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Certificate in Seminary Formation for Missionary Discipleship

- Overview
  
  Who: For those serving in diocesan seminary formation: rectors, formation advisors, teaching faculty, administrative faculty, parish pastoral supervisors, spiritual directors, counselors, and vocation directors.
  What: The design and content reflect major themes in the Ratio Fundamentalis and Program for Priestly Formation, 6th edition
  Where: St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary Boynton Beach, Florida.
  When: See Module Details Below (Rolling Admissions)
  Annual Tuition: $3900 (Hybrid: $3100)
  Graduate Credits Available: $450/credit (Subject to SVDP pricing)
  Rolling Admissions: You may begin the certificate at any module
  View the full program brochure here: Downloadable Brochure
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Module Details
- Integrative Pedagogy
  Practicum Model
  
  Following each speaker’s presentation, participants are mentored through practicum exercises. These small group exercises facilitate a fruitful assimilation of the living principles evident within the presented content. The practicum exercises are not role plays or small group discussions. The practicum exercises are a form of peer supervision. These exercises serve to foster ongoing human, spiritual, and pastoral formation. They engender tasting and seeing the presence of the Holy Spirit in the interior life of grace.
  
  Current Practicum Mentors:
  
  Mrs. Jane Guenther, M. Div. Director, Office of Catholic Renewal, Archdiocese of St. Louis, MO
  
  Dr. Carol Razza, Ed.D. Faculty, St. Vincent De Paul Seminary, FL
  
  Fr. John Floeder, S.T.L. Director of Propaedeutic Year, St. Paul Seminary, MN
  
  Fr. John Horn, S.J., D. Min. Faculty, St. Vincent De Paul Seminary, FL
  
  Fr. Bernard Messier. C.C., M. Div. Director of Formation - Companions of the Cross, Ottawa, Canada
  
  Fr. Michael Niemczak, S.T.L. Director of Propaedeutic Stage, Mount Angel Seminary, OR
- 1) Silent Retreat- Embracing the Call to Seminary Formation: Responding to the Holy Spirit (June 16-22, 2024)
  Main Points:
  
  The Holy Spirit as primary formator
  
  The seminary formator as guardian of reality
  
  Cultivating spiritual fatherhood
  
  “The principal agent of priestly formation is the Most Holy Trinity, who shapes every seminarian according to the plan of the Father, both through the presence of Christ in His word, in the sacraments and in the brothers and sisters of the community, and through the many actions of the Holy Spirit.” - Ratio Fundamentalis 125
- 2) The Art of Accompaniment in Formation (June 23-29, 2024)
  Main Points:
  
  Mentoring: building formative environments
  
  The role of internal and external fora
  
  Fostering spiritual communion
  
  “Seminarians need to be accompanied in a personal way in the various stages of their journey by those entrusted with the work of formation, each according to his proper role and competence. The purpose of personal accompaniment is to carry out vocational discernment and to form the missionary disciple.” - Ratio Fundamentalis 44
- 3) Christian Psychology and Integration (October 23-27, 2024)
  Main Points:
  
  St. Thomas Aquinas’ understanding of human passions and affectivity
  
  The role of psychology in formation
  
  Psychological issues and remedies (e.g., family of origin, psycho-sexual, affective maturity)
  
  “Human formation, being the foundation of all priestly formation, promotes the integral growth of the person and allows the integration of all its dimensions… psychologically it focuses on the constitution of a stable personality, characterized by emotional balance, self-control and a well integrated sexuality." - Ratio Fundamentalis 94
- 4) The Seminary as a School of Virtue (Feb. 26, - March 2, 2025)
  Main Points
  
  Understanding virtue development within the accompaniment paradigm
  
  Evaluating virtue-based behaviors in formation
  
  Developing markers for affective maturity
  
  “For priestly formation the importance of human formation cannot be sufficiently emphasized. Indeed, the holiness of a priest is built upon it and depends, in large part, upon the authenticity and maturity of his humanity” - Ratio Fundamentalis 63
- 5) Silent Retreat- The Church as Field Hospital: Receiving and Administering Mercy (June 15-21, 2025)
  Main Points:
  
  Witnessing to the power of mercy and living in freedom as children of God
  
  Appropriation of St. Ignatius’s “Rules for the Discernment of Spirits”
  
