal diocesan resources, specifically local religious and academic formators;

3. Those dioceses that recognize the ‘ideality’ of a diocesan house of formation during the discipleship stage are discouraged about it becoming a reality due to lack of local personnel, reduced number of discerners, and financial constraints;

4. While most dioceses recognize the importance of giving their seminarians in the discipleship stage the possibility of being formed in their own diocese, in close contact with their Bishop, presbyterate, and the local community that they will serve, only some of these dioceses see these as substantial reasons to prefer an in-house program to a wellestablished program outside their dioceses They believe that external programs provide a quality of formation and an experience of community with seminarians from other dioceses that an in-house/local program could not

Some of the dioceses that participated in the survey claim to be open to the possibility of adopting a new discipleship stage/philosophy program provided by an institution outside the Diocese. The same dioceses, however, remain discouraged about the possibility of making such a move. The reasons that the bishops and formation directors mention concerning the difficulty in switching to a new discipleship stage/philosophy program are extremely interesting and are worth quoting in full:

i. “Especially with the new direction of the revised PPF which includes the need for a Propaedeutic period, I believe that having a house of formation in our diocese could be helpful. However, we are so small and have so few candidates, that it would be a financial impossibility, I believe. A true ‘pre-theology’ or ‘philosophy’ school would be almost out of the question”;

ii. “I am always open to innovation. While we are largely satisfied with our programs, those programs are both subject to change and the personnel changes so frequently that it is difficult to depend on a seminary formation program to provide a consistent level of excellence year over year”;

iii. “I would be interested because I think it is the ideal. I do not think it is within the realm of possibilities for us given how stretched thin we are for priests. I do not believe it would be the priority of the Bishop”;

iv. “I would be interested to give guys the opportunity to grow closer to the local presbyterate and get a better feel of the Archdiocese for their own discernment and formation. I would not be interested due to the challenge of providing the type of community life and priest presence that would be necessary to have a house of formation”;

v. “I’d be open to listening, but I think this would be difficult for a small diocese. Much of formation requires the presence of other seminarians. A program in our diocese would be small”;

vi. “Interested in learning how to find the necessary financial support to help sustain a new program; learning how to identify priests that can help in the formation program as faculty and/or spiritual directors for seminarians and discerners”;

vii. “It would have to be fully staffed by the partner. We do not have the human or academic resource to provide such a program in our diocese at present”;

viii. “It would make many aspects of the endeavor easier, but we would have to carefully vet the program to make sure that the fit is right”;

ix. “Such a partnership strikes me as a novel idea that can overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to establishing a pre-theology program, namely the provision of an academic faculty. The potential benefits of having a local pretheology program seem worthwhile especially if the men are asked to discern and commit to the diocese by the end of the discipleship phase”; “This would be a great help in formation”;

x. “Would fill the many gaps we would have if we opened our own program.”8

In synthesis, the reasons that seem to make a house of formation and an in-house discipleship stage/philosophy program impossible are the following:

1. while recognizing that a diocesan house of formation would provide the ideal context for the formation related to pre-theology, many dioceses think that they lack the resources to run a house of formation and an in-house discipleship stage/philosophy program, with respect especially to the availability of competent professors in a diocese;

2. they believe that it would be financially impossible to create and run an in-house discipleship stage/philosophy program;

3. they are worried that if diocesan priests were asked to contribute to such a program, it would put an additional strain on an already overburdened presbyterate;

4. the number of seminarians in many dioceses is so low that the expense of an in-house discipleship stage/philosophy program could not be justified.

Despite the above reservations, almost all the Bishops and vocation directors who claim to be interested in the possibility of a different discipleship stage/philosophy program acknowledge that

1. the ideal situation for the discipleship stage/philosophy program would be to have a diocesan house of formation working together with a trusted higher-education institution which could provide the professional and formational skills for imparting philosophical courses;

2. it would allow seminarians to stay closer to and become familiar with their bishop, the local presbyterate and the community of believers of their diocese;

3. it would make the formation process more reliable;

4. it would overcome the problem of finding qualified local professors. 8

V. Analysis of and Response to Findings

The issues and concerns summarized in the prior section are well-founded and indeed are to be taken seriously by any diocese that responsibly faces the financial, spiritual, and pastoral challenges of the present day. It may, however, be instructive to consider the experience that St. Bernard’s had in addressing these issues in its service of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, an experience which reveals that these issues can be addressed in a prudent and realistic way, showing that there is a way forward to realize practically what most bishops and vocation directors consider to be ideal, namely the establishment of their own house of formation for both the propaedeutic and discipleship stages of their seminarians.

As mentioned above in Section I, the Diocese of Albany established the St. Isaac Jogues House of Formation in 2018. It was designed expressly to ensure that the discipleship stage occurred “in the context of a community,” in conformity with what is explicitly stated in the Program for Priestly Formation 9 Guided by what is stated in Pastores dabo vobis, a house of formation endeavors to be more than just “a material space.” It must strive to be “a spiritual place, a way of life” with “an atmosphere that fosters and ensures a process of formation, so that the person who is called to the priesthood by God may become, with the sacrament of orders, a living image of Jesus Christ, head and shepherd of the Church.”10

St. Bernard’s was charged by the Diocese of Albany to address the philosophical formation of its seminarians in the discipleship stage, while the Diocese provided its own team to address the other dimensions of their formation during this stage. St. Bernard’s carefully crafted a philosophy program in accordance with the requirements stated in both the Program for Priestly Formation and the Ratio fundamentalis 11 Through this program, St. Bernard’s exposed the diocese’s seminarians to the best of the Catholic philosophical and theological traditions during their discipleship stage, forming them in these traditions and disciplines so that they might be well prepared for their theological studies in the configuration stage. While rooted in the Catholic tradition with a clear preference for the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine, the program placed an appropriate emphasis upon the contemporary cultural and philosophical scene to ensure that the men in formation could “speak the language of the day,” understand its specific problems, and address them effectively in their study and eventually their ministry. The program was designed to be completed in two years, corresponding to the two years of the discipleship stage,12 at the end of which the seminarian is granted a Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy in recognition of the important work that they had undertaken and the unity of approach that was instilled in this master’s level degree program, something not commonly found in other institutions that offer discipleship stage training.13

The mode of instruction privileges in-person engagement and was complimented by the School’s distance education technology which allowed all classes to be accessed remotely via Zoom and

9 United States of Catholic Bishops, The Program for Priestly Formation in the United States of America, 6th edition, Washington, DC, 2022, n. 149.

10 John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis to the Bishops, Clergy and Faithful on the Formation of the Priests in the Circumstances of the Present Day, Ch. 5, n. 42.

11 The Program for Priestly Formation, nn. 282-284; n. 306; Ratio fundamentalis, nn. 159-162.

12 The Program for Priestly Formation, n. 279.

13 See the appendices for the ratio of this program.

thus made available to all within the St. Bernard’s community. A physical presence was established in Albany and a full-time faculty member was appointed to work there and to be present to the seminarians at the House of Formation. Additionally, the President, the VP/Academic Dean, and all the other faculty members of St. Bernard’s were available – as teachers and academic advisors – to the Diocese’s formation program, specifically through online instruction, online meetings, and regular visits to Albany and the House of Formation by the President himself. In short, St. Bernard’s administration, staff, and professors all worked in concert with the vocation team of the Diocese of Albany to assess and support the academic progress of their seminarians and their intellectual and human growth within the greater whole of their path of vocational discernment, in accordance with the guidance offered by the Ratio fundamentalis 14 In all of this, the Diocese of Albany found that it could rely on the academic resources of an accredited educational institution both for its instructional needs and for all other associated formational tasks performed and led by the diocesan formation team, all of which are central to the human formation of seminarians, which, according to the Ratio fundamentalis, is the “foundation of all priestly formation.”15

In the spirit of subsidiarity, St. Bernard’s hired qualified members of the presbyterate of the Diocese of Albany as adjunct professors to teach in this program. This strengthened the relationship between the School and the Diocese which redounded to the formation of their seminarians. It should be noted that St. Bernard’s does not require that the local presbyterate undertake teaching duties, particularly if local priests are not qualified for this task or if such involvement would put undue strain on the presbyterate. As stated, the avenues for greater involvement of the diocese in the formation of their seminarians in the discipleship stage are left open by design, and in the case of the Diocese of Albany, were taken up readily and gratefully by several of its priests.

In addition to its service to the Albany Diocese, St. Bernard’s has started to provide philosophical formation to the novices of the Society of Mary, whose house of formation in the United States is located in Portland, OR. The first novice to receive this formation enjoyed the same level of philosophical formation and academic attention that the seminarians receive in Albany. She recently graduated from the MACP and has taken final vows with her order just this past year. The house of formation for the sisters of the Society of Mary enjoys its own internal organization, leadership, and structure, akin to that described above with regard to the Diocese of Albany, something with which St. Bernard’s hopes to work in the future to the degree that the Society of Mary desires. They too benefit in all the ways rehearsed above with regard to the School’s service of the Albany Diocese.

14 Ratio fundamentalis, n. 141: “the formators shall ensure the cooperation of the professors and other experts, and shall meet regularly with them, in order to address teaching-related matters, so as to promote more effectively the integral formation of the seminarians. The professors should concern themselves with the progress of seminarians in their studies. The commitment of seminarians to their personal academic work, in all the subjects to be studied, must be considered a criterion of vocational discernment, and a condition for their progressive growth in fidelity to their future ministerial endeavor.”

15 Ratio fundamentalis, n. 94. A little further on at n. 62 it states: “This specific period is characterized by the formation of the disciple of Jesus who is destined to be a pastor. Special attention is given to the human dimension, in harmony with spiritual growth, so as to help the seminarian mature in his definitive decision to follow the Lord in ministerial priesthood, by embracing the evangelical counsels in a way proper to this stage. … For priestly formation the importance of human formation cannot be sufficiently emphasized.”

Lastly, those in formation in Albany, NY and in Portland, Oregon share their educational experiences not only among their own but also with students from other dioceses, both religious and lay from across the United States and beyond, through St. Bernard’s distance education technology and program. This has the additional advantage that while they continue to live and study with those within their own communities, they also are exposed to the wider Church, its people and their issues, all of which contribute positively to their human and intellectual formation.

VI. Next Steps: Proposal

Thanks to the experience that St. Bernard’s has acquired through its MACP in forming seminarians at the St. Isaac Jogues House of Formation in Albany, NY, and one novice of the Society of Mary in Portland, OR, the authors of this study think that the concerns voiced by bishops and vocation directors spelled out in Section IV are not insurmountable and that both the propaedeutic and discipleship stages could and should be conducted by a diocese within its own community.

Three points are directly relevant to this proposal:

First, we contend that the expense of establishing and running a house of formation for both the propaedeutic and discipleship stages is largely unexplored and that it is simply presumed to be prohibitively expensive. This presumption has some justification if one is thinking of a seminary model in line with what most dioceses are currently using for their formational needs. However, St. Bernard’s experience with the Albany Diocese shows that one need not think in these presumed terms and that a house of formation and a discipleship stage formation program is well within reach and can attain the formational goals desired.

If a diocese were to partner with an educational institution that could provide the intellectual formation required for both the propaedeutic and discipleship stages, it would be within the diocese’s financial capacity to establish a house of formation together with a diocesan team planning and leading the spiritual, human, and pastoral dimensions appropriate to these stages. This was achieved in our experience with the Diocese of Albany, where through the inclusion of key priests from its presbyterate, together with the active support of its bishop, religious of the diocese, and committed lay people, this diocese was able to engage in effective formation according to the principles and the stated intent of the PPF for the discipleship stage.

Financially, their expense was reduced by more than 50%, with their average expenditure of $50,000/candidate/year at a seminary reduced to between $18-20,000/candidate/year at their own house of formation (inclusive of tuition, utilization of a building as a house of formation owned by the diocese, utilities, food, and minimal staff for this house with most house-keeping duties shared by those who lived there). In utilizing the Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy offered through St. Bernard’s, and in taking advantage of an administration and faculty that understood and served the formational needs of diaconate classes in four dioceses, the intellectual dimension of formation was properly addressed and satisfied, leaving the diocesan team to dwell properly and fully upon matters of spiritual, human, and pastoral formation

Second, both the PPF and the Ratio Fundamentalis state that it is preferable that formation be done by a diocese utilizing its own resources and the people within the community that the

priest-to-be will eventually serve with his life and ministry The importance of this is recognized, understood, and desired by many within the survey, seeking not only to adhere more closely to the guidance offered by the Church in these documents, but also to embrace the duty to form those for whom they are responsible.

Third, as desirable as the aforementioned duty may be, the documents mentioned in the prior point allow dioceses to utilize formational programs outside of their boundaries when it is not financially feasible for them to do it in-house, or when they do not have personnel sufficient to the task. Although the financial concern is weakened in light of what was just said and although the matter of sufficient personnel and expertise might be adequately addressed through partnerships with experienced and qualified educational institutions, nevertheless many still are not compelled to undertake the work required to effect local formation, presumably because of the strain that this would impose upon an already burdened presbyterate that increasingly ages and shrinks in number and capacity and who serve a variety of goods that are equally if not more important than the one under discussion.

While we do not wish to denigrate these concerns, the authors of this study believe that the reasons for local formation become increasingly compelling when we consider the findings published recently from the National Study on Catholic Priests (conducted by CARA in union with The Catholic University of America) 16 In this extensive survey of 10,000 diocesan priests from across the country,17 there are at least 5 troubling points made that are pertinent to the importance of local formation. In sum, priests report that they

i. do not trust their Bishop and do not find the support that they would expect from him as their spiritual father;

ii. feel overworked and isolated;

iii. find their support networks with their lay friends and family members, and not in other members of the presbyterate or with their Bishop;

iv. fear that the “no mercy policy” in place against priests who are suspected of sexual abuse makes them very vulnerable; they feel that there is no consistent policy in cases of sexual abuse allegations; that they will be simply sacrificed without proper or due process; that when these processes do work, it is because they are bureaucratized, something that strikes many priests as a problem;

v. do not have a great opinion of their Bishops; they feel that they are CEOs in the bestcase scenario, something that is not desirable given the importance of the position and its role in the dioceses in which they serve.

It should be noted that these views are the result of many and diverse problems that face the faith and the faithful today, and that the ways by which they are to be addressed are also many and diverse. Be that as it may, we hold that an effective way to begin addressing these concerns, to effect healing, and to prevent these issues from being visited upon those in formation, would be through the establishment of closer personal, human, and spiritual ties to the bishop of a diocese

16 See https://catholicproject.catholic.edu/national-study-of-catholic-priests/ for further details.

17 of which 3,516 responded (a healthy 35% response rate), together with in-depth interviews of over 100 priests (as reported here).

and to the presbyterate, something that could be partly addressed and realized through formation programs that take place within a diocese in both the propaedeutic and discipleship stages.

