PRIESTLY FORMATION NOT TRAINING
Ị work in the vocations office in my Religious Institute and I often come across applications from young men expressing their desire to “be trained as priests.” Today, one such letter crossed my desk, and it made me smile. While I understand what the applicant meant, there is a significant distinction to be made. In the seminary, we do not “train” to become priests; rather, we are formed. This is not just a matter of semantics – it is about the heart of what it means to become a priest. The difference is profound. Training implies a set of skills or tasks to be mastered, often with a measurable end result. You can be trained to perform a task or follow a procedure, but formation is a much deeper, more transformative process. Training tells you what to do; formation shapes who you are. In the seminary, or house of formation as we call it, we do not just focus on teaching seminarians how to celebrate the sacraments, preach homilies, or lead parish activities. While these are important, t
