Updating Formation in a Synodal Key

At St. John Vianney Theological Seminary (SJVTS), in the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, several synodal forms and models of formation for future priests are already actively implemented, reflecting a commitment to participatory and inclusive formation designed to foster a holistic understanding of ministry within the contemporary Church.

The significant integration of women in formation

A notable synodal characteristic of the seminary is the substantial presence and active involvement of women within its formation framework. Ms. Venus Guibone, a lay-consecrated woman, has served as guidance counselor and full-time formator since 2005, offering invaluable contributions to the seminarians' development. The seminary further benefits from the expertise of numerous consecrated women as professors and laywomen as guest speakers. This inclusive approach extends to the admission process itself, where consecrated women actively participate in candidate interviews, bringing a collaborative and diverse perspective to formation from its very first stage. Taken together, this integration of women across every aspect of formation reflects a concrete commitment to the synodal principle of shared participation and discernment.

Immersive community engagement

The seminary places strong emphasis on experiential learning through comprehensive immersion programs, enabling seminarians to engage directly with the lived realities of their future ministry. These programs encompass both short-term and long-term engagements, calibrated to each stage of formation. During the Formation Year, seminarians take part in apostolates tailored to their respective level: Configuration 1 seminarians engage in prison apostolate, support for houses of joy and hope, and women's ministry; Configuration 2 seminarians provide catechesis in public senior high schools; Configuration 5 seminarians undertake ministry in exorcism during the first semester and engage with Basic Ecclesial Communities in both urban and rural settings during the second; Configuration 6 seminarians experience parish ministry in rural and urban contexts.

Long-term immersion is reserved for Configuration 3 and 4. Configuration 3 seminarians live a full Ministry Year, most in teaching apostolates, others in specialized settings such as retreat centers, indigenous peoples' apostolates, and interreligious apostolates. Configuration 4 seminarians undergo an intensive season of spiritual, human, and pastoral formation that includes immersion within Muslim communities in Marawi and Cagayan de Oro City, labor exposure, a Hospital Immersion Program (HIP), fishing engagement, and exposure to Lumad communities. These immersive experiences are designed to foster empathy, cultural sensitivity, and a profound understanding of the diverse contexts in which the seminarians will one day serve.

The SHAPE itinerary: implementing the revised Ratio Fundamentalis

In accordance with the 2023 revised Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis for the Philippines, SJVTS has developed a comprehensive Formation Itinerary for the Configuration Stage of priestly formation, structured around five foundational pillars: Spiritual, Human, Academic, Pastoral, and Ecological — summarized in the acronym SHAPE. The inclusion of the Ecological pillar responds directly to Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Si', underscoring the importance of environmental stewardship as an integral dimension of priestly identity. Through this itinerary, the seminary envisions the formation of diocesan priests who are spiritually discerning, humanly authentic, academically competent, pastorally engaging, and ecologically caring — a comprehensive formation progressively achieved through the cultivation of 40 Christian virtues, guiding seminarians as they configure themselves to Christ.

Three proposals for mission in the synodal Church

Looking toward the formation of future priests for their mission within the synodal missionary Church, the seminary puts forward three integral proposals.

The first is a strengthening of Eucharistic devotion. A fundamental element of priestly formation must be the cultivation of a profound love and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament: seminarians need to be guided toward a discerning ear, attuned to the voice of God, since this capacity for divine listening is indispensable for hearing and responding to the needs of their future congregations. Without this intimate familiarity with God's voice, recognizing His presence in others becomes profoundly difficult. For this reason, the seminary strongly advocates the implementation of a daily Holy Hour, beginning already in the Propaedeutic stage and continuing throughout priestly ministry — a practice championed by the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen and further emphasized by Bishop Robert Barron, offering a structured framework for a deep, personal encounter with Christ and for cultivating spiritual discernment.

The second proposal is a comprehensive scriptural engagement. A thorough and systematic encounter with the entirety of Sacred Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is considered essential. While academic scriptural studies offer valuable insight, a progressive and personal reading of the whole Bible reveals the synodal pathways running through the history of salvation, allowing seminarians to witness the consequences of not listening to God — a critical lesson for their future pastoral ministry. Seminarians should therefore be encouraged, from the very beginning of their seminary journey, to take up a daily practice of scriptural reading and meditation, in the spirit of St. Jerome's well-known statement that "ignorance of the Scripture is ignorance of Christ."

The third proposal is embracing the serious demands of priestly service. In an era marked by heightened individualism, it is imperative to emphasize the fundamentally sacrificial nature of the priesthood: the call to follow Christ requires a radical self-denial, the daily carrying of one's cross, and an unwavering commitment to His service. The Bread of Life discourse in John 6 stands as a poignant reminder of Christ's steadfastness even in the face of widespread rejection, and Archbishop Fulton Sheen's observation that the young possess a remarkable capacity for sacrifice remains profoundly relevant — he even suggested that the scarcity of priestly vocations may stem from a failure to show young people the necessity of making sacrifices. A synodal missionary Church, with its emphasis on accompaniment and pastoral outreach, demands pastors prepared to make substantial sacrifices for the well-being of their flock. The formation of future priests, therefore, must place strong and deliberate emphasis on the ascetical dimension of priestly service.