A diocesan house of formation would allow its bishop many and diverse opportunities to act in his full capacity and duty as teacher, pastor, and spiritual father to those in the initial stages of their formation; his presence would be intentional, immediate, consistent, and affirming of the importance of the discernment and formation upon which these men are engaged, all of which are difficult to achieve through occasional visits to institutions that are on average 450 miles away from the sending diocese.18

A local house of formation would allow a bishop to call upon both his presbyterate and qualified lay people within his diocese to contribute to the initial formation of his seminarians. This involvement of diocesan priests and the laity would be a powerful way to forge those communal bonds that bespeak the importance of priestly formation but especially of the effort and love on the part of a community to effect such in those men who respond to the call of God and who wish to serve Him within their own dioceses. Such a powerful witness is not lost on a seminarian, and one cannot exaggerate its importance in the discernment of and growth within his vocation, particularly at its early stages, let alone the draw that this would have upon those young men questioning how best to commit themselves to a life of service to the Lord.19

An objection can be raised at this point:

Given the importance of the task of formation, it would be best to entrust this to those who are expert in formation and who are employed by well-established institutions like the seminaries utilized by those in the survey appended to this report. This would affirm the importance of the task and would assure the seminarian that the proper effort has been made on his behalf to procure the training and formation required for the priesthood, and thereby avoid any problems that might arise from those who are less expert in such matters and lacking in resources

We respond in the following way:

The authors of this study recognize that the formation of those called to the priesthood is a complex matter, one that demands the very best of those charged with this responsibility both in the intentional ways that they humanly, spiritually, pastorally, and intellectually form the candidate, and in their own manifestation of these dimensions of mature character and practice. Those who approach this task assuredly feel the weight of it, and in humility become very aware of their own deficiencies and that of their own communities. And even though a shared burden is more easily carried, the qualities of those who join in this communal task determine whether the task is well or poorly accomplished. It is thus understandable, even reasonable, to desire to outsource such tasks to those who are expert, who work for institutions that have made it their

18 See page xx above.

19 As an example of this, one can see these things readily displayed in the house of formation in the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas. This is a vibrant community that boasts not just healthy numbers, but full incorporation into the life of the parish to which it is attached and the presence of the bishop of the diocese who lives in a building attached to the house of formation and who interacts on a daily basis with those in the initial stages of their formation. Such is important to a diocese that covers the entirety of the state of Arkansas and thus depends upon solid communal bonds fostered by this approach to formation.

task to prepare men for the priesthood, who have much experience in this, and are appropriately founded and funded for the task.

Notwithstanding these points, there are many reasons to not allow them to deter us from establishing local houses of formation, at least for the propaedeutic and discipleship stages of a seminarian’s formation.

It should be noted that while this line of reasoning is well intentioned and seems to conclude reasonably to the use of experts in institutions outside a sending diocese, this is not a situation peculiar to priestly formation, but denotes more broadly a situation that is faced by anyone charged with formational responsibilities over the course of their lives. We think immediately of those who become parents for the first time and who experience the full force of these considerations They do indeed rely in important ways upon their own families and the larger community for the rearing and support of their children. Nevertheless, there is the recognition, at the very least in Church teachings on marriage and the family, that irrespective of financial and professional capacities, those fundamental human, spiritual, social, and intellectual aspects of a child’s rearing are reserved to the family alone, and should not, except in the most dire of circumstances, be given to others, to government agencies, or to the culture itself

The authors of this study would contend that in the formational activities of those discerning their call to the priesthood, there is something analogous to the rearing of children and the responsibilities that fall to their parents and their immediate families to effect.20 Just as we resist the temptation to involve agencies external to the family to effect what the Church has stated is proper to and can only be accomplished by the family, so too should we take a similar stance to the formation of the next generation of priests and follow, to the extent that is appropriate, the Church’s guidance in how we are to effect this formation through local diocesan communities.

Although the formation of a priest and that of one’s children are very different in nature and scope, the analogy should at least give one pause to consider whether the transfer of formational duties, at least in the propaedeutic and discipleship stages, to larger, expert, and better funded institutions external to a diocese is the best that we can do for the next generation of priests.

There have always been those who have advocated for the rearing of children outside the family, and yet, even in those cases where the benefits are clear, the Church has consistently opposed such a move, affirming instead the nature and the purpose of the family and that the duties that follow upon these are best realized within the family. When we consider the nature and the purposes of all social organizations from their humble but foundational beginnings in the family right the way up to the constitutions that found our nations, our Catholic faith is assuredly aware that the principle of subsidiarity is vital to the integrity, operations, and purposes of these communities. The authors of this study would hold that the preference stated by the PPF and the Ratio Fundementalis for local formation, at least at the propaedeutic and discipleship stages, arises from these thoughts and principles If this line of reasoning is correct, then at the very least, the responsibility falls to the diocesan community to determine those aspects of formation

20 and not just simply to this one area, but to other situations where formational activities are at issue, such as education and the nature of the institutions responsible for such, the apprenticeship model of training in the trades and productive arts, the modeling of virtuous character to which people in positions of responsibility are called, etc.

that belong properly to it and that cannot or should not be attempted by communities external to it, and in light of what is discerned to take up the difficult, but not impossible, work of establishing formational programs within their purview and responsibility, leaving to a seminary those matters that are rightfully theirs.

In taking up the responsibility of having the propaedeutic and discipleship stages of formation engaged upon by the local diocesan community, that community would begin to see itself as holding a duty that had not to that point been “on its radar ” It would be offered the opportunity, with good leadership, to grow increasingly into its rightful place and responsibility as Christians. One is tempted, again, to consider the analogous situation into which a married couple is thrown upon the advent of their first child. No parent is expertly prepared for this duty, but each one recognizes that it has indeed been gifted to them, and that with the help of their families and the community itself together with the grace that abounds, they realize both the great joy that accompanies the rearing of their children as well as that maturity and stature proper to the servant to whom much more will be given. In partnership with an educational institution that would provide the intellectual dimension of formation, the presbyterate of each diocese, led by its bishop and drawing upon its deacons, religious, and committed laity, would provide sufficient numbers and expertise to address the human, spiritual, and pastoral concerns of the propaedeutic and discipleship stages of their seminarians. As stated previously, such a communal effort to effect the gift of formation desired by those among them pursuing their vocation to the priesthood is considered by the authors of this study to be an important part of the complex effort to address the malaise indicated by CUA’s CARA study. The matter of expertise, then, while always among one’s considerations, is no longer considered that to which all other goods must be subsumed, but rather is one factor that takes its proper place and manifests in light of the greater goods and responsibilities discussed here.

Having received their initial formation from their local diocesan communities, seminarians would then by ready for the formation that they should receive at a seminary during their configuration stage In having their initial formation take place in their home dioceses, the integration of seminarians into the life of their home diocese is not something left to the vocational synthesis stage, but rather is engaged upon both before leaving for seminary and after. All of this in union with a qualified and experienced graduate school of theology and ministry that operates according to the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity in its administrative and academic activities, allowing for formation programs to be tailored to the needs of individual dioceses and the men that present for formation.

The authors of this study and of his proposal thank all who took the time to speak with us and who completed the survey instrument from which we have drawn the preceding. We hope that this will offer food for thought to diocesan communities as they struggle with the challenges of the day, and that the proposal offered may indeed help to strengthen those bonds of friendship and charity that are essential to our service of the people of God.

VII. Appendix I

Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate

Georgetown University Washington, DC

National Survey of Diocesan Vocation Directors About Preseminarian Formation

Saint Bernard’s School of Theology

Rochester, New York

August 2022

Jonathon L. Wiggins, Ph.D. Thomas P. Gaunt, SJ, Ph.D.

Please explain why you would or would not be interested in such a partnership? 87

Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate

National Survey of Diocesan Vocation Directors about Preseminarian Formation

Saint Bernard’s School of Theology Rochester, New York

Executive Summary

The National Survey of Diocesan Vocation Directors about Pre-seminarian Formation was designed by CARA – the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate – at Georgetown University in collaboration with St. Bernard’s School of Theology in Rochester, New York. St. Bernard’s School of Theology approached CARA in Spring 2021 about conducting a study to assess the state of preseminarian formation (also known as philosophical studies programs or pre-theology programs) in Catholic arch/dioceses in the United States to guide St. Bernard’s as it considered how its School of Theology could provide appropriate academic resources for arch/dioceses both on-site and through distance learning.

The first part of the project involved CARA conducting nine interviews with vocation directors and other relevant diocesan personnel about the state of the pre-seminarian formation programs they use and their met and unmet needs in that area. A summ ary of that report was delivered to St. Bernard’s in May 2022. The findings from that study informed the survey created for this part of the project, which can be seen (as well as the response frequencies for each question) in Appendix I.

CARA distributed the survey by both email and mail. Each of the 183 arch/dioceses and eparchies for which CARA had an email address were sent an email with a link to the online version of the survey during May 2022. In addition, a cover letter describing the study, a paper copy of the survey, and a return envelope were sent to 193 arch/dioceses and eparchies in May 2022. This report presents the findings from that survey, for which there were 101 responses from vocation directors from U.S. arch/dioceses and eparchies. As such, this survey had a 52% response rate.

Major Findings

Two groups have been surveyed for this project: (a) those 27 responding vocation directors with a pre-theology institution they use within their arch/diocese or eparchy21 and (b) the 74 vocation directors whose primary institutions for pre-theology are located outside of their dioceses. Findings for each group are presented separately below.

Dioceses with their Pre-seminary Formation Institution within their Diocese

Attributes of the Local Pre-seminary Institutions

• Among the 27 dioceses with their primary pre-seminary formation institutions located within their diocese, 48% have a local house of formation that is formally affiliated with their diocese and another 22% have a local house of formation that is independent of their diocese.

• Slightly more than half (a combined 53%) say that it is “somewhat” or “very” much of a strain for their diocese to provide priests and other personnel to help staff the local formation institutions within their diocese.

• Twelve percent have a local institution they use for pre-seminary formation that only accepts men from their dioceses. The other 88% have ones that accept men from other dioceses and religious institutes.

• Nearly three in four dioceses (73%) send their pre-seminarians to an institution where they also send their candidates for theology studies.

Satisfaction with the Local Pre-seminary Programs They Use

• Some 91% of bishops and 95% of responding vocation directors are reported as being “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the local institution that provides their dioceses with preseminary formation.

• Catholic seminaries have four dimensions of formation they are especially to attend to. Vocation directors are especially likely to evaluate their local pre-seminary programs as being of “high quality” in the area of spiritual formation (77%), followed by the program’s intellectual formation (68%), pastoral formation (59%), and human formation (52%).

• More than eight in ten (a combined 83%) indicate that their local program meets the standards set for formation by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Program for Priestly Formation “somewhat” or “very” well.

• About eight in ten (a combined 82%) report that they are “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with how well their program helps pre-seminarians to discern their vocation to the priesthood.

21 For the remainder of the Executive Summary, for reasons of conciseness, “arch/dioceses or eparchies” will be referred to simply as “dioceses.”

• Fully 100% of vocation directors indicate that they are “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with how well their local programs identify the men who have problematic behaviors that may prevent them from being accepted into the priesthood.

• Nearly nine in ten (87%) say their local programs are reasonable and affordable for their dioceses.

• Almost six in ten (a combined 56%) indicate that their local institution serves those candidates for whom English is a second language “somewhat” or “very” well.

• A combined 87% say they are “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the level of communication between their programs’ leaders and their diocese.

• Nine in ten (91%) report that their men emerge from their local programs with sufficiently strong ties to their dioceses upon completion of the program.

• Asked to write in why they send their men to the particular local program they do, vocation directors are most likely to cite that their diocese owns and operates the program and the convenience of the institution’s location for the dioceses.

Openness to a Change in their Pre-seminary Programs

• One in six of dioceses (17%) with local pre-seminary programs say they have been considering changing the main pre-theology program they use. Similarly, a combined 17% indicate that they are “somewhat” or “very” interested in exploring a partnership with an institution with experience and expertise in pre-theology programs that could provide their diocese with the resources needed (such an accredited degree program; and providing theology professors, formators, and spiritual directors) to establish a new kind of program.

• When asked to explain in writing why they would or would not be interested in engaging in such a partnership, two of 27 dioceses with local institutions wrote in that they would be interested. Most of the rest indicate that they are not interested because they already own and operate a successful pre-seminary formation program within their dioceses.

Dioceses

with their Primary Pre-seminary Formation Institutions Outside of their Diocese

Attributes of their Primary Pre-seminary Formation Institutions Outside of their Dioceses

• Among the 74 dioceses with their primary pre-seminary formation institutions located outside of their diocese, 19% have a local house of formation that is formally affiliated with their diocese and another 15% have a local house of formation that is independent of their diocese.

• On average, vocation directors report that their primary outside pre-seminary formation institutions are 450 miles away from their dioceses.

• More than seven in ten dioceses (72%) send their pre-seminarians to an institution where they also send their candidates for theology studies.

Satisfaction with their Outside Pre-seminary Programs

• Some 97% of bishops and 87% of responding vocation directors are reported as being “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the outside institution that provides pre-seminary formation for their diocese.

• Examining the four dimensions of seminary formation, vocation directors are especially likely to evaluate their outside pre-seminary programs as being of “high quality” in the area of intellectual formation (75%), followed by the program’s human formation (68%), spiritual formation (64%), and pastoral formation (60%).

• Nearly all dioceses (a combined 96%) report that they are “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with how well their primary programs help pre-seminarians to discern their vocation to the priesthood.

• Fully 100% of vocation directors indicate that they are “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with how well their primary programs identify the men who have problematic behaviors that may prevent them from being accepted into the priesthood.

• Nine in ten (89%) say the outside program they use is reasonable and affordable for their diocese.

• Half (a combined 49%) indicate that their local institutions serve men for whom English is a second language “somewhat” or “very” well.

• A combined 93% say they are “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the level of communication between their programs’ leaders and their diocese.

• More than nine in ten (94%) report that their men emerge from their primary programs with sufficiently strong ties to their dioceses upon completion of the programs.

• Asked to write in why they send their men to a particular outside program, vocation directors are most likely to cite the quality of its formation programs, its location and convenience for the

candidates, and the good relationship they have with the rectors and other formation staff at the institutions.

• Writing in the greatest challenges they have had in finding a pre-theology program that is the right fit for their diocese, vocation directors are most likely to say that they do not have any challenges in that area. That said, the issue that arose second most frequently is finding the right fit for each of their candidates with programs that take into account their age, life experiences, and academic competencies.

Openness to a Change in their Pre-seminary Programs

• Two in ten vocation directors (21%) whose primary pre-seminary programs are located outside of their diocese say they have been considering changing the main pre-theology program they use.

• Sizable proportions of respondents do identify some benefits to having a local program. Half (51%) believe having a local program would increase their future priests’ ties to their dioceses if they served in local parishes during their pre-theology programs and a third (34%) believe they would have more men entering into discernment if they had a local program.

• A combined 23% indicate that they are “somewhat” or “very” open to establishing a local program and 32% report being “somewhat” or “very” interested in exploring a partnership with an institution with experience and expertise in pre-theology programs that could provide their diocese with the resources needed (such an accredited degree program; providing theology professors, formators, and spiritual directors) to establish a new kind of program.

• When asked to write in why they would or would not be interested in engaging in such a partnership, 11 of the 51 who responded listed a unique reason for why they would be interested. Among those who say they are not interested, the most commonly cited reasons are the success of their current programs, the insufficient number of priests they have to help staff such a program, and usually not having enough pre-seminary candidates to make it worthwhile for their diocese.

Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate

National Survey of Diocesan Vocation Directors about Preseminarian Formation

Saint Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry

Rochester, New York

Introduction

The National Survey of Diocesan Vocation Directors about Pre-seminarian Formation was designed by CARA – the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate – at Georgetown University in collaboration with St. Bernard’s School of Theology in Rochester, New York. St. Bernard’s School of Theology approached CARA in Spring 2021 about conducting a study to assess the state of preseminarian formation (also known as philosophical studies programs or pre-theology programs) in Catholic arch/dioceses in the United States to guide St. Bernard’s as it considered how its School of Theology could provide appropriate academic resources for arch/dioceses both on-site and through distance learning.

The first part of the project involved CARA conducting nine interviews with vocation directors and other relevant diocesan personnel about the state of the pre-seminarian formation programs they use and their met and unmet needs in that area. A summary of that report was delivered to St. Bernard’s in May 2022. The findings from that study informed the survey created for this part of the project, which can be seen (as well as the response frequencies for each question) in Appendix I.

CARA distributed the survey both by email and by mail. Each of the 178 U.S. arch/dioceses and eparchies for which CARA had an email address were sent an email with a link to the online version of the survey during May 2022, hosted on CARA’s website. In addition, a cover letter describing the study, a paper copy of the survey, and a return envelope were sent to 193 arch/dioceses and eparchies in May 2022. This report presents the findings from that survey, for which there were 101 responses from vocation directors from U.S. arch/dioceses and eparchies, 64 online responses and 37 paper responses. As such, this survey had a 52% response rate. Among the 71 responses whose arch/diocese or eparchy could be identified, only three were from U.S. eparchies.

