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Seminary Admissions
"Applicants must give evidence of an overall personal balance, good moral character, a love for the truth, and proper motivation. This includes the requisite human, moral, spiritual, intellectual, physical, and psychological qualities for priestly ministry." (Program for Priestly Formation 44)
Before being able to be accepted for seminary formation, all potential seminary candidates participate in an extensive and thorough application and screening process. This process begins only at the invitation of the Director of Vocations, after he has determined that the seeds of a potential priestly vocation are present and that the candidate appears to have the basic traits necessary for priestly ministry. The application process includes the following elements:- Gathering of sacramental, educational, and legal records
- Writing of a spiritual autobiography
- In-depth interviews with clergy and laity
- Medical evaluation
- Completion of Safe and Sacred training required of all clergy, employees, and volunteers in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis
- Successful completion of a background check
- Psychological Evaluation, including psychological testing and a clinical interview, with particular attention paid to affective maturity, psycho-sexual maturity, and the presence of any indicators that would suggest a psychological pathology. "Any evidence of criminal sexual activity with a minor or an inclination toward such activity disqualifies the applicant from admission" (Program for Priestly Formation 55).
- Recomendations from home parish pastor and another priest
- Interview with the Archbishop
This thorough process is completed over the course of several months. After all reports and documents have been received, the Director of Vocations makes a recommendation to the Archbishop for acceptance or non-acceptance as a seminarian. Not all applicants are accepted into seminary formation.
The Archdiocese of Indianapolis has been utilizing this thorough seminary application process for over 30 years. -
Human Formation of Seminarians
"In order that his ministry may be humanly as credible and acceptable as possible, it is important that the priest should mold his human personality in such a way that it becomes a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ the Redeemer of humanity" (Pastores Dabo Vobis 43).
Once in seminary, the formation of seminarians is addressed in four primary areas: human formation, spiritual formation, intellectual formation, and pastoral formation. The foundational layer of this formation is found in the human dimension. Human Formation in Seminaries focuses on developing a man who:- Possesses freedom to be who he is in God's design
- Has a solid moral character with a developed moral compass
- Is prudent and discerning
- Is a man of communion
- Is a good communicator
- Possesses affective maturity, that is, has balanced and integrated his feelings
- Respects, cares for, and has vigilance over his body
- Relates well with others
- Is a good steward of material possessions
- Can take on the role of a public person (PPF 76)
Within the dimension of human formation, particular attention is paid to the ability to readily and freely embrace and live a life of celibate chastity. The meaning of celibate chastity in the life of a priest and the means of living celibate chastity form a fundamental topic of both community-wide conferences and retreats throughout seminary formation as well as the regular conversations between a seminarian and his formation diector and spiritual director. In addition to the clergy on staff, each seminary also employs staff psychologists and relies on the guidance and expertise of those in the legal, law enforcement, medical, and social work professions to assist in the formation of seminarians.
In addition to regular meetings with a formation director and a spiritual director, each seminarian meets regularly with the diocesan vocation director, all of whom help advise the Archbishop on the progress in formation of candidates for the priesthood. Each seminarian is also evaluated every year by the seminary formation staff in areas of human, spiritual, pastoral, and intellectual formation to assess their ability to serve as priests; the results of this annual evaluation are shared with the Archbishop. -
Statements and Documents
Statement of Archbishop Charles Thompson (Archbishop of Indianapolis), August 29, 2018
Address of Fr. Denis Robinson, OSB (President-Rector, Saint Meinrad Seminary), August 31, 2018
Program for Priestly Formation (PPF, 5th Edition), United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The Gift of the Priestly Vocation, Congregation for the Clergy
I Will Give You Shepherds (Pastores Dabo Vobis), St. John Paul II