Master of Divinity (M.Div.) Program
Course of Study

Profile of a Candidate for Holy Orders

A man who successfully completes the M.Div. program at Sacred Heart Major Seminary is a man who has conformed, and continues to conform, his life to Jesus Christ. Therefore, docile to the Holy Spirit, and zealous for the spread of the Gospel, he is a man …

1. of sufficient physical health, mental balance and human maturity,
2. who possesses the requisite natural virtues,
3. who knows and adheres to Catholic doctrine and preaches it,
4. with a love for learning,
5. who is obedient,
6. who lives a life of chaste celibacy,
7. who possesses the requisite supernatural virtues,
8. who prays,
9. who exercises balanced judgment and effective pastoral leadership,
10. of communio,
11. of simplicity of life,
12. of solidarity with the poor.

Outcomes

1. Demonstrates the requisite characteristics of health, mental balance, maturity and human virtue to minister effectively as an ordained priest.
2. Demonstrates a knowledge of and adherence to Catholic doctrine.
3. Demonstrates the requisite supernatural virtues and a consistent practice of the spiritual life.
4. Demonstrates the skills necessary for effective pastoral ministry and leadership.

Ethical and Priestly Formation

Candidates (for Orders) should possess a sense of the ministerial priesthood that is ecclesial—a vocation in the Church—as manifested by:

1. Fidelity to the Word of God and to the teaching of the Magisterium, combined with a deep love for the Church.
2. Commitment to a life of personal prayer and the ability to assist others in their spiritual growth.
3. Abiding love for the sacramental life of the Church, especially the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance.
4. Acceptance of a lifelong commitment to chaste celibacy, obedience and simplicity of life.
5. Sensitivity to the ecumenical dimension of the Church's mission.
6. "An apostolic heart and zeal for service" (Program of Priestly Formation, no.544).

Seminary formation has "as its object to make (seminarians) true shepherds of souls after the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, teacher, priest, and shepherd" (Optatam Totius, no. 4).

A strong appreciation for the multi-faceted and challenging role of the diocesan priest lies at the root of the Formation Program at Sacred Heart Major Seminary's Theologate. The seminary's mission is to develop true pastors, mature and holy men, who live, work and pray among the people in parish ministry.

This formation at Sacred Heart has several components. These different components form a whole that allows for the formation of future priests on all levels of development: Spiritual Formation, Personal Formation, Class Formation, Formational Seminars, Group Living Formation, Field Education and Internship.

Each of these is treated separately and has a particular purpose and method. They must, however, along with the academic program, be viewed as parts of a comprehensive interrelated whole.

Spiritual Formation

"I will give you shepherds after my own heart." The words from the prophecy of Jeremiah are etched on the cornerstone of the seminary building, and they capture the purpose of the Spiritual Formation Program of Sacred Heart Major Seminary: helping seminarians shape their hearts after the heart of Christ.

• Daily Eucharist: Daily celebration of the Eucharist is an essential component of the Church's life of prayer and conversion (PPF, no. 273). The community gathers for daily celebration of the Eucharist because of this conviction. Regular contact with the Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is the key formative experience for one seeking to be like Christ.
  
  
• Communal Prayer: The community prays Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer several times a week in the theologate chapel or with the college students in the main chapel. Three evenings a week, Evening Prayer is prayed in small groups and privately. Through spiritual direction, students are encouraged to gradually pray the full office as mandated for diocesan priests (Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, a daytime office, Evening Prayer and Night Prayer) by the time they are ordained deacons. "A loving knowledge of the word of God and a prayerful familiarity with it are specifically important for the prophetic ministry of the priest" (Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 47). Regular praying of the Office assists the students to this "loving knowledge" and "prayerful familiarity" that foster their later ministry of the Word.
  
  
• The Sacrament of Reconciliation: "Particular attention should be given to the meaning and practice of the sacrament of penance as a means of conversion" (PPF, no. 276). The seminarians are encouraged in spiritual direction sessions, rector's conferences, and in the Sacraments of Healing class to celebrate the sacrament frequently as part of their growing relationship with the Lord. Sacramental reconciliation is available on a weekly basis, and communal celebration with individual confession occurs seasonally.
  