Interpreting This Report

Readers who wish to examine the number of respondents for each question can view that information in Appendix I, which also presents each of the questions asked. As will be described later, there were two tracks for survey respondents. As many of the questions for both tracks were similar, some tables present the findings for both sets of survey respondents side-by-side.

The survey contained six open-ended questions as well as seven opportunities for respondents to write in an “other” response to a question. The written “other” responses are summarized within the report, with Appendix II presenting a complete transcription of the responses to the six open-ended questions.

Method of Response

As noted earlier, 64 responses to the survey were online, using the link provided in the email or in the cover letter of the mailed survey. Another 37 responses came to CARA through the mail, using the return envelope provided.

Method of Response

Types of Pre-seminarian Formation Institutions Used

The survey had two response tracks. If an arch/diocese or eparchy 22 used an institution within their diocese to provide their men with pre-seminarian formation, they were presented with one track of questions; altogether 27 dioceses (27%) responded to this set of questions.

Those whose pre-seminarians were only being formed at an outside institution responded to a separate set of questions. In addition, dioceses that currently had no pre-seminarians responded to this set of questions. Altogether 74 dioceses (73%) responded to this set of questions, 13 of whom currently had no pre-seminarians.

Where Respondents’ Pre-seminarians Receive their Formation N=101*

Track 1 Set of Questions

Formed only within their diocese 26

Formed within and outside of their diocese 1

#

27

Track 2 Set of Questions 74

Formed only outside of their diocese 61 Have no pre-seminarians currently 13

*Throughout this report, “N” refers to the number of vocation directors responding to the question.

Respondents to both surveys were asked how many pre-seminarians they have enrolled in both outside institutions and institutions within their dioceses.

• The vocation directors who report having one or more pre-seminarians at institutions within their diocese wrote in numbers of pre-seminarians ranging from one to 47. The average number of men enrolled is 10.6.

• Those vocation directors who wrote in a response greater than zero reported one to 22 preseminarians enrolled at institutions outside of their diocese. Examining just those respondents, the average number of pre-seminarians at outside institutions is 4.9.

22 For simplicity of presentation, the term “diocese” will be used in place of “arch/diocese or eparchy” in the remainder of the report. The exceptions are when the exact wording of a question on the survey is presented.

Dioceses Using More than One Institution

Dioceses Sending Pre-seminarians to Institutions Both Within and Outside of their Dioceses

Among the 27 dioceses that had at least one pre-seminarian currently in formation in an institution within their diocese, eight (33%) send their men to more than institution at present. The types of institutions these dioceses use are presented in the table below.

Types of Institutions Used for Pre-seminarians by Those Dioceses Sending Men to More than One Institution Within and Outside of their Diocese*

N=8; Track 1: send their pre-seminarians to institutions both within and outside of their diocese # %

Stand-alone seminary 6 75

Seminary attached to a college/university 5 63

Seminary attached to a monastery 4 50

House of formation 2 25

Your arch/diocese has a partnership with an institution that helps your arch/diocese host the program 0 0

*Although offered the option to write in another type of institution, respondents did so.

Asked why they send their pre-seminarians to more than one institution, the 34 respondents were offered four pre-selected responses and space to write in an “other” reason should they desire. The two options chosen by at least half of the vocation directors are that they send their men to institutions based at least partially on the candidates’ academic capabilities (75%) and at least partially based on the candidates’ age and life experience (50%).

Which reasons below account for why your pre-seminarians are not all enrolled in the same program?

N=8; Track 1: send their pre-seminarians to institutions both within and outside of their diocese

We choose among the programs at least partially based on the academic capabilities of the candidates 6 75

We choose among the programs at least partially based on the age and life experience of the candidates 4 50

We choose among the programs at least partially based on how familiar the candidate is with English 2 25

We are currently experimenting with programs, looking for the ones that best meet our needs 0 0

Other reason(s) 2 25

Those two citing an “other” reason wrote in:

• Only one of the seminaries takes men straight out of high school.

• We have our own pre-theology program which we continue to attend, especially for our international candidates.

Dioceses Sending Pre-seminarians to More than One Institution Outside of their Diocese

Among the 61 dioceses that had at least one pre-seminarian currently in formation, 33 (58%) send their men to more than institution at present. The types of institutions these dioceses use are presented in the table below.

Types of Institutions Used for Pre-seminarians by Those Dioceses Sending Men to More than One Outside Institution*

N=33; Track 2: only send their pre-seminarians to outside institutions

Stand-alone seminary 25 76

Seminary attached to a college/university 24 73

Seminary attached to a monastery 18 55

*Although offered the option to write in another type of institution, no respondents did so.

Asked why they send their pre-seminarians to more than one institution, the 34 respondents were offered four pre-selected responses and space to write in an “other” reason should they desire. The two options chosen by at least half of the vocation directors are that they send their men to institutions based at least partially on the candidates’ age and life experience (65%) and at least partially based on the candidates’ academic capabilities (56%).

Which reasons below account for why your pre-seminarians are not all enrolled in the same program?

N=34; Track 2: only send their pre-seminarians to outside institutions

We choose among the programs at least partially based on the age and life experience of the candidates 22 65

We choose among the programs at least partially based on the academic capabilities of the candidates 19 56

We choose among the programs at least partially based on how familiar the candidate is with English 9 26

We are currently experimenting with programs, looking for the ones that best meet our needs 1 3

reason(s) 6 18

Four of the six citing an “other” reason wrote in a reason:

• We want our seminarians to have different experiences during their formation.

• We attempt to match the weaknesses of the formation program with the identified strengths of the man and vice versa.

• Length of philosophical studies plays a part (3-4 years college vs 2 years Pre-Theology).

• Closest to our diocese.

Attributes of the Pre-seminarian Formation Institutions Used

In this part of the report, the attributes of the institutions used are described. From here forward, all descriptions are of the one institution the diocese most frequently uses for its pre-seminarians. In addition, where possible, the findings for Tracks 1 and 2 are presented side -by-side in the tables for comparison purposes.

Houses of Formation within Dioceses

Track 1 and Track 2 respondents were asked to describe any houses of formation present in their dioceses. As can be seen in the table below, the most common kind of house of formation in dioceses that send their men to institutions within their diocese are ones formally affiliated with the diocese (48%). Among all other dioceses, the most common response is that they do not have any local houses of formation within their diocese (69%).

Regarding any local houses of formation currently located within your arch/diocese: Tracks 1 and 2; Instructed to choose all that apply

We have at least one local house of

is formally affiliated with our arch/diocese

Our arch/diocese does not have any local houses of formation within it

We have at least one local house of formation that is independent of our arch/diocese

diocese located where the eparchy also is

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2) N=23 N=68

Attributes Specific to Dioceses that Send Pre-seminarians to Institutions within the Diocese

Those whose primary institution is within their diocese were asked if the institution also accepts men from other dioceses. About one in ten institutions only accept men from their diocese (three dioceses or 12%).

Candidates Accepted by the Institution

Number and percentage - Track 1 only

Accepts candidates from other dioceses as well 23 88%

Accepts only candidates from their diocese 3 12%

Seventy-five percent (18 of the 24 responding vocation directors) report that their diocese supplies priests and other personnel to work for the program in the institution within their diocese. The figure below shows how much strain they say that puts on their diocese, with slightly more than half combined (53%) saying it is “somewhat” or “very much” a strain.

How much of a strain is it on your diocese to provide priests and other personnel for the program?

Number and percentage - Track 1 only

Those whose primary institution is within the diocese were asked what kinds of degrees, credits or certificates are awarded by the institution upon completion of the program. The responses can be grouped into these categories:

• Bachelor’s degree (of Arts or of philosophy) – 9 respondents

• Certificate of completion of a pre-theology program – 5 respondents

• Master’s degree (MDiv, MAPS, MACP, MA) – 3 respondents

• It varies depending on the academic level of the candidate – 2 respondents

• None, as it is in preparation for a MDiv – 1 respondent

Number of Miles Away if Outside the Diocese

Those whose primary institution for pre-seminary formation is outside of their diocese were asked how many miles away the institution is from their diocese. Responses have been grouped into the categories presented in the table below. The average number of miles the in stitution is away from the diocese is 450 miles.

Approximate Number of Miles the Primary Institution is from their Diocese

N=62; Track 2: Primary institution is outside of the diocese

Institution Also Used by Diocese for Theology Studies

About seven in ten dioceses (72% to 73%) in both tracks do also send their men to that primary institution for theology studies as well.

Does your arch/diocese also send men to that institution for their theology studies?

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

N=26

N=69

Institution

Offers Candidates Opportunities to Serve in Local Parishes

One hundred percent of vocation directors in both tracks say their primary institutions do offer their men opportunities to serve in a local parish in an appropriate capacity. Does the pre-theology program offer your men opportunities to serve (in an appropriate capacity) at local parishes? Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

N=26

N=71

Those dioceses who send their men to programs outside of their diocese were further asked if the parishes near to the institution are similar to those in the diocese. Seven in ten combined (70%) say the parishes are “somewhat” or “very” similar.

How similar are the parishes there to the ones in your arch/diocese (e.g., how rural or urban are they; do they serve multiple language groups)?

Number and percentage - Track 2 only

Satisfaction with their Primary Institutions’ Programs

Vocation directors were asked to evaluate how satisfied they are with various aspects of the program at the primary institution where they send their pre-seminarians.

Overall Satisfaction of the Bishop and Vocation Director

Institutions within the Diocese

Nine in ten vocation directors (91% of the 22 responding vocation directors) report that their arch/bishop is “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the primary local pre-theology program their diocese uses. One in ten (9%) are “a little” satisfied.

How satisfied is your arch/bishop with this pre- theology program?

Number and percentage - Track 1 only

Similarly, more than nine in ten vocation directors (95% of the 22 responding vocation directors) report being “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the program overall. Five percent are “a little” satisfied.

How satisfied are you with this program? Number and percentage - Track 1 only

Institutions Outside the Diocese

Nearly all bishops (97% of the 62 responding vocation directors) report that their arch/bishop is “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the primary pre-theology program outside their dioceses. Three percent combined are “a little” or “not” satisfied.

How satisfied is your arch/bishop with this pre- theology program?

Number and percentage - Track 2 only

Nearly nine in ten vocation directors (87% of the 68 responding vocation directors) report being satisfied with the outside program overall. Thirteen percent combined are “a little” or “not” satisfied with the program.

How satisfied are you with this program? Number and percentage - Track 2 only

Satisfaction with the Quality of the Program in the Four Dimensions of Formation

Vocation directors from both tracks were asked to evaluate the quality of their primary pretheology program regarding its formation in the four dimensions of priestly formation.

Human Formation

More than half of those in both survey tracks (52% to 68%) rate their primary programs as of “high quality” in regard to their human formation dimension, with dioceses with outside institutions especially likely to rate it that highly. Few (4% to 9%) rate the human formation dimension as of “low quality.”

Quality of Human Formation Dimension

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

N=26

Intellectual Formation

N=71

More than two-thirds of those in both survey tracks (68% to 75%) rate their primary programs as of “high quality” in regard to their intellectual formation dimension. One in 20 or less (2% to 5%) rates the intellectual formation as “low quality.”

Quality of Intellectual Formation Dimension

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

N=26

N=71

Pastoral Formation

About six in ten of those in both survey tracks (59% to 60%) rate their primary programs as of “high quality” in regard to their pastoral formation dimension. One in 20 (5%) rates their programs as being of a “low quality.”

Quality of Pastoral Formation Dimension

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

N=26

N=71

Spiritual Formation

More than six in ten of those in both survey tracks (64% to 77%) rate their primary programs as of “high quality” in regard to their spiritual formation dimension. One in 20 vocation directors (5%) from dioceses with their primary institution outside of their diocese rates the spiritual formation programs as being of “low quality.”

Quality of Spiritual Formation Dimension

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

N=26

N=71

Meeting the Standards Set by the Program for Priestly Formation

Those whose primary institutions are within their dioceses were asked how well, in their opinion, their local programs meet the standards set by the USCCB’s Program for Priestly Formation. More than eight in ten (83% of the 23 vocation directors responding) say their programs meet those standards “somewhat” or “very” well. One in six combined (17%) reports that their local programs meet those standards “fairly” or “not” well.

In your opinion, how well does the program meet the standards set by the USCCB's Program for Priestly Formation?

Number and percentage - Track 1 only

Affordability of the Program

Nearly nine in ten (87% to 89%) of those responding to both tracks of the survey say the programs they use are reasonable or affordable for their diocese. About one in ten (11% to 13%) indicates the costs are not reasonable or affordable.

Are the costs for the program reasonable/affordable for your arch/diocese?

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

Effectiveness of Programs for Candidates for Whom English is Not their First Language

Seven in ten (70%) of those whose diocese’s primary programs are within their diocese say they have accepted men into their program in the past five years who needed help learning the English language. In contrast, about four in ten (42%) of other dioceses report the same.

Has your arch/diocese accepted any men into a pretheology program in the past five years who needed help learning the English language?

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2) N=23

Vocation directors were further asked how well the programs serve those men for whom English is not their first language. More than half (56%) of those whose diocese’s primary programs are within their diocese say the institution serves those men well. Slightly fewer (49%) of vocation directors from other dioceses report the same.

How well does that institution serve those men for whom English is not their first language?

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

Are not aware

Helping the Men Discern their Vocation

Vocation directors for both tracks were asked how satisfied they are with their primary program’s help given to the men in terms of their discernment of their vocation to the priesthood.

More than eight in ten (82% to 96%) report being “somewhat” or “very” satisfied, with those whose primary institutions are outside especially likely to say the programs do so.

How satisfied are you with the help the program gives to your men in discerning their vocation to the priesthood?

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

N=23

N=65

Identifying Men with Problematic Behaviors

Vocation directors for both tracks were asked how well their primary programs identify the men who have problematic behaviors that may prevent them from being accepted into the priesthood. One hundred percent of those whose program is within their diocese say it identifies such men “somewhat” or “very” well, with more than eight in ten (85%) of those of other dioceses reporting the same.

How well does the program identify the men who have problematic behaviors that may prevent them from being accepted into the priesthood?

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

N=21

well

N=67

Satisfaction with the Level of Communication with the Diocese

About nine in ten (87% to 93%) vocation directors in both tracks combined report that they are “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the level of communication between the programs’ leaders and their diocese. A combined 7% to 13% are a “little” or “not” satisfied with the level of communication.

How satisfied are you with the level of communication between the program’s leaders and your arch/diocese?

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

N=23 N=65

Sufficiently Strong Ties to the Diocese upon Completion of the Program

Vocation directors were asked if their men are sufficiently tied to their diocese upon completion of the program. More than nine in ten (91% to 94%) say the ties are sufficient.

Generally, do your men emerge from the program with sufficiently strong ties to your arch/diocese when they complete the program?

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

N=21 N=70

Primary Reasons Dioceses Send their Men to the Programs

In addition to the closed-ended questions presented above, vocation directors from both tracks were asked this question: What are the primary reasons that your arch/diocese chooses to send its men to this program? Twenty-one vocation directors responded to the question from dioceses whose primary program is located within their diocese, with 63 responding from the other dioceses. Some mentioned more than one reason in their responses. When that occurs, the comment is presented in only one place.

Institutions within the Diocese

By far, the most common reason given by vocation directors in dioceses with the institutions within the diocese is that the diocese owns and operates the program (mentioned by ten of the 21 vocation directors). The other three reasons given by at least two responding vocation directors are the location/close distance of the institution (mentioned by six vocation directors), the quality of the program (mentioned by three vocation directors), and the preference of the bishop (mentioned by two vocation directors). The responses given are presented below, arranged by topic areas.

