Introduction
On Nov, 1, 1941, eight high school students moved into a frame house at 2610 San Diego Ave., in Old Town. From these humble beginnings, Bishop Francis Buddy established St. Francis Seminary, thus inaugurating a tradition of preparing young men for a future of service to Christ and the People of God as priests.
Today, St. Francis Center continues to provide a program of priestly formation for men studying for the Diocese of San Diego. Candidates in the discipleship stage have an opportunity to acquire an excellent education at a major Catholic university, the University of San Diego. Seminarians in the configuration and vocational-synthesis stages are offered a Master’s Degree in Divinity from the Franciscan School of Theology, located on the USD campus. An environment conducive to deepening an awareness of the cultural diversity of the People of God, and a strong commitment to foster and develop the gifts and qualities necessary for spiritual and pastoral leadership as a priest are the hallmarks of the St. Francis Center experience.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Diocesan Program of Priestly Formation is to prepare men as Roman Catholic priests for service in the universal Church and the local Church of San Diego. This program is based upon and integrates the four dimensions of formation: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral, in order that seminarians:
- Grow as disciples
- Discern their vocation
- Develop leadership and ministry skills to meet the needs of our diverse local Church
- Be configured to Christ who is Shepherd, Servant, and Spouse
Admissions Criteria
Acceptance into the Program of Priestly Formation for the Diocese requires the prospective candidate to meet certain criteria. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the candidate “must give evidence of an overall personal balance, good moral character, a love for the truth, and proper motivation,” which includes “the requisite human, moral, spiritual, intellectual, physical, and psychological qualities for priestly ministry.”
The candidate must be an unmarried and confirmed Catholic man at least 18 years of age, have no criminal background, and be free from any impediment to receiving orders. Candidates must be no older than 50 years of age by the time they are ordained to the priesthood.
The candidate must give witness to his conviction that God has brought him to the house of priestly formation to discern whether or not he is really called to the priesthood, and he is committed to carrying out that discernment. The candidate must also give evidence of his capacity to live out chaste celibacy, which includes living chastely for at least two years prior to entering the priestly formation program. If the candidate has personal or student loan debt, he is expected to be responsible for the repayment or deferment of the debt while in the program. The candidate must be a citizen or legal resident of the United States, and have an adequate command of the English language. He should have actual experience in the Diocese, with residency at some point for at least three years.
Pre-Application Phase
Human formation provides opportunities for personal growth and character development for candidates to the priesthood, according to the “full truth regarding man,” so that they can become virtuous men of the Church who demonstrate affective maturity, and reflect as far as possible the human model of Jesus Christ. In fact, The Seminary is a school of human virtue, of growth in honesty, integrity, intellectual rigor, hard work, and tolerance, where the common good is built with solidarity and discipline — all leavened by humor and healthy enjoyment.
Spiritual Formation
This diocesan program of priestly formation strives to create an environment where students begin to experience the fascination of meeting God in the mystery of their vocation. The priestly formation process is founded in Christian Spirituality, which invites the development of the whole person. We challenge each person to integrate his prayer, intellectual, emotional-relational, physical and pastoral development with spirituality as the central focus. The creation of an environment that harmonizes these dimensions of the human person enables progress toward wholeness and holiness.
Intellectual Formation
Intellectual formation is an essential element in the preparation of seminarians for their future mission of proclaiming and teaching the Word of God. Intellectual formation requires the development of self-discipline, especially through the careful use of time and a respect for the need for silent periods of study. This formation program seeks to develop in each seminarian the discipline necessary for their academic work and future priestly ministry. The first task of intellectual formation is to acquire a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. “Intellectual formation applies not only to a comprehensive understanding of the mysteries of the Catholic faith, but also to an ability to explain and defend the reasoning that supports those truths.”
Pastoral Formation
The goal of pastoral formation is for each future priest to conform himself after the heart of the Good Shepherd. The immersion experiences, field education, CPE course and pastoral year internships are the cornerstones of pastoral formation at the St. Francis Center. These experiences are opportunities for the seminarians to be transformed through practical experience, skill-building and theological reflection.
Pastoral formation evenings during the discipleship stage focus on intercultural competencies, liturgical roles at the seminary, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. During the Configuration and Vocational-Synthesis stage pastoral formation evenings focus on diocesan structures and personnel, servant and collaborative leadership, marriage formation and family ministry, evangelization and catechetical skills, and parish administration.