Human Formation

Throughout its history, the Roman Catholic Church has proclaimed the sanctity of human life, as is clear in the sacred Scriptures and in the uninterrupted teaching of the Church. While this commitment has brought about a strong pattern of protecting life in all its stages, it also holds sacred the humanity of each individual. The Church’s minister, according to the Letter to the Hebrews, comes from the human community and is at its service (Pope John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis, 5). Human formation, then, always builds on the humanity of the man interested in the priesthood of Jesus Christ.

Saint Meinrad seminarians come from across the United States and around the world. They bring to priestly formation talents and gifts, a wide variety of experiences, and a diversity of ethnic, cultural and racial backgrounds. In recognizing this diversity, human formation nurtures a community founded on mutual understanding and brings seminarians together as one family.

At the same time, human formation focuses on progress within the individual, as well. Human formation:

• assists students in their personal and social growth and calls them to a life in Christ.
• fosters a seminarian’s ability to respond to the needs of others, knowing his strengths and his personal challenges that might affect his pastoral care.
• includes celibacy formation for seminarians. (See the Celibacy Formation page for more details.)
• challenges ineffective relational patterns that undermine a seminarian’s ability to serve the human community and supports appropriate interpersonal dynamics.
• encourages mannerly and genteel development in the seminarian so that his comportment as a priest (and as a seminarian) neither offends others nor creates a distance that inhibits ministry.
• in many respects, sets out to shape seminarians more completely into Christian gentlemen.

Human formation encompasses student recreation and athletics; concerts, performances and lectures; psychological counseling; and an annual evaluation of a student’s progress in formation. More information on these can be found on the Student Services page. Human formation also includes regular access to cultural offerings, such as art and music.

Fr. Godfrey Mullen, OSB
Vice Rector and Provost
200 Hill Dr.
St. Meinrad, IN 47577
(812) 357-6981
gmullen@saintmeinrad.edu

Fr. Patrick Cooney, OSB
Director of Human Formation
200 Hill Dr.
St. Meinrad, IN 47577
(812) 357-6583
pcooney@saintmeinrad.edu

Fr. Harry Hagan, OSB
Director of Cultural Formation
200 Hill Dr.
St. Meinrad, IN 47577
(812) 357-6538
hhagan@saintmeinrad.edu

Sr. Diane Pharo, SCN
Director of Counseling Services
200 Hill Dr.
St. Meinrad, IN 47577
(812) 357-6598
dpharo@saintmeinrad.edu