“..for every priest his spiritual formation is the core which unites and gives life to his being a priest and his acting as a priest” (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 45).
“Spiritual formation should be conducted in such a way that the students may learn to live in intimate and unceasing union with God the Father through his Son Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. Those who are to take on the likeness of Christ the Priest by sacred ordination should form the habit of drawing close to him as friends in every detail of their lives. They should live his Paschal Mystery in such a way that they will know how to initiate into it the people committed to their charge. They should be taught to seek Christ in faithful meditation on the word of God and in the active participation in the sacred mysteries of the Church, especially the Eucharist and Divine Office, to seek him in the Bishop by whom they are sent and in the people to whom they are sent, especially the poor, little children, the weak, sinners and unbelievers. With the confidence of sons they should love and reverence the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, who was given as a mother to the disciples by Jesus as he was dying on the Cross” (Optatam Totius, 8).
Spiritual formation, which is inseparably linked to pastoral formation, is aimed at guiding the students step by step to an ever increasing union with God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit (Optatam Totius, 8) so that they truly represent Christ. On the curriculum of the Seminary there are both theoretical and practical subjects, such as, Spiritual Theology, Indian Christian Spirituality, Christian Ashram Experience, Neuro Linguistic Program, Enneagram, Group Dynamics and Community Building with solid spiritual content and atmosphere that specifically serve the purpose of spiritual formation.
Keeping in mind the three great values of fundamental importance, namely, “a faithful meditation on the Word of God”, “active participation in the Church’s holy mysteries”, and, “the service of charity to the little ones”, the students are urged to read the Holy Bible and meditate on the Word of God before the Holy Mass daily. Meditations are conducted even in smaller groups and efforts are made to learn Indian methods of prayer without, however, compromising the Christian faith. Steps are taken to celebrate the Holy Eucharist creatively and meaningfully so that “afterwards they will take up as a rule of their priestly life this daily celebration” (PDV, 48). Further, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament on Sundays, exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Wednesdays, Holy Hour on First Fridays and the daily visits to the Blessed Sacrament are conducted to instill in them the yearning to contemplate the Christ present in the Eucharist. Celebration of the Divine Office, celebration of Feasts, devotion to the Mother Mary and Way of the Cross with added devotion enable the students to be in touch with Christ. Daily examination of conscience, monthly recollections and penitential services, monthly spiritual conferences and frequent personal spiritual direction enable the students to cultivate within them the very heart and mind of Christ, the Sacrament of God.
Pastoral formation at St. Joseph’s Regional Seminary forms an integral part of priestly formation together with pastoral ministry. Pastoral Theology brings about a deeper understanding of the Church as the universal sacrament of salvation and pastoral practice gives them a practical experience of actualizing that sacrament in reality. Its aim is to obtain a realistic experience of what a seminarian will be expected to do when he is ordained a priest. The Catechetics and Homiletics enable them to proclaim and teach Christian faith in such a way that the faithful are nourished by the word of God and to build up Christian communities rooted in faith. Besides, the seminarians are trained to realize that they are sent not only to Christians but also to every human being living in the territory.
The Church being essentially missionary, and its presence being a minute entity in this region, the ministers are trained in a way that creates in them a deep concern for witnessing to and proclaiming the Gospel to people who have never heard of Christ and his message of salvation. In this context, the proclamation of the Good News in a dialogical, ecumenical, inter-religious and inculturated mode, is the most practical one. In order to cultivate these traits, courses on missiology, inculturation, Indian Church History and missionary activities in India, together with the study of Indian traditions and missionary concerns, prepare the seminarians to understand and adopt missionary methods that are practical.