The Diocese Owns and/or Operates the Program

It's our own seminary.

It is the one the Archdiocese personally owns.

Our own program.

It is our archdiocesan seminary.

Because it is our own.

The program is our own. Established by the Diocese of [Name] and [Seminary Nam e]. This program was created in 2018.

The Pre-Theology + Philosophy program is a part of us. It is the best option. There is a history + connection.

Our diocese co-owns the seminary and it is physically located within or diocese. Its formation program is also very satisfactory.

It is owned and operated by the Archdiocese.

This is our own diocesan seminary in [City Name] - [Seminary Name] is our own seminary that has a Pre-Theology program.

The Program’s Location and Short Distance from the Diocese Local seminary.

It is within the archdiocese. Keep men close to home diocese. It is within the Archdiocese.

It is in our diocese.

Close distance from where the seminarians stay.

Quality of the Program

Location. Strength in Human Formation. It is a very good program.

The Preference of the Bishop Bishop is on board of the seminary. Bishop [Name].

All Other Reasons

It is in the Archdiocese at the seminary where we also send college and theology seminarians. One, two, three reasons.

Institutions Outside the Diocese

Among those whose primary institution is outside of their diocese, the most common reasons given for why they send their men there are:

• Quality of its formation program (mentioned 30 times)

• Location and closeness to the diocese (mentioned 20 times)

• Good relationship with the rector and formation staff (mentioned nine times)

• Diocese’s history with and relationship to the institution (mentioned eight times)

• Preference of the bishop (mentioned six times)

• Their men attend theology studies there as well (mentioned three times)

• Similarity of the culture where it is located to their own diocese (mentioned twice)

• Preference of the men who attend (mentioned twice)

• Its integration with a college/university (mentioned twice)

• All other reasons (each mentioned once)

Quality of its Formation Program

Closest Seminary to our Archdiocese. Good past experience. Strong Human Formation program.

Attention to human and spiritual formation.

Respect for the faculty and program.

A robust human formation.

Strength of whole formation program. Closeness to diocese.

Doctrinal orthodoxy.

Excellent formation in all areas.

Human formation is strong and clearly defined in terms of expectations.

Human formation.

Excellent human formation - especially for guys 18-22 years old.

It does a good job.

Spirituality eligible, in [City Name].

Their high standards.

Good experience in the past.

Proven positive effect of formation at the seminary for all priests ordained.

They have a solid, all-around program. They have a college that offers a BA degree program. They have an MA program in Philosophy for those who want to pursue it.

Trust built, solid formation.

Trusted formation program. Great academics. Near the diocese.

Location and Closeness to the Diocese

Because this program is close to the diocese.

We are a very rural diocese and we do not have the resources for our own seminary (hence, we don't have any seminarians here). We primarily send our men to the chosen institution because: 1) it is not exceedingly far away, so easier to foster connections between the seminarians and the diocese (the people, the land, the presbyterate, etc.); 2) the formation is above-average quality; 3) we have historical and ecclesial ties to the archdiocese wherein the seminary is found.

Its closeness to our Diocese that we can maintain apostolate work within our Diocese and visit frequently.

It's the regional seminary.

Regional.

Closest to us.

It is our provincial seminary for [State Name].

It is in-state.

It is the only Eastern Seminary in the US that I am aware of.

It's within our state.

Limited options to stay in state.

Good Relationship with the Rector and Formation Staff

A different experience from theology. Great rector and formation staff, they know the men. Overall balanced experience for all involved. Great spiritual resources.

Good relationship with rector.

It’s the regional seminary, and there is great communication between them and us.

Strong intellect formation; faith in formation team and accompaniment of men.

We do not have a seminary in our archdiocese, so we must look outside. We trust the leadership and formators at our current seminary, and have a good relationship with them.

We value the quality of the formation team, who by their leadership and diligence offer our men quality formation.

Well qualified formation faculty. Integration into the larger community of formation - not a small, isolated group.

We trust the formators, there has been a history of sending men there, and they trust their formation staff enough to challenge the seminaries and if deemed necessary, ask a man to discontinue formation.

Diocese’s History with and Relationship to the Institution

A proven track record due to a longstanding relationship to our diocese.

History with the institution. We are currently researching other options.

Location is close to our Diocese and historically we have a strong connection to that institution and program.

Long standing relationship, rector's vision and work with the men.

Pre-existing relationship with the institution.

Tradition, cost, connection, happy with past grads.

Preference of the Bishop

History and bishop decides.

Long standing relationship, good rapport, no other programs leap out as overwhelmingly better. But ultimately, Bishops preference.

Other diocese in our state send there and it is where our Bishop went to seminary.

Our bishop is its former rector.

The Bishop.

Their Men Attend Theology Studies There as Well

Close to the diocese (10 miles). Most seminarians are sent to same campus for major seminary. It is connected to our Major Seminary of choice.

We send our men to their institution for theology.

Similarity of the Culture Where it is Located to their Own Diocese

Choice of Bishop. Rural diocese, have men trained in a more rural seminary.

Overall excellent program with many identifiable strengths that is in a very similar socioeconomic and cultural region to our diocese. While I believe that some of our seminaries are more versatile, I do not think that any one seminary can serve best for all of our men. Therefore, we have the policy of trying to match the strengths of the seminary to the weaknesses of the individual man and also to ensure that the weaknesses of the seminary are mitigated by the strengths of the individual man.

Preference of the Men who Attend It is based on the men.

It is well balanced and the men are very happy there.

Its Integration with a College/University

Integration into a university providing broader peer experience, suitable academic options (as opposed to a small program without university resources), a clear and well-defined seminary community.

The university setting.

All Other Reasons

Our Arch-eparchy doesn't have its own program.

We still sponsor men who need to complete their bachelor’s degree, and [Seminary Name] has a college seminary program.

Because we sponsor this college seminary / pre-theology program.

It is in our region. It is connected to a monastic community. The formation is solid.

We have a small number of men and we want them to be together.

To support the seminary programs of the Archdiocese to which our diocese belongs Very flexible.

Challenges Finding a Pre-theology Program that Meets their Needs

Vocation directors from both tracks were also asked to write in a response to this question: What challenges, if any, are you experiencing finding a pre -theology program that meets the needs of your arch/diocese? Fourteen vocation directors responded to the question from dioceses whose primary program is located within their diocese, with 43 responding from the other dioceses. Some mentioned more than one challenge in their responses.

Institutions within the Diocese

The most common response among vocation directors who have their primary institution within their diocese is that they do not have any challenges at present (mentioned seven times). The other challenges were all mentioned just one time each.

Do Not Have any Challenges at Present

None.

None.

None presently.

None.

Since it is our own program, we do not have any issues. It is a challenge to find good college seminaries for our Archdiocese since we do not have our own.

We meet the challenge and created the Program which is now a proto-type for Pre-Theology PreSeminary Programs.

Other Challenges

A few times, there is a lack of communication. But it’s not frequent At times seminaries can be too academically focused.

Cost.

Cultural differences.

Enable the men to get a masters in Philosophy.

Formators who understand different cultures.

Some.

Still needs work with human formation. Philosophy is too intense for some men.

Institutions Outside the Diocese

Similar to the findings above, the most commonly reported response is that the diocese is not having any challenges finding the right pre-theology program (mentioned 18 times). The challenges mentioned by at least two vocation directors are:

• Finding the right fit for each diocesan candidate (mentioned three times)

• Improved quality of the formation program (mentioned three times)

• Distance of the institution from the diocese (mentioned twice)

• Staff too small (mentioned twice)

• Number of students too small (mentioned twice)

• All other challenges (each mentioned once)

No Challenges at Present

We are happy with the programs we use.

We are not currently experiencing any challenges, however, we reevaluate each seminary, each year.

We have no challenges currently.

N/A.

NA. None. None. None. None. None. None. None. None.

None worth remarking. We are happy with our location. With so few seminarians, it is hard to diversify the seminaries to which we send our seminarians: with more seminarians, I would prefer to have this sort of diversity.

None at the moment.

None.

None.

None.

We recently changed to our current choice and are very happy.

Finding the Right Fit for Each Diocesan Candidate

Geographical distance (not too many options in the southwest) and some, one great for younger men but not older; others, vice versa.

If any challenge, it is the constant balancing act of men coming from life experience back into an academic and residential setting.

The pre-theology program that we use for men who are not as academically talented does not give sufficient attention to the men and is far away. I would prefer to have another option for them.

Improved Quality of the Formation Program

Better human formation.

It could be more academically rigorous.

Proximity and matching good intellectual formation with human formation through good formators.

Distance of the Institution from the Diocese

Distance.

I wish the programs offered at seminaries closer to us were stronger.

Staff Too Small

The challenge of the idea that small group of pre-theologians led by one or two priests will yield good results.

The pre-theology program needs more priests to be part of the Faculty; currently, only one.

Number of Students Too Small

The numbers of seminarians at a previously used program (associated with a Benedictine monastery) fell to a level in which experiences with seminarian and non-seminarian peers and broader pastoral initiatives were quite limited.

There are currently only 13 men in the house.

All Other Challenges

Because we send to multiple seminaries, it is a challenge to find the right fit and to continue to support the numerous institutions.

Forming the millennial generation to be more mature and responsible.

Location of seminaries have different culture than our own. Also difficulties with their program to help teach seminarians English.

Lots.

Pastoral reality of inculturation.

Propaedeutic year is going to change things a bit.

Seminary is great, but finding a faithful Catholic University is difficult. It feels as if we are enabling Catholic institutions in their 'wokeness.’

The challenge is finding a program that accompanies the men closely and communicated back any red flags or concerns to the Diocese.

The entire seminary model needs to be revisited. I think it needs to be restructured to break seminary communities into small intentional communities where guys learn to share, process their life, pray, be known, be vulnerable, address conflict, etc. This can be incorporated in a more intensive way with the Propaedeutic year. Seminary must become a unique oasis in society where guys are equipped and pushed to heal from the broken culture they were raised in and shown how to live a healthy, integrated, human life for the first time.

There is a challenge in guys connecting within our diocese due to the lack of a program inside it.

There is a tendency to add more years prior to theology rather than focusing on study and discernment in the years we actually have available.

We have not used a specific pre-theology program.

Openness to Changing Programs

A final part of the report examines how open the responding vocation directors are to considering another pre-seminary program. While three of the questions posed were asked of vocation directors in both survey tracks, others were only asked of those whose primary programs are located outside of their diocese.

If Considering Changing their Pre-Theology Program

About two in ten vocation directors from both survey tracks (17% to 21%) say they have been considering changing the main pre-theology program they send their men to.

Have you been considering changing the main pretheology program you send your men to?

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

N=23 N=62

Belief that a Local Program Would Increase the Number of Men Discerning a Vocation

Vocation directors in dioceses whose pre-seminarians attend institutions outside of their diocese were asked if they believe they would have more men entering into discernment if their program was located in their diocese. As can be seen in the figure below, a third (23 vocation directors of the 67 responding) say they believe it would increase the number of men discerning.

Do you believe you would have more men enter into discernment if your program was located in your arch/diocese?

Number and percentage - Track 2 only

Belief that a Local Program Would Increase the Ties Men Feel to their Diocese

Vocation directors in dioceses whose pre-seminarians attend institutions outside of their diocese were asked if they believe having a program within their diocese would increase the ties the men feel to the diocese. Just over half combined (51% or 33 of the 65 vocation directors responding) say they believe it would increase the ties “somewhat” or “greatly.”

How much do you believe having a program within your arch/diocese would increase future priests' ties to your arch/diocese if they served (in an appropriate capacity) in your parishes during the program?

Number and percentage - Track 2 only

Openness to Establishing a Pre-seminarian Program within their Diocese

Vocation directors in dioceses whose pre-seminarians attend institutions outside of their diocese were also asked how open they are to establishing a program located within their diocese to provide pretheology to their men. Nearly a quarter (23% or 15 of the 66 vocation directors responding) say they would be open to the idea.

How open would you be to establishing a program located within your arch/diocese to provide pre- theology to your men?

Number and percentage - Track 2 only

Interest in Partnering with an Experienced Institution to Establish a Local Program

Vocation directors from both survey tracks were asked the following: Partnering with an institution that has experience and expertise in pre-theology programs would provide you with the resources necessary (such as an accredited degree program, theology professors, formators, and spiritual directors) for establishment of a new kind of program located in your arch/diocese. How interested would you be in exploring such a partnership? As can be seen in the table below, those dioceses whose primary institution is outside of their diocese are twice as likely to be “somewhat” or “very” interested in such a partnership (34% combined) than those whose primary institution is located within their diocese (17% combined).

Partnering with an institution that has experience and expertise in pretheology programs would provide you with the resources necessary (such as an accredited degree program, theology professors, formators, and spiritual directors) for establishment of a new kind of program located in your arch/diocese. How interested would you be in exploring such a partnership?

Tracks 1 and 2

Sends Pre-Seminarians All Other to Institutions within Dioceses their Diocese (Track 1) (Track 2)

Reasons Would or Would Not be Interested in a Partnership

Vocation directors from both survey tracks were asked a final open-ended question: Please explain why you would or would not be interested in such a partnership? Sixteen vocations directors from dioceses whose primary institution is within their diocese responded, as did 51 of those whose primary institution is outside of their diocese.

Institutions within the Diocese

Reasons Would be Interested

Only one vocation director indicated that they would be interested, but they also wrote in some of their reservations about the idea:

I am open to new resources. I am worried about the cost of this suggested institution.

Reasons Would Not be Interested

The primary reasons the dioceses are not interested is because they already have and operate their own successful programs (mentioned 15 times). Two vocation directors provided other reasons why they are not interested, which are also presented below.

Already

Have and Operate their Own Successful Program within their Diocese

As stated previously, the current program at the local seminary is owned and operated by the Archdiocese.

Because we already have a program that does it well within the Archdiocese. Have our own.

Since we have a good Pre-Theology program present in our diocese, the need is not there. I would be more interested in resources for the establishment of a propaedeutic program.

We already have a major seminary.

We already run our own archdiocesan seminary.

We are content with the program in place.

We have done this partnering with [Seminary Name], [Seminary Name], and [Seminary Name].

We have had a diocesan seminary since the establishment of the Diocese – I sense our Bishop will continue to invest in this institution.

We have our own seminary.

We like where we use.

We staff our current house of formation and seminary staffs PT-Program.

Other Reasons Would Not be Interested

The Eparchy tried, but it did not work out.

We do not have the resources or the time to create or establish a program.

Institutions Outside the Diocese

Among the 51 responding vocation directors, 11 express that they would be interested, with 40 saying they would not be.

Reasons Would be Interested

The reasons vocations directors would be interested are so unique that each is mentioned only once – thus, the comments are presented without identifying any common themes among them.

Especially with the new direction of the revised PPF which includes the need for a Propaedeutic period, I believe that having a house of formation in our diocese could be helpful. However, we are so small and have so few candidates, that it would be a financial impossibility, I believe. A true "pre-theology" or philosophy school would be almost out of the question.

I am always open to innovation. While we are largely satisfied with our programs, those programs are both subject to change and the personnel changes so frequently that it is difficult to depend on a seminary formation program to provide a consistent level of excellence year over year.

I would be interested because I think it is the ideal. I do not think it is within the realm of possibilities for us given how stretched thin we are for priests. I do not believe it would be the priority of the Bishop.

I would be interested to give guys the opportunity to grow closer to the local presbyterate and get a better feel of the Archdiocese for their own discernment and formation. I would not be interested due to the challenge of providing the type of community life and priest presence that would be necessary to have a house of formation.

I'd be open to listening, but I think this would be difficult for a small diocese. Much of formation requires the presence of other seminarians. A program in our diocese would be small.

Interested in learning how to find the necessary financial support to help sustain a new program; learning how to identify priests that can help in the formation program as faculty and/or spiritual directors for seminarians and discerners.

