A reader who is a convert to Catholicism and a seminarian writes to say that he is “a firm believer in the Benedict Option,” but that he is “disappointed” by the reader reaction to the “Nienstedt’s Millstone” post from a short time ago, and in some ways with the post itself. (At his request, I’ve edited the letter a bit to protect his identity):

I am saddened and pained by the corruption and corrupt covering-up of corruption with the Roman Catholic Church that has been steadily surfacing across the last two decades.  Nevertheless, I believe Jesus Christ is calling me to receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders and to embrace celibacy as a Roman Catholic priest.

I am also saddened by the lack of hope on present in many of the comments on this post, and in some ways the post itself. “ginger” links to a Commonweal article by a St. Paul-Minneapolis seminarian that describes some awful formation experiences there.  And there is in general a tone of, “Well, this has always been a been a problem, and it always will be, and no one ever will do anything about it…”

As a convert of only nine years, and a seminarian for only two, there is much I haven’t seen.  I haven’t yet had a lot of that darkness come to rest on my particular doorstep.  I may be naive.  Nevertheless, I have seen and heard enough to know that the darkness is not only a thing of the past.  I know I will have my heart broken by the Church at some (many?) point(s), once, God-willing, I am ordained.

And yet, I want to say something that might offer some hope.  I wanted to write because outside the link to the Commonweal article there is no voice in the comments from a current Catholic seminarian.  Most of them include dismissive generalizations of seminarians, and seminary formation.  I wonder how many of them are invested in supporting vocations in their diocese or have met a current seminarian?

Some years ago, John Paul II issued Pasotris Dabo Vobis (PDV) in 1993 on the formation of priests.  The US Bishops responded about a decade later with the Program for Priestly Formation, Fifth Edition (PPF), and a decade later that document is being reflected in concrete by the bishops is starting to actually affect things.  As a result, my experience has been a truly blessed one thus far.  My minor seminary was set up with precisely the goal of modeling the directives of PDV and the PPF.  My formators have been down-to-earth, frank, and possess a deep understanding of not only the value and purpose of celibacy but also the human formation necessary to live it out.  They themselves are very different but all are exemplary models of priesthood.

My brother seminarians are, in general, a joyful, earnest, and reflective bunch.  Almost all of them have found seminary to be a place of genuine growth in natural, academic, pastoral, and spiritual maturity.  Several come from home-school families or were already living out the Benedict Option in different, little ways before entering.

This summer, all our seminarians who transitioning from minor to major seminary have been sent to a summer program, the Institute for Priestly Formation (IPF).  It was started by small team of priests (both diocesan and religious) and laity.  It focuses on deepening our experience of relational prayer with Jesus, and coming to understand the spirituality and identity of the diocesan priesthood which flows from that encounter.

This is supported by a psychological account of the natural human foundation out of which a priest acts.  And yes, they speak of spiritual warfare, but not as a first tool, it’s actually very underplayed, certainly less than it comes up in Anthanasius’ account of St. Anthony.  The biggest emphasis is on personal relational prayer within the practice of Ignatian Discernment of Spirits and the regular consultation of a trusted spiritual director.

They have helped me to understand the beauty that comes from a celibate vocation and how deeply affirming it is of the goodness of my spousal capacity.  (Read Cantalamessa’s Virginity!) They also have a deep respect for Eastern Christianity (our final section is a close reading of a reflection on the liturgy by Jean Corbon, a Dominican who became a Greek-Melkite priest.)

It is not a “questionable product” of “the feverish minds of neo-cons.”  Is it a perfect program? Of course not.  Is it prayerfully built grass-roots attempt to address the problem of priestly formation in the US that the bishops have come to recognize by its good fruit?  That would be hard to deny.

Nine weeks in one summer isn’t enough to put the entire US priesthood on track to perfect spiritual and affective maturity.  Still, there are at least 174 guys (about 1/6 of all US seminarians at this stage in formation) from around the country (including several from Minneapolis-St. Paul and a fine contingent from the dioceses of Baton Rouge, Lafayette, New Orleans, and Houma-Thibodaux) who are being formed by a community that has thought deeply about the problems priests currently face, and with an eye to the storm on the horizon as well.  I have been impressed by their quality as men, by how they have grappled with the material presented, and their awareness of the reality of being a Christian in the twenty-first century.  I also happen to know two of the formators who serve the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis and would be excited about my formation were I being sent there.  The source cited by some of the readers regarding the formation there does not mention which seminary (one was recently closed, precisely for its poor quality of formation).

All of this is to say, “There’s real hope!”  I believe that seminary formation has been turning a corner in the US over the last decade and it is already bearing fruit, even in the places where there’s plenty rotten.  For all his duplicity, Archbishop Nienstedt sent his guys to a place designed to keep them from turning out like he did.  So many of the dioceses of the US are sending their seminarians to be formed at IPF that the summer program is full. My bishop opened a new seminary at time when many are closing.  Institutionally, the Catholic Church in the US is actually taking steps that are helping, though their fruit may not be evident for a few decades.  These are movements happening not just in one diocese, or at the level of a few committed priests and lay faithful but at a coordinated level by many of the US bishops.

In light of the scandals, I wouldn’t blame anyone for extending little to no trust to a US Catholic bishop.  Nevertheless, I am reaping the benefits of their collective wisdom and action regarding seminary formation, and it gives me hope and reason to trust that the Church in the US has a brighter future than many are willing to forecast.  By bright, I don’t mean numbers, or social-political victories, I mean a Church equipped to suffer, to love more deeply and to tend to the wounds our society is hell-bent on inflicting upon itself.

As I said at the beginning, I am a supported of the Benedict Option–I considered seriously entering a Benedictine monastery, and am excited about visiting Norcia while I study in Rome.  I see that my role as a pastor someday (God-willing) will be to put whatever resources the Church has left into fostering, nurturing, and connecting those who are opting-in, and reaching out to all those who need to.  I don’t know what US Catholic parishes will look like in fifty years, but the view from my table now is of a band of brothers who are being well-formed to lay down their lives out of love for Christ and His Church.  I hope that gives you some hope!

It does. It really does.