The North American College assumes that students will receive Candidacy before arriving in August. If this is not possible, please contact the Vice Rector for Student Life as soon as possible.
Students will be instituted into the ministries of Lector and Acolyte in their first two years at the College and are ordained to the Diaconate in their fourth year. Preparation for these ministries and for other aspects of priestly formation is addressed on Thursday nights in the College formation program. During the first year, topics include public Lector training and preparation, the content and use of liturgical books and spiritual formation. In the second, third, and fourth years, topics appropriate to the specific year are presented in a sequence that provides a coherent preparation for ordination.
Apostolic work is an important part of priestly formation. During November and December of the first year, students are encouraged to visit several apostolates and make a selection as to their preference. They are then assigned an apostolate for the second semester. Current apostolic work includes hospital visitation, catechism education, guiding pilgrims at Christian sites, street evangelism, work in soup kitchens, and homeless shelters.
Students do not return to North America during the summer between first and second years unless called home by their diocesan superiors. In the course of that summer, at least four weeks of apostolic activity or language study are required. Summer apostolic activity often involves work in a parish, in a retreat house, in the missions, or in military chaplaincy programs. Diocesan Vocation Directors will determine whether their diocese has special requirements for summer apostolates. While most students begin to research summer apostolate possibilities around January of the first year, some programs, such as military chaplaincy, require the seminarians to begin the application process earlier in the academic year.
For more information, please see the Pastoral Formation page.
Updated 23 March 2012