It would have to fully staffed by the partner. We do not have the human or academic resources to provide such a program in our diocese at present.

It would make many aspects of the endeavor easier, but we would have to carefully vet the program to make sure of the fit is right.

Such a partnership strikes me as a novel idea that can overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to establishing a pre-theology program, namely the provision of an academic faculty. The potential benefits of having a local pre-theology program seem worthwhile especially if we men are asked to discern and commit to the diocese by the end of the discipleship phase.

This would be a great help in formation.

Would fill the many gaps we would have if we opened our own program.

Reasons Would Not be Interested

The most commonly cited reasons for not being interested are:

• Success of current program (mentioned nine times)

• Insufficient number of local priests to staff the program (mentioned eight times)

• Not enough candidates to make it worthwhile (mentioned eight times)

• Diocese too small to have such a program (mentioned six times)

• Lack of resources generally (mentioned five times)

• Limited financial resources (mentioned three times)

• Would be the bishop’s decision to make (mentioned three times)

• Believe it would be difficult to do well due to the new PPF guidelines (mentioned twice)

• All other reasons (each mentioned once)

Many of the comments below mention more than one of the categories above, but are only presented once.

Success of Current Program

Our current program works well.

The pre-theology program that we use is adequate.

We already sponsor our program, and have for many years.

We are happy with the pre-theology program we are using now.

We are satisfied with our current situation.

We are satisfied with where our guys go.

We have a fine program nearby and as a smaller Diocese it might not be worth the effort to run something on our own.

We have one established already.

We're satisfied with the current formation programs we use.

Insufficient Number of Local Priests to Staff the Program

A qualified local staff/faculty/clergy are needed for discernment and the various formation areas. Besides the need for substantial financial support of a local program for a small number of men, our diocese lacks priest resources.

It sounds like a great idea, but I do not believe that we have the staff to maintain it nor the number of students necessary to populate it.

Our human resources are way limited in our diocese.

Tying up priests in formation rather than parishes.

We don't have enough available/experienced personnel to staff an independent program. So [illegible] would be needed.

Not Enough Candidates to Make it Worthwhile

Because we are a diocese of small numbers (but large area) a scenario of sufficient seminarian numbers in pre-theology is very unlikely. In other words, I would not endorse a pre-theology program of studies consisting of two-three men.

We are a small diocese, typically around 10 men in formation. It's not clear to me there's a real inperson way of doing this. If it were significantly online, not interested. We don't love that our programs are far away, and we do value the men's connection with our local diocese a great deal.

The demographics of our diocese do not lead me to see a critical mass of suitable candidates for an in-diocese formation house and program.

We do not have enough men to have a formation house. We do not have candidates as other dioceses.

Diocese Too Small to Have Such a Program

Our Diocese is too small.

Too small of a diocese and too few seminaries/ inquiry candidates. We are a small diocese in the Bible belt of the State.

We are a small diocese with few resources and few seminarians. We could not sustain a formation program with enough students.

Lack of Resources Generally

I'm interested, but we do not have the resources necessary to support it at the present time.

Like all things it comes down to resources and cost-benefit analysis. I'm not sure that the diocese has the resources and I'm not convinced that online learning is the best way to go.

Our resources and personnel are so limited. That's why we send them out of the Diocese to an institution to be formed.

The infrastructure for such a program does not seem realistic at this time.

We don't have the resources at the local level to provide for the proper formation for men in pretheology programs. We would need such a partnership to make sure that formation took place.

Limited Financial Resources

As a mission diocese with limited clergy and financial resources, it would not be a benefit to our new in discernment.

Cost!

Would be the Bishop’s Decision to Make

It's a question really for my Bishop, not for me.

It's not my call. Bishop would have to agree. I don't think our current Bishop is very open because I've asked him about it and he is concerned about all the legal stuff of priest living with minors/young men who are seminarians.

We have the IPF program. Newman Center. Archbishop decides.

Believe it Would be Difficult to do Well due to the New PPF Guidelines

Our small number of men in pre-theology would not be conducive to our own program. The new PPF would make it more difficult.

We are a small diocese. Would be hard to pull off. Also, still not sure what changes existing seminaries may or may not make with the new PPF.

All Other Reasons

A significant part of the formation of seminarians happens from their interactions with one another. It is essential to have a large enough student body in order for this very important dynamic to happen. Regional seminaries make this possible. Furthermore, our priests are already stretched and strapped for time in parishes and diocesan work. They could not offer the time needed for good formation to happen.

More interested with the requirement of a propaedeutic stage now.

Need the experience of being away from home.

The individual programs will be subject to the particular vision of the group providing the resources.

VIII: Appendix II: Survey Instrument with Response Frequencies to All Questions

National Survey of Vocation Directors

CARA – Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate

With this survey, St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry in Rochester, New York, seeks information to better understand the challenges dioceses are encountering when providing pre -theology/philosophical studies for their men discerning a vocation to the priesthood, as well as to help St. Bernard develop programs to meet those challenges. Please respond by marking an “X” in the appropriate boxes below.

YOUR ARCH/DIOCESE’S

INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO US

Approximately how many men are currently enrolled in a pretheology/philosophical studies program for your arch/diocese during this academic year at institutions: Number Of Men Enrolled

AVG (including zeroes)

3.3 1. Outside of your arch/diocese

N=81

3.1 2. Within your arch/diocese SKIP TO Q 31 N=65

Overall/Combined: Zero men = 13%, One plus =88%

If you have no men currently enrolled in a pre-theology program, please skip to the question 6 and respond for the institution your arch/diocese would most likely use should the need for a pre-theology program arise.

PRE-THEOLOGY PROGRAMS OUTSIDE OF YOUR ARCH/DIOCESE

3. Do you send your men to pre-theology programs at more than one institution?

58% 1. Yes

N=59

42% 2. No

4. Respond to Questions 4-5 only if you have men presently enrolled in more than one pre-theology program : Which reasons below account for why they are not all enrolled in the same program?

Check all that apply.

N=34 56%

1. We choose among the programs at least partially based on the academic capabilities of the candidates 26% 2. We choose among the programs at least partially based on how familiar the candidate is with English 65% 3. We choose among the programs at least partially based on the age and life experience of the candidates 3% 4. We are currently experimenting with programs, looking for the ones that best meet our needs. 18% 5. Other reason(s):

5. What types of institution(s) provide the pre-theology programs you use?

Check all that apply.

76% 1. Stand-alone seminary

73% 2. Seminary attached to a college/university 55% 3. Seminary attached to a monastery 0% 4. Other type of institution:

N=33

6. In addition to its pre-theology program, does your arch/diocese also send men to that one institution for their theology studies? N=69

72% 1. Yes 28% 2. No

7A. Does that pre-theology program offer your men opportunities to serve (in an appropriate capacity) at local parishes? N=71

80% 1. Yes 20% 2. No

7B. If yes: How similar are the parishes there to the ones in your arch/diocese (e.g., how rural or urban are they; do they serve multiple language groups)

N=48

6% 1. Not similar at all 38% 3. Somewhat similar 24% 2. A little similar 32% 4. Very similar

8. Are the costs for the program reasonable/affordable for your arch/diocese? N=70

89% 1. Yes 11% 2. No

AVG=450

9.Approximate number of miles that institution is from your arch/diocese

14. Has your arch/diocese accepted any men into a pre-

How would you evaluate the quality of the pre-theology program in the following four dimensions of formation? N=65, 64, 65, 64

Please respond to the following questions about the one program at the institution your arch/diocese most uses or prefers for pre-theology studies.

10. Human formation 4%

11. Intellectual formation

12. Pastoral formation 5%

13. Spiritual formation 5%

theology program in the past five years who needed help learning the English language? N=69

42% 1. Yes 58% 2. No

15. How well does that institution serve those men for whom English is not their first language? N=62 2% 1. Not well 22% 4. Very well 8% 2. Fairly well 42% 5. I am not aware of the 26% 3. Somewhat well program’s quality

16. How satisfied are you with the help the program gives to your men in discerning their vocation to the priesthood? N=65

3% 1. Not satisfied 31% 3. Somewhat satisfied 1% 2. A little satisfied 65% 4. Very satisfied

17. How satisfied are you with the level of communication between the programs’ leaders and your arch/diocese? N=65

3% 1. Not satisfied 26% 3. Somewhat satisfied 4% 2. A little satisfied 67% 4. Very satisfied

18. How well does the program identify the men who have problematic behaviors that may prevent them from being accepted into the priesthood? N=67

3% 1. Not well 40% 3. Somewhat well 12% 2. A little 45% 4. Very well

19. Generally, do your men emerge from the program with sufficiently strong ties to your arch/diocese when they complete the program? N=70

94% 1. Yes 6% 2. No

20. What are the primary reasons that your arch/diocese chooses to send its men to this program? N=63

21. Overall, how satisfied is your arch/bishop with this pre-theology program? N=62

2% 1. Not satisfied 30% 3. Somewhat satisfied 2% 2. A little satisfied 66% 4. Very satisfied

22. Overall, how satisfied are you with this program? N=68 7% 1. Not satisfied 26% 3. Somewhat satisfied 6% 2. A little satisfied 60% 4. Very satisfied

23. What challenges, if any, are you experiencing finding a pre-theology program that meets the needs of your arch/diocese? N=43

24. Have you been considering changing the main pre theology program you send your men to? N=62

21% 1. Yes 79% 2. No

25. Do you believe you would have more men enter into discernment if your program was located in your arch/diocese? N=67

34% 1. Yes 66% 2. No

26. How much do you believe having a program within your arch/diocese would increase future priests’ ties to your arch/diocese if they served (in an appropriate capacity) in your parishes during the program? N=65 11% 1. Would not increase their ties to your arch/diocese

38% 2. Might increase the ties a little 29% 3. Would somewhat increase the ties 22% 4. Would greatly increase the ties

27. Regarding any local houses of formation currently located within your arch/diocese: Check all that apply.

N=68 69%

1. Our arch/diocese does not have any local houses of formation within it

19% 2. We have at least one local house of formation that is formally affiliated with our arch/diocese 15%

3. We have at least one local house of formation that is independent of our arch/diocese

3A. It/they are affiliated with:

.

28. How open would you be to establishing a program located within your arch/diocese to provide pretheology to your men? N=66

41% 1. Not at all open 14% 3. Somewhat open 36% 2. A little open 9% 4. Very open

29. Partnering with an institution that has experience and expertise in pre-theology programs would provide you with the resources necessary (such as an accredited degree program, theology professors, formators, and spiritual directors) for establishment of a new kind of program located in your arch/diocese. How interested would you be in exploring such a partnership? N=65

34% 1. Not at all interested 18% 3. Somewhat interested 34% 2. A little interested 14% 4. Very interested

30. Please explain why you would or would not be interested in such a partnership? N=52

Thank you for completing this survey!

PRE-THEOLOGY PROGRAMS WITHIN YOUR ARCH/DIOCESE

31. Do you send your men to pre-theology programs at more than one institution? N=26

33% 1. Yes 67% 2. No

32. Respond to Questions 32-33 only if you have men presently enrolled in more than one pre-theology program : Which reasons below account for why they are not all enrolled in the same program?

Check all that apply.

N=8

75% 1. We choose among the programs at least partially based on the academic capabilities of the candidates 25% 2. We choose among the programs at least partially based on how familiar the candidate is with English

50% 3. We choose among the programs at least partially based on the age and life experience of the candidates 0% 4. We are currently experimenting with programs, looking for the ones that best meet our needs 44% 5. Other reason(s):

33. What types of institution(s) provide the pre-theology programs you use?

Check all that apply.

75% 1. Stand-alone seminary

63% 2. Seminary attached to a college/university

50% 3. Seminary attached to a monastery 25% 4. House of formation 0% 5. Your arch/diocese has a partnership with an institution that helps your arch/diocese host the program

25% 6. Other type of institution:

N=8

38A. Does your arch/diocese supply priests or other personnel to work for this program? N=24

75% 1. Yes 25% 2. No

38B. If yes: How much of a strain is it on your arch/diocese to provide priests and other personnel for the program? N=17

6% 1. Not a strain 47% 3. Somewhat of a strain 41% 2. A little of a strain 6% 4. Very much a strain 39. What kind of degrees, credits, or certificate do men earn upon completing the program? N=21 .

40. In your opinion, how well does the program meet the standards set by the USCCB’s Program for Priestly Formation? N=23

4% 1. Not well 22% 3. Somewhat well 13% 2. Fairly well 61% 4. Very well

How would you evaluate the quality of the pretheology program in the following four dimensions of formation? N=23, 22, 22, 22

41. Human formation

42. Intellectual formation

. Please respond to the following questions about the one program in your arch/diocese that you most use or prefer for pre-theology studies.

34. Does it accept men from other arch/dioceses or is it only for the men of your arch/diocese? N=26 12% 1. Accepts only men from your arch/diocese 88% 2. Accepts men from other arch/dioceses and/or religious institutes

35. Does your arch/diocese also send men to that institution for their theology studies? N=26

73% 1. Yes 27% 2. No

36. Does the pre-theology program offer your men opportunities to serve (in an appropriate capacity) at local parishes? N=26

100% 1. Yes 0% 2. No

37. Are the costs for the program reasonable/affordable for your arch/diocese? N=24

87% 1. Yes 13% 2. No

45. Has your arch/diocese accepted any men into a pretheology program in the past five years who needed help learning the English language? N=23

70% 1. Yes 30% 2. No

46. How well does that institution serve those men for whom English is not their first language? N=23

9% 1. Not well 26% 4. Very well

13% 2. Fairly well 22% 5. I am not aware of the 30% 3. Somewhat well program’s quality

47. How satisfied are you with the help the program gives to your men in discerning their vocation to the priesthood? N=23

9% 1. Not satisfied 30% 3. Somewhat satisfied 9% 2. A little satisfied 52% 4. Very satisfied

48. How satisfied are you with the level of communication between the programs’ leaders and your arch/diocese? N=23

0% 1. Not satisfied 35% 3. Somewhat satisfied 13% 2. A little satisfied 52% 4. Very satisfied

49. How well does the program identify the men who

56. Have you been considering changing the main pre have problematic behaviors that may prevent them theology program you send your men to? N=23 from being accepted into the priesthood? N=21 17% 1. Yes 83% 2. No 0% 1. Not well 57% 3. Somewhat well 0% 2. A little 43% 4. Very well

57. Partnering with an institution that has experience and expertise in pre-theology programs would provide 50. Generally, do your men emerge from the program you with the resources necessary (such as an with sufficiently strong ties to your arch/diocese accredited degree program, theology professors, when they complete the program? N=22 formators, and spiritual directors) for establishment of 91% 1. Yes 9% 2. No a new kind of program located in your arch/diocese. How interested would you be in exploring such a partnership? N=23

51. What are the primary reasons that your arch/diocese chooses to send its men to this program? N=21

52. Overall, how satisfied is your arch/bishop with this pre-theology program? N=22

0% 1. Not satisfied 41% 3. Somewhat satisfied 9% 2. A little satisfied 50% 4. Very satisfied

53. Overall, how satisfied are you with this program? N=21

0% 1. Not satisfied 48% 3. Somewhat satisfied 5% 2. A little satisfied 48% 4. Very satisfied

54. What challenges, if any, are you experiencing finding a pre-theology program that meets the needs of your arch/diocese? N=14

55. Regarding all local houses of formation currently located within your arch/diocese:

Check all that apply. N=23 35% 1. Our arch/diocese does not have any local houses of formation within it

48% 2. We have at least one local house of formation that is formally affiliated with our arch/diocese 22% 3. We have at least one local house of formation that is independent of our arch/diocese 3A. It/they are affiliated with:

52% 1. Not at all interested 13% 3. Somewhat intereste 30% 2. A little interested 4% 4. Very interested

58. Please explain why you would or would not be interested in such a partnership? N=16

Thank you for completing this survey!

Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 Phone: (202) 687-8080 Fax: (202) 687-8083 ©2022 CARA, All rights reserved.

IX: Appendix III: Transcription of Open-ended Question Responses

What are the primary reasons that your arch/diocese chooses to send its men to this program?

These responses have been lightly edited to remove identifying information and to correct typos, spelling errors, and punctuation errors.

Institutions within the Diocese

This is our own diocesan seminary in [City Name]- [Seminary Name] is our own seminary that has a PreTheo program

The program is our own. Established by the Diocese of [Name] and [Seminary Name]. This program was created in 2018

The Pre-Theology + Philosophy program is a part of our province. It is the best option. There is a history + connection.

Our own program.

Our diocese co-owns the seminary and it is physically located within or diocese. Its formation program is also very satisfactory.

One, two, three reasons.

Location. Strength in Human Formation.

Local seminary.

It's our own seminary.

It is within the archdiocese. Keep men close to home diocese.

It is within the Archdiocese.

It is the one the Archdiocese personally owns.

It is owned and operated by the Archdiocese.

It is our archdiocesan seminary.

It is in the Archdiocese at the seminary where we also send college and theology seminarians.

It is in our diocese.

It is a very good program.

Close distance from where the seminarians stay.

Bishop is on board of the seminary.

Bishop [Name].

Because it is our own.

Institutions Outside the Diocese

-Choice of Bishop. - Rural diocese, have men trained in a more rural seminary.

-Close to the diocese (10 miles). -Most seminarians are sent to same campus for major seminary.

Respect for the faculty and program.

1. Strength of whole formation program. 2. Closeness to diocese.

A different experience from theology. Great rector and formation staff, they know the men. Overall balanced experience for all involved. Great spiritual resources.

A proven track record due to a longstanding relationship to our diocese.

A robust human formation.

Attention to human and spiritual formation.

Because this program is close to the diocese.

Because we sponsor this college seminary / pre-theology program.

Closest Seminary to our Archdiocese. Good past experience. Strong Human Formation program.

Doctrinal orthodoxy.

Excellent formation in all areas.

Excellent human formation - especially for guys 18-22 years old.

Good experience in the past.

Good relationship with rector.

History and bishop decides.

History with the institution. We are currently researching other options.

Human formation is strong and clearly defined in terms of expectations.

Human formation, closest to us.

Integration into a university providing broader peer experience, suitable academic options (as opposed to a small program without university resources), a clear and well defined seminary community.

It is based on the men.

It is connected to our Major Seminary of choice.

It is in our region. It is connected to a monastic community. The formation is solid.

It is in-state, it does a good job, we have a small number of men and we want them to be together.

It is our provincial seminary for [State Name].

It is the only Eastern Seminary in the US that I am aware of.

It is well balanced and the men are very happy there.

Its closeness to our Diocese that we can maintain apostolate work within our Diocese and visit frequently.

It's the regional seminary, and there is great communication between them and us.

It's within our state.

Limited options to stay in state.

Location is close to our Diocese and historically we have a strong connection to that institution and program.

Long standing relationship, good rapport, no other programs leap out as overwhelmingly better. But ultimately, Bishops preference.

Long standing relationship, rector's vision and work with the men.

Other diocese in our state send there and it is where our Bishop went to seminary.

Our Arch-eparchy doesn't have its own program.

Our bishop is its former rector.

Overall excellent program with many identifiable strengths that is in a very similar socioeconomic and cultural region to our diocese. While I believe that some of our seminaries are more versatile, I do not think that any one seminary can serve best for all of our men. Therefore, we have the policy of trying to match the strengths of the seminary to the weaknesses of the individual man and also to ensure that the weaknesses of the seminary are mitigated by the strengths of the individual man.

Pre-existing relationship with the institution.

They have a solid, all-around program. They have a college that offers a BA degree program. They have an MA program in Philosophy for those who want to pursue it.

Proven positive effect of formation at the seminary for all priests ordained.

Regional.

Spirituality eligible, in [City Name].

Strong intellect formation; faith in formation team and accompaniment of men.

The Bishop.

The university setting.

Their high standards.

To support the seminary programs of the Archdiocese to which our diocese belongs.

Tradition, cost, connection, happy with past grads.

Trust built, solid formation.

Trusted formation program. Great academics. Near the diocese.

Very flexible.

We are a very rural diocese and we do not have the resources for our own seminary (hence, we don't have any seminarians here). We primarily send our men to the chosen institution because: 1) it is not exceedingly far away, so easier to foster connections between the seminarians and the d iocese (the people, the land, the presbyterate, etc.); 2) the formation is above-average quality; 3) we have historical and ecclesial ties to the archdiocese wherein the seminary is found.

We do not have a seminary in our archdiocese, so we must look outside. We trust the leadership and formators at our current seminary, and have a good relationship with them.

We send our men to their institution for theology.

We still sponsor men who need to complete their bachelor’s degree, and [Seminary Name] has a college seminary program.

We trust the formators, there has been a history of sending men there, and they trust their formation staff enough to challenge the seminaries and if deemed necessary, ask a man to discontinue formation.

We value the quality of the formation team, who by their leadership and diligence offer our men quality formation.

Well qualified formation faculty. Integration into the larger community of formation - not a small, isolated group.

What challenges, if any, are you experiencing finding a pre-theology program that meets the needs of your arch/diocese?

These responses have been lightly edited to remove identifying information and to correct typos, spelling errors, and punctuation errors.

Institutions within the Diocese

A few times, there is a lack of communication. But it’s not frequent At times seminaries can be too academically focused.

Cost.

Cultural differences.

Enable the men to get a masters in Philosophy.

Formators who understand different cultures.

None.

None.

None presently.

None.

Since it is our own program, we do not have any issues. It is a challenge to find good college seminaries for our Archdiocese since we do not have our own.

Some.

Still needs work with human formation. Philosophy is too intense for some men. We meet the challenge and created the Program which is now a proto-type for Pre-Theology PreSeminary Programs.

Institutions Outside the Diocese

Because we send to multiple seminaries, it is a challenge to find the right fit and to continue to support the numerous institutions.

Better human formation. Distance.

Forming the millennial generation to be more mature and responsible.

Geographical distance (not too many options in the southwest) and some one great for younger men but not older; others, vice versa.

I wish the programs offered at seminaries closer to us were stronger.

If any challenge, it is the constant balancing act of men coming from life experience back into an academic and residential setting.

It could be more academically rigorous.

Location of seminaries have different culture than our own. Also difficulties with their program to help teach seminarians English.

Lots.

N/A.

NA.

None.

None.

None.

None.

None.

None.

None.

None.

None at the moment.

None worth remarking. We are happy with our location. With so few seminarians, it is hard to diversify the seminaries to which we send our seminarians: with more seminarians, I would prefer to have this sort of diversity.

None.

None.

None.

Pastoral reality of inculturation.

Propaedeutic year is going to change things a bit.

Proximity and matching good intellectual formation with human formation through good formators.

Seminary is great, but finding a faithful Catholic University is difficult. It feels as if we are enabling Catholic institutions in their 'wokeness.’

The challenge is finding a program that accompanies the men closely and communicated back any red flags or concerns to the Diocese.

The challenge of the idea that small group of pre-theologians led by one or two priests will yield good results.

The entire seminary model needs to be revisited. I think it needs to be restructured to break seminary communities into small intentional communities where guys learn to share, process their life, pray, be known, be vulnerable, address conflict, etc. This can be incorporated in a more intensive way with the Propaedeutic year. Seminary must become a unique oasis in society where guys are equipped and pushed to heal from the broken culture they were raised in and shown how to live a healthy, integrated, human life for the first time.

The numbers of seminarians at a previously used program (associated with a Benedictine monastery) fell to a level in which experiences with seminarian and non-seminarian peers and broader pastoral initiatives were quite limited.

The pre-theology program that we use for men who are not as academically talented does not give sufficient attention to the men and is far away. I would prefer to have another option for them.

The pre-theology program needs more priests to be part of the Faculty; currently, only one.

There are currently only 13 men in the house.

There is a challenge in guys connecting within our diocese due to the lack of a program inside it.

There is a tendency to add more years prior to theology rather than focusing on study and discernment in the years we actually have available.

We are happy with the programs we use.

We are not currently experiencing any challenges, however, we reevaluate each seminary, each year.

We have no challenges currently.

We have not used a specific pre-theology program. We recently changed to our current choice and are very happy.

Please explain why you would or would not be interested in such a partnership?

These responses have been lightly edited to remove identifying information and to correct typos, spelling errors, and punctuation errors.

Institutions within the Diocese

Reasons Would be Interested

I am open to new resources. I am worried about the cost of this suggested institution.

Reasons Would Not be Interested

As stated previously, the current program at the local seminary is owned and operated by the Archdiocese.

Because we already have a program that does it well within the Archdiocese. Dunno.

Have our own.

Since we have a good Pre-Theology program present in our diocese, the need is not there. I would be more interested in resources for the establishment of a propaedeutic program.

The Eparchy tried, but it did not work out.

We already have a major seminary.

We already run our own archdiocesan seminary.

We are content with the program in place.

We do not have the resources or the time to create or establish a program.

We have done this partnering with [Seminary Name], [Seminary Name], and [Seminary Name].

We have had a diocesan seminary since the establishment of the Diocese - I sense our Bishop will continue to invest in this institution.

We have our own seminary.

We like where we use.

We staff our current house of formation and seminary staffs PT-Program.

Institutions Outside the Diocese

Reasons Would be Interested

Especially with the new direction of the revised PPF which includes the need for a Propaedeutic period, I believe that having a house of formation in our diocese could be helpful. However, we are so small and have so few candidates, that it would be a financial impossibility, I believe. A true "pre-theology" or philosophy school would be almost out of the question.

I am always open to innovation. While we are largely satisfied with our programs, those programs are both subject to change and the personnel changes so frequently that it is difficult to depend on a seminary formation program to provide a consistent level of excellence year over year.

I would be interested because I think it is the ideal. I do not think it is within the realm of possibilities for us given how stretched thin we are for priests. I do not believe it would be the priority of the Bishop.

I would be interested to give guys the opportunity to grow closer to the local presbyterate and get a better feel of the Archdiocese for their own discernment and formation. I would not be interested due to the challenge of providing the type of community life and priest presence that would be necessary to have a house of formation.

I'd be open to listening, but I think this would be difficult for a small diocese. Much of formation requires the presence of other seminarians. A program in our diocese would be small.

Interested in learning how to find the necessary financial support to help sustain a new program; learning how to identify priests that can help in the formation program as faculty and/or spiritual directors for seminarians and discerners.

It would have to fully staffed by the partner. W e do not have the human or academic resources to provide such a program in our diocese at present.

It would make many aspects of the endeavor easier, but we would have to carefully vet the program to make sure of the fit is right.

Such a partnership strikes me as a novel idea that can overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to establishing a pre-theology program, namely the provision of an academic faculty. The potential benefits of having a local pre-theology program seem worthwhile especially if we men are asked to discern and commit to the diocese by the end of the discipleship phase.

This would be a great help in formation.

Would fill the many gaps we would have if we opened our own program.

Reasons Would Not be Interested

A qualified local staff/faculty/clergy are needed for discernment and the various formation areas. Besides the need for substantial financial support of a local program for a small number of men, our diocese lacks priest resources.

A significant part of the formation of seminarians happens from their interactions with one another. It is essential to have a large enough student body in order for this very important dynamic to happen. Regional seminaries make this possible. Furthermore, our priests are already stretched and strapped for time in parishes and diocesan work. They could not offer the time needed for good formation to happen.

As a mission diocese with limited clergy and financial resources, it would not be a benefit to our new in discernment.

Because we are a diocese of small numbers (but large area) a scenario of sufficient seminarian numbers in pre-theology is very unlikely. In other words, I would not endorse a pre-theology program of studies consisting of two-three men.

Bleah.

Cost!

I'm interested, but we do not have the resources necessary to support it at the present time.

It sounds like a great idea, but I do not believe that we have the staff to maintain it nor the number of students necessary to populate it.

It's a question really for my Bishop, not for me.

It's not my call. Bishop would have to agree, I don't think our current Bishop is very open because I've asked him about it and he is concerned about all the legal stuff of priest living with minors/young men who are seminarians.

Like all things it comes down to resources and cost benefit analysis. I'm not sure that the diocese has the resources and I'm not convinced that online learning is the best way to go.

More interested with the requirement of a propaedeutic stage now.

Need the experience of being away from home.

Our current program works well.

Our Diocese is too small.

Our resources and personnel are so limited. That's why we send them out of the Diocese to an institution to be formed.

We are a small diocese, typically around 10 men in formation, it's not clear to me there's a real in-person way of doing this. If it were significantly online, not interested. We don't love that our programs are far away, and we do value the men's connection with our local diocese a great deal.

Our small number of men in pre-theology would not be conducive to our own program. The new PPF would make it more difficult.

Our human resources are way limited in our diocese.

The demographics of our diocese do not lead me to see a critical mass of suitable candidates for an indiocese formation house and program.

The individual programs will be subject to the particular vision of the group providing the resources. The infrastructure for such a program does not seem realistic at this time.

The pre-theology program that we use is adequate.

Too small of a diocese and too few seminaries/ inquiry candidates.

Tying up priests in formation rather than parishes.

We already sponsor our program, and have for many years.

We are a small diocese in the Bible belt of the State.

We are a small diocese with few resources and few seminarians. We could not sustain a formation program with enough students.

We are a small diocese. Would be hard to pull off. Also, still not sure what changes existing seminaries may or may not make with the new PPF.

We are happy with the pre-theology program we are using now.

We are satisfied with our current situation.

We are satisfied with where our guys go.

We do not have enough men to have a formation house.

We do not have candidates as other dioceses.

We don't have enough available/experienced personnel to staff an independent program. So [illegible] would be needed.

We don't have the resources at the local level to provide for the proper formation for men in pretheology programs. We would need such a partnership to make sure that formation took place.

We have a fine program nearby and as a smaller Diocese it might not be worth the effort to run something on our own.

We have one established already.

We have the IPF program. Newman Center. Archbishop decides.

We're satisfied with the current formation programs we use.

X: Appendix IV: “St. Bernard’s and the Discipleship Stage: Philosophy, Theology, and the Integrative Formation of Seminarians ”

St. Bernard’s and the Discipleship Stage: Philosophy, Theology, and the Integrative Formation of Seminarians

Introduction

This document will describe in detail St. Bernard’s role in a diocese-based discipleship stage of formation, with particular emphasis upon the its Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy (MACP) degree program. The ongoing collaboration with the Diocese of Albany, New York and the St. Isaac Jogues House of Formation will be referenced as an example of curricular and programmatic implementation in the context of the discipleship stage. The following will be examined:

1. The nature of the discipleship stage of priestly formation;

2. Typical structures of discipleship stage formation programs found in the United States of America;

3. Major curricular requirements of the discipleship stage;

4. Discipleship stage intellectual formation offered by St. Bernard’s for the Diocese of Albany, New York

5. The establishment of a Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy and its awarding at the completion of the discipleship stage program

1.The Nature of the Discipleship Stage of Priestly Formation

The discipleship stage is an essential way by which young men who have a vocation to the priesthood may be provided the means whereby they might both grow in their vocation and be prepared to enter the configuration stage at a major seminary for their theological studies and formation.

The basic structure of the discipleship stage is detailed the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’s document entitled Program for Priestly Formation (6th edition: promulgated 2023, hereafter

abbreviated as PPF), which itself is based upon the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, the Ratio Fundamentalis Sacerdotalis Institutionis (2016), the Code of Canon Law (1983), the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (1990), and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1997).

According to the PPF, there are four dimensions formation that constitute “interrelated aspects of a human response to God’s transforming grace” (§115) that must be attended to during each stage of formation, namely the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral.

