Human Formation

As the foundation for the other three aspects of formation, human formation is the necessary aspect with which to begin. This is why it is given so much scope in the Orientation Year at St. Francis Xavier’s, and why it should be continued in subsequent years. The seminaries should be providing solid human formation (both personal and interpersonal) so that seminarians can become balanced men, affectively mature, capable of relating well to others, of giving pastoral care within different cultural contexts, and of living celibacy in a healthy manner. This will happen in a threefold growth in self-knowledge, self-acceptance and self-gift, done in the light of faith, with the purpose of more perfect conformity to the perfect humanity of Jesus.

A good programme of formal human formation is one which accepts each seminarian as he is and works from there. In every life there are good elements which can be further nurtured. In every life there are also negative influences and hurts which require healing. Healing is begun when the person comes to see, understand and finally accepts his situation after which he can begin to build up his own life.

Human formation is not something that can be taught in a few periods each week, or “done to” the seminarians by a Formator or Counsellor. Each seminarian must take the initiative in his own development as a well-rounded human being, just as he must put in the hours at his books or in his prayer.

Human Formation is fundamentally about relationships and anything else offered by way of a course or group process needs to be situated in and flow out of solid and real relationships. Each and every aspect of seminary life is an opportunity for Human Formation as a secondary socialisation process, mindful of what has gone before in each seminarian’s life.

Each seminarian comes having been profoundly shaped by his unique experience of family and life lived. The Human Formation environment and programme in the Seminary provides a vital secondary human formation process that seeks to assist the seminarian in continuing his growth into a healthy, well-integrated and fully human person. Personal responsibility and participation is fundamental to his continued growth in awareness of himself and his capacity to relate to others. A Seminarian’s willingness to actively engage in all aspects of seminary life reflects his openness to this formative process. His participation in social events and sports events, Student Council activities, Seminary house duties and class activities are concrete expressions of his commitment to his own growth.

Human Formation does not take place in a vacuum. The overall environment and atmosphere in a seminary contribute significantly to whether the seminarian will be receptive to the process or how much he may have to defend and hide who he is and what is going on in him. The conceptual and practical conscious shaping of this environment hopes to support and encourage a well-rounded and reflective way of life. While there may be appointed Formators who hold particular responsibility for specific aspects of the human formation programme, every person the student encounters in the course of his studies is part of the formation process. Human formation takes place in, and is shaped by, the interactions of daily life and his interactions with fellow seminarians, participation in sports and social events, Student Council activities, and seminary house duties, interactions with the formation staff, the visits to the Seminary by the Bishops and Vocations Directors, the wider seminary community, with the persons who assist them as well as the interactions with those tasked with teaching them the various academic disciplines.