  Renewing the Sacrament of Penance
  
  “The first quality that characterizes Christ as true High Priest is his singular closeness both to God and to humanity. Christ, who is full of mercy, is the Priest who is ‘holy, innocent and undefiled’ (cf. Heb 7:26) who, having offered himself ‘with loud cries and tears’ (5:7), ‘is able to deal patiently’ (5:2) with our every weakness, and becomes ‘the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him’ (5:9)” - Ratio Fundamentalis 36
- 6) The Seminary as Culture of Encounter: Forming “Men of Communion” (June 22-27, 2025)
  Main Points:
  
  Fraternal communion in the seminary and collaboration with the laity
  
  Formation meetings and practical tools for writing evaluations
  
  Temperance and balanced use of internet and social media
  
  “The priest is called to be a ‘man of communion’. Consequently, the bonds that are created in the Seminary … must be marked by a sense of fatherhood and fraternity… Such an experience will help the seminarian in the future to understand better the demands, the dynamics and also the problems of the families entrusted to his pastoral care” - Ratio Fundamentalis 52
- 7) Formation Towards a Life of Discernment: Personal, Ecclesial, Pastoral (November 5-9, 2025)
  Main Points:
  
  Ecclesial discernment and forming the conscience
  
  Pastoral discernment, guidelines and accompaniment
  
  Examen Prayer and personal discernment
  
  “The gradual inner growth along the journey of formation should be aimed at making the future priest a ‘man of discernment’, able to read the reality of human life in the light of the Spirit. In this way he will be able to choose, decide and act according to the will of God” - Ratio Fundamentalis 43
- 8) Evangelization and Seminary Formation (February 25, - March 1, 2026)
  Main Points:
  
  The Kerygma – Foundation of all Formation
  
  Beholding the face of Christ: pastoral charity and service
  
  Evangelization through beauty
  
  “[Formation] should be such as to help the seminarian to acquire the inner freedom to live the apostolate as service, able to see the work of God in the hearts and lives of the people. Seen in this way, when he is an ordained minister, pastoral activity will take on the form of an ongoing school of evangelization” - Ratio Fundamentalis 119
- Hybrid-Virtual Participation
  
  We offer virtual participation for international participants who can not travel to Florida for Modules 3,4,7, and 8. However, residency participation in the Summer Modules (1,2,5,6) is required to complete this 2-year Certificate program.
  
  This “Virtual participation” also requires that there be a small group gathering with other seminary formators at your local seminary or in a designated regional location. This small group gathering will ensure that the major benefits of the "informal curriculum" are enjoyed.
  
  Informal curriculum: Daily Liturgy, Liturgy of the Hours, private prayer, meals, and evening socials. It is our experience that this informal curriculum is a major factor in promoting the integration of the content being presented in the module.
- Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) in Seminary Formation:
  Catholic Univerisrty of America
  
  S.F.C. is delighted to Collaborate with The Catholic University of America and St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary to Offer a concentration in “Seminary Formation” in CUA's Doctor of Ministry degree program For more information on this wonderful opportunity please click here to visit the CUA D.Min website
FAQ
- How do the graduate credits work?
  Each year (4 modules) accounts for One (3-credit) course. So the full program is (6 credits total)
  
  Seminary Formation: The Art of Accompaniment (course offered through St. Vincent de Paul Seminary)
  Seminary Formation: The Culture of Encounter (course offered through St. Vincent de Paul Seminary)
  
  Prices are subject to change at Saint Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary (the credits come through them). The latest pricing is $450/credit (this is in addition to program tuition)
  
  This is paid upfront annually directly to SVdP.
- Can I do the hybrid model as a US participant?
  Due to limited hybrid openings, these are reserved for our international participants who cannot travel regularly to the United States. If you are interested in attending but have any conflicts please contact us to see how we can serve your individual needs.
- Can I just do certain modules?
  We highly encourage attending the full program so priority is given to applicants that register for all modules. If you apply for only select modules, we would be happy to accommodate you based on the remaining openings.
- Can religious formators attend the program?
  As long as you know that the content is tailored towards diocesan formation (with much cross-over) we are more than happy to welcome religious formators. We have had numerous religious formators attend and benefit greatly. Please scroll through our testimonials page to hear about the experience of some religious formators.

Certificate in Seminary Formation for Missionary Discipleship

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