1.The varied elements of human formation gathered in the PPF (§§181-90) have as their goal the development of a man of solid, mature Christian character (specifically in light of the four cardinal and three theological virtues) so that he might be an effective witness to the world both in his person and (through his office of priest) of Christ Himself, so that he might be “a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the human race” (§182). The discipleship stage benchmarks in human formation strongly emphasize self-knowledge, which is directly ordered to the ability to make a free and total self-gift (§§192-197).

2. Spiritual formation introduces the seminarian to the means whereby he might begin to experience the depth and breadth of human formation required of him in the ministerial priesthood. The goal here is to encourage a specific formation wherein the seminarian seeks “to live in unceasing and intimate union with God the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit” (§226) so that he might experience that conversion of heart, turning of mind, and establishment of character required by his calling. This is brought about specifically through guided and disciplined attention to daily Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, penance, adoration, Marian devotions, guided retreats, regular spiritual direction, devotion to the Holy Scriptures, disciplined introduction and dedication to the practices of chastity and obedience, a simplicity in living, and spiritual conferences, all of which are conducted according to a regular schedule. The discipleship stage benchmarks in spiritual formation strongly emphasize consistency and regularity in both liturgical action and private prayer (§§236-238).

3.The PPF sets forth very definite guidelines concerning the intellectual formation that men receive during the discipleship stage (this will be discussed in further detail below). “The overall goal of every stage of seminary formation is to prepare a seminarian who is widely knowledgeable about the human condition, deeply engaged in a process of understanding Divine Revelation, and adequately skilled in communicating his knowledge to as many people as possible” (§264), which, during the discipleship stage, is best addressed through a specific attention to that philosophy which is at the very heart of the Catholic intellectual tradition. This formation is typically addressed through a two-year study of philosophy, theology, and other disciplines, with specific benchmarks focusing on competence in the requisite study of philosophy, sacred scripture, and the Catechism (§§289-90).

4. Pastoral formation is considered by the PPF to be “the culmination of the entire formation process” (§366). As Pastores dabo vobis states, this formation process prepares candidates “to enter into communion with the charity of Christ, the Good Shepherd,” so that they might become “true shepherds of souls after the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, teacher, priest and shepherd” (§§57 and 4, respectively). This, according to the PPF, entails “standing with and for Christ in the community, the Christ who teaches and sanctifies and guides or leads the community” (§369). This practical exhibition of the person of Christ in the priest is brought about through a lifetime of devotion to the building of his character and the practices of prayer and study. The discipleship stage benchmarks in pastoral formation strongly emphasize pastoral charity, pastoral knowledge, and pastoral skills manifested in a variety of situations and contexts (§§374-5).

2.The Typical Structures of Discipleship Stage For mation Programs Found in the United States of America

From the foregoing, it should be fairly clear that the discipleship stage must be constructed around all four dimensions of formation if the man progressing in his vocation to the ministerial priesthood is to be rightly and effectively guided in this and prepared to serve God’s people in this ministry.

Traditionally, discipleship stage programs in the United States have been run “in-house” by major seminaries for very clear and pragmatic reasons: the human and spiritual elements are most effectively addressed within such an intentional community, which includes the proper faculty and formational personnel. However, given the direct impact of intellectual formation upon the other three pillars of formation, as well as the context within which intellectual formation is realized in the United States today,23 there are three additional models of note within which a discipleship stage program of formation is designed and operated:

i. Discipleship stage programs designed and operated in collaboration with undergraduate degreegranting institutions independent from any particular diocese. Fairly typical examples of this approach are Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio (through a Priestly Discernment Program offered by the Philosophy Department24), and The School of Theology and Religious Studies and Theological College at The Catholic University of America (the philosophy department offers a Certificate Program in Pre-Theology Studies for Seminarians 25);

ii. Seminaries or graduate schools of theology that offer their discipleship stage program in association with an undergraduate degree granting institutions to provide some or all of the courses required by the PPF for the intellectual pillar of formation and this within the context of an undergraduate degree. Again, fairly typical examples of this approach include Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Wisconsin, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland (with Mount St. Mary’s University26 ), and Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology in New Jersey (with Seton Hall University27);

iii. Undergraduate/graduate schools/departments of theology that associate themselves directly with a diocese, providing the diocese with the courses required for the intellectual dimension of formation while the diocese attends primarily to the other three dimensions of formation. This form of a discipleship stage program is very much “team oriented,” providing a unique possibility for collaboration in formation. Frequently this arrangement accommodates both recent graduates of high school who are pursuing their undergraduate degrees, as well as those who have an undergraduate degree in hand.

The rationale for these three additional designs is frequently driven by the resources available for the sake of complete formation for the ministerial priesthood. St. Bernard’s has recently collaborated with the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) in a study of pre-theology programs, titled National Survey of Diocesan Vocation Directors about Pre-seminarian Formation. This study has revealed that many dioceses are concerned about the dearth of resources to support a house of formation; likewise, models i and ii noted above give pause, especially in the event that Bishops cannot rely upon local colleges and/or universities to teach from the heart of the Church.

23 These factors are cited and discussed in §266 of the PPF. 24http://franciscan.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2018-2019/Undergraduate-Catalog/AcademicPrograms/Philosophy/Priestly-Discernment-Program

25 https://philosophy.catholic.edu/academics/programs-for-seminarians/index.html.

26 https://seminary.msmary.edu/priestly-formation/intellectual-formation/pre-theology.html

27 http://www.shu.edu/academics/pre-theology-program.cfm.

The third model listed above best describes what St. Bernard’s offers as a collaborator in formation. Such a model can take strides in remediating some of the major problems that frequently impede the development of a local discipleship stage formation program, not least by providing orthodox, reliable intellectual formation that is richly resourced and offered in a context of integrative formation. A consideration of the type of coursework required during the discipleship stage will further illustrate the reasonability of such a collaboration.

3. Major Curricular Requirements of the Discipleship Stage

In the guidelines set forth by the USCCB in the PPF, the intellectual dimension of the discipleship stage requires specific courses in the fields of (a) philosophy, (b) theology, and, as needed, (c) liberal arts. The most important of these areas is philosophy, as it leads to the acquisition of education and skills necessary for discernment, for the study of theology, and for the communication of Church teaching to people who have not had the benefit of a philosophical or theological education.

(a) Philosophy

The PPF sets forth several areas that must be covered in philosophy through a minimum of 30 credit hours (typically 10 three-credit courses) over the duration of at least two calendar years 28 They are:

i. Logic

ii. Epistemology

iii. Philosophy of Nature

iv. Metaphysics

v. Natural Theology

vi. Anthropology

vii. Ethics

viii. History of Philosophy (covering the following four areas: Ancient; Medieval; Modern; Contemporary)

While it may appear that these philosophy courses could be taught by any institution irrespective of its creedal commitments, the Catholic philosophical tradition has a definite perspective on and approach to the teaching of philosophy, one that privileges the ancient seeking of wisdom and a definite metaphysics, epistemology, anthropology, and history, all with a respect due to Catholic teachings 29

(b) Theology

Although the PPF is very clear that the intellectual formation provided by philosophy in the discipleship stage is primary, nevertheless it requires that at least an introduction to the study of theology be provided.

28 See sections §§278-284 and §§303-314 of the PPF. The subject matter of each area is laid out in the PPF, as is the school of philosophy or intellectual context within which this subject matter is to be taught, specifically within the Catholic philosophical and intellectual traditions, giving privilege to the Thomistic and Augustinian traditions central to these aforementioned traditions.

29 See especially §310 of the PPF: “Programs that utilize colleges and universities for philosophy and theological studies should carefully and consistently monitor the content and quality of their seminarians’ courses as a preparation for theological studies. ‘Philosophical instruction must be grounded in the perennially valid philosophical heritage and also take into account philosophical investigation over the course of time.’”

The PPF sets forth several areas that should be covered by a discipleship stage program through a minimum of 12 credit hours (typically 4 three-credit courses). 30 They are:

i. Doctrine

ii. Liturgy and Sacraments

iii. Morality

iv. Prayer

v. Sacred Scripture

The PPF states that much of what is presented in these areas (particularly doctrine, liturgy and sacraments, morality, and prayer) constitute the great themes of the Catechism of the Catholic Church; these courses represent a means of thoroughly acquainting the seminarians with the Catechism as a “source for ‘a full, complete exposition of Catholic doctrine’ and for ‘the requirements of contemporary catechetical instruction’” (§285).

How these theological areas are addressed is left to the discretion of the formation team offering the discipleship stage formation program. The treatment of the curriculum, however, does not vary, something that reflects the emphasis and purpose of the discipleship stage.

(c) Liberal Arts

While all seminarians in the discipleship stage require the above formation in philosophy and theology, those who have not met benchmarks for “a broad grasp of the liberal arts and sciences” will have the opportunity to pursue such an education during this stage. In this way, the discipleship stage is fit to meet the needs of men with vastly different educational experiences.31

The PPF sets forth several areas that should be covered during the discipleship stage, on an as -needed basis:32

i. Mathematics

ii. Natural Sciences

iii. Social and Behavioral Sciences

iv. History

v. Literature

vi. Foreign Languages (Latin, Greek, and Modern)

vii. Communication Skills

viii. Music

ix. Fine Arts

30 See sections §§285-286 and §308.

31 The presumption here is that the student who takes part in a discipleship stage program either has an undergraduate degree in hand or will complete the discipleship stage program together with his undergraduate studies (as part of a philosophy degree; as part of a double major in philosophy and another discipline; or as a philosophy minor completed together with a major in another discipline such as liberal arts); this is the thrust of the first and second models discussed above in section 2. The rationale for this presumption is that such an education grounds the student in the larger artistic and scientific aspects of the Catholic intellectual tradition, allowing him to contextualize and relate his philosophical and theological studies to other disciplines, thus making him a more effective communicator and teacher of Catholic doctrine.

32 See sections §§272-277 of the PPF.

In treating these areas, a discipleship stage formation program both prepares the seminarian for theology and affords its own value for formation: “such an education encourages intellectual curiosity, promotes critical thought, and fosters disciplined habits of study, but above all it aims to hand on the truths about God and his creation that are the foundation of civilization” (§274).

In addition to these three specific fields of philosophy, theology, and liberal arts, discipleship stage formation also prioritizes classical and foreign languages as a preparation for the configuration stage’s theological rigor and its pastoral and ministerial experiences in multilingual contexts.

The PPF is clear that, during the discipleship stage, “seminarians should have or be earning a bachelor’s degree, preferably a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy, from an accredited institution. If such a degree is not available from their seminary, they may earn the degree at a college or university associated with the seminary” (§303). Likewise, “for men who enter the discipleship stage with a college degree, programs are encouraged to consider offering the civilly recognized bachelor in philosophy (PhB), a twoyear program that presumes a previous bachelor’s degree (preferably in the liberal arts) but does not require a liberal arts component. Such a degree requires regional accreditation” (§314). On the latter path (when discipleship stage formation is pursued with a bachelor’s degree in hand), one can typically expect between 15 and 18 courses for a discipleship stage program: about 4 courses per semester over a two-year period if the program is engaged on a full-time basis (10 courses in philosophy, 3-6 courses in theology, and 2 or less in languages).

4.Discipleship Stage Intellectual Formation offered by St. Bernard’s for the Diocese of Albany, New York

Since the Fall of 2018, St. Bernard’s has worked closely with the Diocese of Albany to develop a discipleship stage formation program and thereby become an integral part of St. Isaac Jogues House of Formation, which was charged with addressing all four pillars of formation: the human, spiritual, pastoral and intellectual. The official blessing and opening of the St. Isaac Jogues House of Formation and PreSeminary in the Diocese of Albany took place on June 26th, 2019. Presiding over the establishment of the House of Formation was The Most Reverend Edward B. Scharfenberger, Bishop of Albany, and The Very Reverend Anthony F. Ligato, Department Head of the Office of Vicar for Vocations and the Director/Rector of St. Isaac Jogues House of Formation (now Assistant Vice-Rector and Director of Pastoral Formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome). Effective July 1st, 2023, Fr. Samuel Bellafiore will take up the role of Rector at St. Isaac Jogues House of Formation.

The form taken by the association between the Diocese of Albany and St. Bernard’s mirrors model iii in section 2 of this document, and is an effective and creative way to proceed in light of the initial discussion of the nature and purpose of discipleship stage formation detailed above and following what is determined in the PPF. Please note the following points:

a. By adhering to model iii in section 2 of this document, St. Bernard’s is an integral part of a formation team that is charged with providing discipleship stage formation as a whole under the leadership of the Rector. Other members of the formation team principally address the human, spiritual, and pastoral dimensions of formation, while St. Bernard’s cares principally for intellectual formation. At the same time, it must be recalled that “all professors must be dedicated to the total formation of the seminarians” (§471). All faculty who teach within the discipleship stage formation program are aware of its purposes and work to achieve these purposes with the seminarians in their classes,

something that includes an attentiveness both to the intellectual progress of seminarians and the development of their character (since instructors will be asked by the team to offer their own assessments concerning the seminarian’s suitability to the priesthood);

b. Appointments to this team and the hiring of faculty to teach within this program are made in direct consultation with the Bishop of the Diocese of Albany (or with an intermediary appointed by the Bishop for this task). In the case of disagreements concerning team and/or faculty appointments and/or content of the courses offered by St. Bernard’s to address the intellectual dimension of the program, the Bishop has the final say. The rationale for this policy is that the Bishop is directly and ultimately responsible for the formation that each and every aspirant to the ministerial priesthood receives.33 Since the discipleship stage plays a vital role in this formation, St. Bernard’s and its curriculum serves this stage of formation at the Bishop’s pleasure; in this light, the Bishop’s responsibility to the people of the diocese and the rights of the people to receive the Church’s teaching are crucial for a proper understanding of the meaning of academic freedom.34 Consequently, each person who teaches in the formation program must seek and obtain the mandatum ; 35

c. Courses at St. Bernard’s are taught through traditional classroom engagement and through Zoom video conferencing; both in-person and synchronous delivery of coursework is supported by the Canvas learning management system. A hybrid approach has been utilized to supplement in-class engagement (where some work is assigned and completed outside of the classroom environment either as supplementing and carrying forward work done in class, or in preparation for upcoming classes), and most courses are ‘blended,’ with some students attending in-person and some students attending via Zoom. Similarly, instructors have been recruited from around the country and may teach from various locations, enabling the School to achieve greater excellence in teaching and to ensure the coverage of the curriculum with experts in a given field. This highly dynamic approach to course delivery and participation afford seminarians a great deal of flexibility, especially in the context of a house of formation, while simultaneously ensuring the utmost quality of instruction. It also frequently permits a classroom roster that is populated by many seminarians, diaconate candidates, and lay people from across the country, all inspiring one another in the pursuit of wisdom and authentic formation, giving rise to irreplaceable friendships and reciprocal witness.

d. The design of the St. Bernard’s contribution to discipleship stage formation is highly focused on the fact that it seeks to bring about a formation of the seminarian’s mind, heart, and character, and that it not simply provide him with information alone; the thrust of this program must be formational and this as it works in conjunction with the larger formational efforts of the broader team responsible for discipleship stage formation. The leadership of St. Bernard’s is deeply interested in learning the unique needs of a given diocese and the particular resources available for the discipleship stage program, in order to maximize the effectiveness of formation as a whole for each man on an individual basis. Further, St. Bernard’s strives to ensure that discipleship stage formation is

33 See PPF, §466.

34 This is made explicitly clear in Pope St. John Paul II’s “Address to Presidents of Catholic Colleges and Universities” given at The Catholic University of America, October 7, 1979. §6 of this address should be read in its entirety.

