“Vocation is a Lifetime Journey of Listening to God”

Vocation is a journey that begins from childhood and lasts for a lifetime. It is a neverending process of listening to the voice of God who is calling from within us. This vocation is expressed in different forms namely: marriage, religious, and single-blessedness.

In the Archdiocese of Davao, every month of September is celebrated as “Vocation Month” with special emphasis on priestly vocation. It is the time of the year that stresses the necessity of the formation of future priests.

The Vatican through the Congregation for the Clergy had published in 2016 new guidelines of seminary formation under the title: “The Gift of Priestly Vocation” and has a Latin name: “Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis” (RFIS). In this document, the Congregation underlines the importance of a solid formation which begins from a community. But what is this community being referred to by the new Ratio?

The RFIS #149 says: “The vocation usually grows within the context of a community, in which the seminarian has had a significant experience of faith.” What is more enlightening and challenging is that this priestly vocation needs nurturance and support from the community where he belongs.

The Ratio continues: “Both the family and the parish of origin, or the parish to which he belongs, as well as other ecclesial communities, contribute significantly to sustaining and nourishing the vocation of those called to the priesthood.” (RFIS #149)

In following the directives set by the new Ratio, the St. Francis Xavier College Seminary (XaCoSe) embarks another challenging year (2019-2020) of seminary formation. Being faithful to the new guidelines of priestly formation, the XaCoSe community begins its Propaedeutic Year (PY), which was formerly Pre-College Seminary, at Ulas, Davao City.

Propaedeutic Year is a formative year which has its objective — the individual discernment of the candidates through spiritual conferences, counselling, spiritual direction, meditation, adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and other activities that would hopefully sharpen the candidates’ ability to listen with docility to the voice of God and to know whether he is really called to the priesthood or not.

It is an initial and preparatory stage for those who would like to enter the seminary. It accepts candidates coming from senior high school graduates, college students and young professionals. This formation year is likened to a “one year retreat” which is non-academic but more of a period of vocational discernment. After finishing this preparatory phase, the candidates will proceed to the St. Francis Xavier College Seminary (XaCoSe) main building, at Catalunan Grande, Davao City.

In this formation year (2019-2020), the XaCoSe main community designs a new formation itinerary for the seminarians which has its goal — a profound knowledge and personal relationship with the Lord. The new Ratio named this period as “Discipleship Stage”. The highlight given on this phase of seminary formation is to make the seminarian adept in “listening to His Word, keeping it in his heart and putting it into practice.” (RFIS #62)

To attain an integral growth of the candidates, human formation is given due consideration. Professional counsellors are asked to accompany the seminarians in order to know themselves more and hopefully to be able to heal whatever brokenness they might have experienced in the past. Moreover, regular Spiritual Direction is made available for them to discover and recognize the hands of God in the course of their seminary formation.

Another development for this year of formation is the home visitation to the family of the seminarians by the Rector and Dean of Seminarians. This is done this year in order to know more the family and the personal background of the candidates so that the formators can journey with them more personally and profoundly.

As the XaCoSe community, both the Propaedeutic Year/Discipleship Stage, ventures another year of formation, it is our hope and prayer that we can adequately listen to the voice of God and discern the guidance of the Holy Spirit and can effectively respond to the needs of the seminarians for their integral development.

Since September is a “vocation month” here in our Archdiocese, we, the XaCoSe team of formators, humbly ask your prayers and supports (moral/financial) so that we can faithfully accomplish the difficult and challenging task of forming future priests of the Archdiocese of Davao. To God be the Glory! (Fr. Orly Angelia | Rector of XACOSE)