These are the things someone should have told me (or that I should have listened to) before I went to Seminary for the first time:
1) Do not presume that you are called to be a priest or that you deserve to be there. Remain open, and allow the Church to discern whether or not your call is authentic....
2) Forget everything you think you know. If you already have all the answers, there isn't much reason to go to seminary.
3) Do not presume to know more than your professors or formators.
4) Do not presume that the other seminarians know more than the professors or formators.
5) Do not presume that any class is unimportant.
6) Stay close to the guys from Rapid City.
7) Form good relationships with your classmates.
8) Avoid sarcasm.
9) Avoid negativity. If you find that your commentary about things is mostly in the form of critique, you need to have a serious talk with your spiritual director.
10) When challenged about attitudes or behaviors, do not build walls to defend them. Accept the criticism and then determine how to address the attitude or behavior within yourself.
11) If you feel hurt because you are being asked to change, then you are not being open. You have gone to the seminary because you need to be changed.
12) Pray every day.
13) Be humble. There are some things you may already know and there are some things you may already do well, but you are a work in progress. You are still a long way from priesthood.
14) There have been lots of seminarians before you, and there will be lots of seminarians after you. You are still a lay man, and as a seminarian, you have no special status in the Church. Do not adopt an attitude of entitlement.
2) Forget everything you think you know. If you already have all the answers, there isn't much reason to go to seminary.
3) Do not presume to know more than your professors or formators.
4) Do not presume that the other seminarians know more than the professors or formators.
5) Do not presume that any class is unimportant.
6) Stay close to the guys from Rapid City.
7) Form good relationships with your classmates.
8) Avoid sarcasm.
9) Avoid negativity. If you find that your commentary about things is mostly in the form of critique, you need to have a serious talk with your spiritual director.
10) When challenged about attitudes or behaviors, do not build walls to defend them. Accept the criticism and then determine how to address the attitude or behavior within yourself.
11) If you feel hurt because you are being asked to change, then you are not being open. You have gone to the seminary because you need to be changed.
12) Pray every day.
13) Be humble. There are some things you may already know and there are some things you may already do well, but you are a work in progress. You are still a long way from priesthood.
14) There have been lots of seminarians before you, and there will be lots of seminarians after you. You are still a lay man, and as a seminarian, you have no special status in the Church. Do not adopt an attitude of entitlement.
15) Remember who you are and where you come from. Rapid City is not Peoria, nor LaCrosse, nor Winona.
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