35 For more information, see https://www.usccb.org/committees/catholic-education/guidelines-concerningacademic-mandatum.

understood as a serious stage in its own right, not simply as a preparation for later studies. In this way, philosophical studies and a profound encounter with the Catechism is not simply on the way to something – it is rather a destination in its own right. The full twoyear period of formation is therefore very important from a curricular perspective, but most importantly for the total effort of integrative formation;

e. The Director of Discipleship Stage Formation at St. Bernard’s, Dr. Stephen J. Loughlin, understands well the nature and operation of such a program, particularly with regard to the intellectual dimension discussed above. He received his philosophical training from the tradition of philosophy privileged by the PPF and has taught all of the philosophy courses particular to the discipleship stage program noted above. He has guided its shape and operation, and is especially capable of determining the best faculty members and adjunct instructors to assist in the implementation of the discipleship stage curriculum.

In light of the preceding observations regarding discipleship stage formation and its curriculum, and in order to provide an excellent contribution to graduate studies in philosophy for people across the English speaking world, St. Bernard’s launched the Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy (MACP) program in 2019. It reflects the “sound philosophy” called for by the PPF, which helps “to develop a reflective awareness of the fundamental relationship that exists between the human spirit and truth, that truth which is revealed to us fully in Jesus Christ” (§280). It is the primary framework within which St. Bernard’s provides its contribution to discipleship stage formation, in the midst of the broader formation team.

The minimum requirement for the awarding of the MACP would be the successful completion of 12 courses (36 credits) of philosophy. For seminarians in the discipleship stage of formation, additional courses are required in order to satisfy the requirements put forward by the PPF (discussed above in section 3 of this document), resulting in a total of 16 courses (48 credits).

Admission to the MACP requires an undergraduate degree in hand at the time of conferral of the degree. If a student has not completed an undergraduate degree upon admission, two steps are typically taken: (1) the diocese works with a college or university to enable the seminarian to complete an undergraduate degree during the discipleship stage of formation, and/or (2) the seminarian has the opportunity to matriculate into the Graduate Certificate in Catholic Philosophy, which will enable him to take the necessary coursework in philosophy and, if the undergraduate degree is not able to be completed within due course, receive a credential that reflects this period of academic study. The curriculum is determined, then, according to the expectations and requirements of the PPF. The following program checklist, utilized by current students, provides a helpful overview of the curriculum:

16 Courses (48 Credits)

Foundational Courses

Semester/Year Grade

CP601 – Introduction to Catholic Philosophy

CP605 – Logic

CP661 – Ethics

CP631 – Metaphysics

CP611 – History of Philosophy: Ancient

Historical Courses

CP612 – History of Philosophy: Medieval

CP613 – History of Philosophy: Modern and Contemporary

Systematic Courses

CP614 – Epistemology

CP621 – Philosophy of Nature

CP651 – Philosophical Anthropology

CP641 – Philosophy of God

Theology Courses

C/D202 – The Revelation of God: Doctrine, Liturgy, and Sacraments (Catechism 1 and 2)

C/D203 – The Drama of Life in Christ: Action, Contemplation, Communion (Catechism Parts 3 and 4)

A202 – Old Testament

A203 – New Testament

Capstone Courses

CP900 – Classic Texts in Catholic Philosophy

Graduates’ Colloquium (Non-Credit)

In the context of discipleship stage formation, two 3-credit courses on the Catechism of the Catholic Church and two 3-credit courses in Sacred Scripture would typically be taken:

i. C/D202 – The Revelation of God: Scripture, Tradition, Creed (Catechism 1 and 2)

ii. C/D203 – The Drama of Life in Christ: Action, Contemplation, Communion (Catechism 3 and 4)

iii. A202 – Old Testament

iv. A203 – New Testament

As an example of the curriculum in act, a proposed 6-Semester Cycle might unfold as follows (with the working presumption that the student will take the six semesters over a two-year period):

Semester 1

CP601: Introduction to Catholic Philosophy

CP611: Ancient History of Philosophy

C/D202: Catechism 1 and 2

Semester 2

CP605: Logic

CP612: Medieval History of Philosophy

C/D203: Catechism 3 and 4

Semester 3

CP641: Philosophy of God

CP621: Philosophy of Nature

Semester 4

CP614: Epistemology

CP631: Metaphysics

A202: Old Testament

Semester 5

CP671: Classic Texts in Catholic Philosophy

CP651: Philosophical Anthropology

A203: New Testament

Semester 6

CP641: Philosophy of God

CP661: Ethics

The following is a chart of ordinary instructors that teach in the Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy program:

Faculty Member Name, Title, and Rank

Stephen Loughlin, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy

Marco Stango, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Anthony Barratt, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theology

Courses Taught

CP601, 605, 611, 614, 621, 631, 641, 671

CP601, 612, 621, 631, 651, 671

CP651

Siobhan Latar, S.T.D., Adjunct Instructor C/D202, 203

Matthew Pietropaoli, Ph.D., Adjunct Instructor

Erik Van Versendaal, Ph.D., Adjunct Instructor

CP613, 641, 661

CP611, 621

Course Descriptions

Philosophy

CP601: Introduction to Catholic Philosophy

Highest Earned Degree, Discipline

Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Toronto

Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Macerata

S.T.L., Theology, Pontifical Gregorian University; Ph.D., Philosophy and Religion, Kings College, London, UK

S.T.D., Theology, Pontifical John Paul II Institute

Ph.D., Philosophy, The Catholic University of America

Ph.D., Theology, Pontifical John Paul II Institute

This course centers the student upon the discipline of philosophy as it has been developed and practiced within the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. The methods particular to philosophical investigation will be examined as the philosopher seeks to articulate the nature of wisdom, how it can be attained, and especially incorporated into the entirety of one’s life. The student will understand the differences between philosophy, the sciences, and theology, as well as their respective complementarities, with a focus upon the supportive and illuminative role that philosophy plays in theological education. 3 Credits.

CP605: Logic

An examination of the three activities that define reason (Understanding, Judgment, and Discursive Reasoning), and the development and practice of the techniques that perfect them (definition, the

judgment of truth and falsity, the manipulation of propositions, and the formation of a sound argument). The course considers the defects that commonly affect sound reasoning (fallacies), the distinction between sound and cogent reasoning (deductive vs. inductive reasoning) and the criteria that govern the difference between the two, and lastly what constitutes Normative Persuasion Dialogue and how such is to be distinguished from other speech acts. 3 Credits.

CP611: Our Search for Meaning: The Beginning of the Greatest Conversation (Ancient)

A survey course from the beginning of philosophy with the pre-Socratics, through Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and ending with the Cynics, Skeptics, Epicureans, Stoics, and Neoplatonism. In particular, those problems posed by Heraclitus, Parmenides, Socrates, and Plato that are important to the philosophical tradition will be considered, Aristotle’s philosophy will be surveyed as a whole, and the themes that are central to post-Aristotelian philosophy will be examined. 3 Credits.

CP612: History of Philosophy: Medieval

A survey course beginning with St. Augustine, through the rise of Scholasticism, and to its end. Emphasis is placed upon the thought of St. Augustine, Boethius, St. Anselm, St. Bonaventure, St. Thomas Aquinas, Blessed John Duns Scotus, and William of Ockham. The relations between faith and reason, and metaphysical, anthropological, and ethical teachings will be emphasized as they develop the thought received from the ancient Greek philosophers and prepare the way for the rise of modern philosophy. 3 Credits.

CP613: History of Philosophy:

Modern and Contemporary

With regard to the modern era, this course will survey the main philosophers of the rationalist, empiricist, and Kantian traditions, from Descartes through the nineteenth century. This will introduce the student to the authors of the 19th and 20th century studied in the contemporary era who respond to the major themes/positions of the modern era. It is with regard to the latter that this course explores the two major school of philosophy in the contemporary era, namely analytic philosophy, on the one hand, and phenomenology and existentialism, on the other. 3 Credits.

CP614: Epistemology

This course will consider the nature of knowledge, whether the human mind can know things as they really are, the twofold nature of human cognition (normative and empirical/rational and sensual), the relationship between the human person’s empirical and normative knowledge, the different kinds of knowing as well as their degrees, the different approaches to truth, belief, and error, and the metaphysical underpinnings of different approaches to the aforementioned concerns. 3 Credits.

CP621: Philosophy of Nature

This course offers an examination of the ancient and medieval accounts of the natural world, specifically their understanding of nature, change, space, time, purpose, chance, and the principles upon which they rest. This is perhaps the most fundamental of all philosophy courses and, together with logic, establishes the vocabulary basic to the whole of the Catholic philosophical tradition. 3 Credits.

CP631: Metaphysics

This course examines the basic concerns and principles that undergird the whole of reality and guide the way by which we think of the ultimate things to which the mind can aspire: existence, essence, the

categories of being, the transcendentals, the analogy of being, and the existence and creative activity of God. 3 Credits.

CP641: Philosophy of God

This course concerns the natural ascent of the human mind to a knowledge of the existence and the attributes of God – can God’s existence be proven, and can our language at least begin to represent God’s attributes without falling purely into metaphorical language or simple anthropomorphisms. 3 Credits.

CP651: Philosophical Anthropology

This course investigates the philosophical discussion surrounding the human person. We appeal to the major writers on this subject with an emphasis upon the Socratic, Platonic, Aristotelian, Augustinian, and Thomistic traditions, engaging primary original texts themselves and also their incorporation into modern models of the human person, particularly the personalism of Pope St. John Paul II. Among the aspects considered in this course are the following: what is meant by “body” and “soul”; how has relation that exists between the two been articulated; how do we distinguish and understand the difference between the human person’s animality and his rationality; how do we describe human cognition, choice/free will, the human person’s affective life, and the social and spiritual aspects of our humanity; what is meant by the human person being made to the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27); can it be shown that the human person survives his death? 3 Credits.

CP661:

Ethics

This course will articulate the general components necessary to a sustained, unified, and useful investigation into the moral life. With a privilege accorded to the Socratic, Platonic, Aristotelian, Augustinian, and Thomistic traditions, the course will consider the question of human purpose, namely to be happy, and the means that must be marshalled in order to achieve this happiness. Among the components to be examined are the following: how virtue, vice, and habit are related to the development of human character; how do we understand free choice and the many and varied roles that both reason and will play in the realization of a free choice; what is meant by conscience and its role in the moral life; is the society we live in and the friendships we enjoy necessary to the realization of a happy life; can the purely secular approach to human happiness succeed or must this be realized within a religious context? 3 Credits.

CP671: Classic Texts in Catholic Philosophy

This course introduces the students to a close reading of a classic work from the Catholic philosophical tradition. For this reason, the works that may be studied include texts from the ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary age. According to the model presented in Fides et Ratio by Pope St. John Paul II, “faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.” The classics of philosophy selected for this course are examples of the attitude described in the encyclical letter, either because they present an understanding of reason that is open to faith or because they present in an exemplary way the modality in which philosophical reason works once informed by faith. This course is the capstone course for the Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy. 3 Credits.

Theology

C/D202 - The Revelation of God: Doctrine, Liturgy, and Sacraments (Catechism 1 and 2)

This course introduces us to those teachings that are central to the Catholic Faith as guided by Part One of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “The Profession of Faith” §§1-1065, and to the liturgical practices and sacraments of the Catholic Faith as guided by Part Two of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “The Celebration of the Christian Mystery” §§1066-1690. 3 Credits.

C/D203 - The Drama of

Life

in Christ: Action, Contemplation, Communion (Catechism Parts 3 and 4)

In his Letter to the Philippians, St. Paul boldly proclaims: “to live is Christ” (1:21). What does it mean to live life in Christ and for Christ, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6)? This course provides an extended meditation upon the demands of life in Christ through an exploration of (a) the Christian understanding and realization of the moral life as guided by Part Three of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (“Life in Christ” §§1691-2557) and (b) the practice, life, and purpose of Christian prayer as guided by Part Four of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (“Christian Prayer” §§2558-2865). 3 Credits.

A202 - Old Testament

Introduction to the Old Testament introduces exegetical methodology and theology of the Old Testament. Students will consider the fruits and the assumptions of exegesis, using and examining its methodologies both as helpful tools and as products of a particular era. Hebrew poetry and narrative, ritual and ethical instruction, prophecy, historiography, and novella will be analyzed as literature, and students will also examine the development of traditions within the texts of the canon. Since Sacred Scripture is doubleauthored, by both man and God, and interpreted in the context of the Catholic Church, this course will also emphasize the theology of the Old Testament, with a special focus on the People of God, and will read spiritual readings of the Old Testament from the Church Fathers to present. 3 Credits.

A203 - New Testament

New Testament will introduce students to the literature, history, and theology of the New Testament. It focuses on key books of the New Testament with a primary focus on Jesus of Nazareth, the four canonical gospels, and the development of early Christianity. 3 Credits.

5. The establishment of a Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy and its awarding at the completion of the Discipleship Stage Program.

Since the number of courses taken by the seminarian in this discipleship stage program is within the range that is normally found with a graduate master’s degree, St. Bernard’s recognizes the full completion of the intellectual component of the discipleship stage program by granting a Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy. Since St. Bernard’s is an accredited degree granting institution (registered as such with The United States Department of Education, and accredited by The Association of Theological Schools), there were two steps the School had to take to grant this degree:

1. Apply to register this new graduate program with The State Education Department of New York State;

2. Petition the Association of Theological Schools for recognition of this new degree program.

The application to NYSED was submitted December 12, 2018 together with an external assessment of the proposed degree program (completed November 11, 2018), a required part of the NYSED application.

Registration approval was granted by NYSED January 3, 2019. The petition to ATS to recognize our new degree program was made February 1, 2019. This recognition was granted April 18th, 2019.

Admission to the MACP requires an undergraduate degree in hand at the time of admission. If a student has not completed an undergraduate degree at the time of admission, the seminary will still accept the courses taken through this program for admission to their school. We are currently applying for an Advanced Certificate in Catholic Philosophy to those in this latter situation.

The minimum requirement for the awarding of the MACP would be the successful completion of the 12 courses of philosophy (36 credits). For those involved in the pre-seminary program, an additional 4 threecredit courses in theology (16 courses in total/48 credits) would be required to satisfy entrance requirements into the seminary as determined by the PPF. Both options would also be available to anyone who wishes to take them as a support to their own religious training (say as a deacon, a DRE, or pastoral assistant), or simply for their own edification.

On June 27th, 2019, St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry was approved by the NYSED to participate in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), which effectively permits St. Bernard’s to offer any part or the entirety of its MACP throughout the United States (through its distance education technology – Zoom and Canvas). This development now allows both St. Bernard’s and the Diocese of Albany (through the St. Isaac Jogues House of Formation and Pre-Seminary) to make this degree and the pre-seminary program available to other dioceses throughout the United States.

The official blessing and opening of the St. Isaac Jogues House of Formation and Pre-Seminary in The Diocese of Albany took place June 26th, 2019. Presiding over the establishment of the House of Formation was The Most Reverend Edward B. Scharfenberger, Bishop of Albany, and The Very Reverend Anthony F. Ligato, Department Head of the Office of Vicar for Vocations, and the Director/Rector of St. Isaac Jogues House of Formation and Pre-Seminary.

For over 125 years, St. Bernard's has steadily pursued a course of dedication and service to Christ and His Church. Opened as a Roman Catholic Seminary in 1893 in the Diocese of Rochester and restructured as an Institute for Theological and Ministerial studies in 1981, St Bernard's went on to open its doors in the Diocese of Albany. From there in 2011 it held its first class in the Diocese of Syracuse, and then in 2019 began its first ever online distance learning program allowing anyone anywhere to access graduate theology and philosophy degrees and certificates. In 2020, St. Bernard’s expanded its diaconate and lay formation offerings to the Diocese of Buffalo, and in 2021 began providing diaconate formation for the Diocese of Allentown, PA.

Our mission is to nurture the entirety of the human person through attention to the pastoral, intellectual, spiritual, and human dimensions of formation with the hope that we may, in a definite and dedicated way, assist our students to understand the things of our Faith and to incarnate them in their day-to-day service to God's people and the world as a whole.