How does a seminarian prepare for theology classes? He could begin right away, but there are many underlying principles that need to be understood before even delving into the supernatural aspects of Divine Revelation. The Jewish people received preparation from the Law and the Prophets. The Gentiles, especially those of Greek and Roman cultures, were instead prepared by philosophy. Clement of Alexandria (c.150-215 AD), in his book The Stromata, described philosophy as The Handmaid of Theology, and its role is investigation into truth and the nature of things...[T]he preparatory training for rest in Christ exercises the mind, rouses the intelligence, and begets an inquiring shrewdness.

Propaedeutic (proh-pe-doo-tik) is a term to describe preliminary instruction. The word comes from the Greek pro, meaning “before”, and paideuein, meaning “to teach”. This stage is an introduction to the seminary community, to the surrounding diocese, and to the formation process. The Program of Priestly Formation states that this stage should lay a foundation for a new way of life by developing a life of prayer, study, fraternity, and appropriate docility to formation and should last a minimum of 1 year to a maximum of 3 years. This stage – in fact every stage – centers on intense vocational discernment being made within a community.

Every person is given a special mission by God when he is created. Sometimes, this mission is immediately recognized at some point during the person’s life, and other times it must be slowly discerned and understood over years of prayer. All seminarians, in discerning the call to the ministerial priesthood, must be prepared to accept this great task. This period of preparation in a seminary can take anywhere from 7 to 10 years and can be categorized into three specific stages: Propaedeutic, Discipleship, and Configuration. The overall goal of seminary formation is not only to prepare a man for priesthood, but to configure the man’s heart to the Sacred Heart of Christ, the true High Priest. The rector at my seminary summed up the stages well when he said, “In the propaedeutic stage, we form the man. In the discipleship stage, we form the Christian. In the configuration stage, we form the priest.”