  
• Communal Devotional Prayer: The Program of Priestly Formation (no. 319) calls for opportunities for devotional prayer. Each week the entire community gathers for an hour of Eucharistic Adoration. Several times a year, all-night Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the chapel. Each day the rosary is prayed in the main chapel. Seasonal and cultural devotions such as those appropriate for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe are observed with prayer. Other civil and cultural events such as the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King and the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity are also celebrated with various forms of communal prayer.
  
  
• Personal Prayer: "In the solitude of their own prayer, priests encounter in a special and personal way the Lord whom they proclaim and celebrate in public ministry" (PPF, no. 76). The seminarians are encouraged to be "praying always" and to set aside a significant amount of time each day for personal prayer. The Decree on Priestly Formation (Pastores Dabo Vobis) describes the necessity of seeking the Lord in prayer: "Those who are to take on the likeness of Christ and priest by sacred ordination should form the habit of drawing close to him as friends in every detail of their lives"(no. 8). This likeness is seen in a specific way as the young man grows in his commitment to loving Christ and his Spouse through celibacy, for which commitment to personal prayer is essential. The Catechism for the Catholic Church notes that when accepted with a joyous heart, "celibacy radiantly proclaims the Reign of God" (no. 1579).
  
  
• The Desert Formation Experience: The Desert Formation Experience (DFE) is designed as an intensive introduction for the first year student to the rich tradition of spirituality in the Church. In response to the changing climate of our culture and the circumstances from which candidates come to the seminary, the DFE is an extended period dedicated to spiritual formation, prayer and reflection, under the supervision of the SHMS rector, spiritual director and faculty. The six-week program takes place away from the seminary in a setting appropriate for prayer and reflection. The rationale for the DFE is found in Optatum Totius, the document from the Second Vatican Council dealing with the formation of diocesan priests: "It belongs to the bishop to establish an appropriate period of time for more intense spiritual apprenticeship, so theological and spiritual training can rest upon a firmer basis and students can embrace their vocation with a decision maturely weighed" (no. 12). The Desert Formation Experience complements the goals of the personal formation topics for first year students who seek a deep understanding of their call to discipleship and the priesthood. In the course of the experience they will encounter styles of prayer and the roots of Roman Catholic spirituality.
  
  
• Spiritual Direction: Each seminarian meets every two weeks with a priest spiritual director who offers his faith, training and skills as help for the candidate's developing relationship with Christ. In spiritual direction, the principal focus is on that relationship with the Lord. In a setting of strict confidentiality, the seminarian explores his call from God and deepens that relationship that is at the heart of diocesan priesthood.
  
  
• Retreats: The program of retreats is designed to meet the needs of the seminarians at the various stages of their formation. A weeklong retreat at the beginning of the year helps set the tone for each year of formation. Each Holy Week, a retreat during the Easter Triduum is built around the Church's celebration of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil. Following the Desert Formation Experience, fi rst-year men have the option of participating in the Thirty Day Ignation Exercises. Fourth-year candidates for the transitional diaconate make a weeklong preparatory retreat in the fall semester. In the winter semester of the fourth year, candidates make an additional weeklong retreat.
  
  
• Classes in Spirituality: In preparation for entrance into the theologate, the seminarians take a course that is an introduction to spirituality. In the theologate, the men are exposed to Catholic spiritual classics in the History of Spirituality course. The men also take a course on the nature and practice of spiritual direction.
  
  
• Fraternities: Some students find that regular prayer and faith sharing in the context of fraternities assist their lives in Christ. The spirituality program encourages participation in such fraternal groups.

The SHMS Spiritual Formation Program assists men seeking to do God's will as people of faith who recognize their limitations and the limitless quality of God's grace. For such persons, the process of conversion is ongoing and rooted in hope and confidence that what cannot possibly be accomplished on one's own is entirely possible with God. "The whole training of the students should have as its object to make them true shepherds of souls after the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, teacher, priest and shepherd" (Decree on Priestly Formation, no. 4). The spiritual program assists them in growing in their relationship with Christ who infuses their hearts with his love.

Personal Formation

Each candidate for priesthood will select from among the designated faculty a formation mentor. The seminarian will then meet with this mentor no less than three times a semester. They will work to prepare the seminarian's personal plan for the year. The mentor will then meet regularly with the seminarian to review progress in the fulfillment of the plan and to draw together the individual components of the evaluation process.

The components of Personal Formation Direction are:

• Personal Plan for Growth (Fall each year)
• Endorsement (Spring 1st and 2nd years)
• Feedback (Spring 1st and Fall of 3rd years)
• Recommendation (Fall 4th year)
• Personal Evaluation (Spring each year)

All of these components are described more fully in the Formation Handbook.

Class Formation

The class formation program is designed to offer the opportunity for support and encouragement and for mutual sharing especially among peers and to foster the 97 academic programs systematic planning of personal and professional goals in the light of the needs of the Church. The themes for each year are described in the Formation Handbook.

Formation Seminars

These annual seminars are held for two days each year. The seminarians are introduced to important issues during the course of their studies at SHMS. The seminar themes are described in the Formation Handbook.

Group Living Formation

The living circumstances at Sacred Heart Major Seminary foster a sense of priestly fraternity and are infl uential in the formation of candidates for the priesthood. People live together closely at the seminary, and the atmosphere and relationships between individuals and groups have an impact on the quality of the community. Guidelines for the group living are described in the Formation Handbook.

Field Education

Sacred Heart Major Seminary, located as it is in the heart of a large urban archdiocese, is an ideal place for the education and formation of men for the priesthood. It is in immediate proximity to the poor and the hub of a metropolitan area rich in a diversity of cultures. The seminary is an active participant in the social, political, economic and religious processes that affect the entire State of Michigan and much of Midwestern America. The entire metropolis inner city, including urban, suburban and rural, becomes the living laboratory in which the student learns.

Field education is an integral part of the seminary program. The program leads through gradual pastoral experiences to a full exercise of priestly ministry. In supervised and directed situations, the seminarian participates in ministry, works with competent professionals engaged in ministry, reflects on the personal impact of ministry, listens to parishioners and dialogues with peers. In all, he is immersed in pastoral education. The components of field education look at the seminarian, the practice of ministry, and theological reflection—in essence, the "who," "what," and "why" of ministry.

These components are:

First Year

• Introduction to Field Education
• Parish Intensive Weekends
• Reflections

Second Year

• Learning Contract
• Field Assignment
• Supervision
• Reflection
• Parish Pastoral Experience

Third Summer

• Clinical Pastoral Education

Fourth Year

• Preparation for Diaconal Assignment
• Weekend Diaconal Assignment

Parish Internship

The parish internship is envisioned as an eight-month, full-time experience within the diocese of the student. It begins in January of the second year of theology and ends in August of that year. Ordinarily this means a beginning date the first week of January with August 15 as the date for concluding the experience. It is to be seen as an internship in ministry.

Internship is the practical application of pastoral ministerial skills in a defined learning situation. The emphasis is to be on relating what has been learned in the academic setting of the classroom with what is lived and experienced in the pastoral setting of the parish. During the eight months it is expected that the student will encounter the diversity of life in a parish community by participating in the various gatherings where people worship and carry out the service, education, evangelization and stewardship dimensions of church life. The parish internship has been conceived:

1. To provide a positive opportunity for the student to engage in that ministry that is the right and duty of the Christian by Baptism.
2. To enhance the readiness of the student for the integration of theological study and its application to priestly ministry in a contemporary setting within a local parish community.
3. To enable the student minister and the Church to identify more accurately those attitudes and aptitudes for priestly ministry which the student possesses at this time in order to set further academic and formational goals within the whole program of study.
4. To enable the student minister to identify and to employ a spirituality appropriate to the diocesan priesthood.

Further information on the parish internship may be found in the appropriate handbooks and materials of the director of field education.