Initial Formation (Seminary)

Discerning a call to priesthood cannot be done alone. It is important that you speak with somebody who is trained to facilitate you at this initial stage. Vocations Directors are appointed by the Bishop to enable men explore and reflect on their sense of being called to diocesan priesthood. Making initial contact with a Vocations Director is not a commitment to study for the priesthood. It should be seen as you creating a space where you can explore and reflect on your sense of being called. To find contact details for your local vocation director click HERE.

The formation programme for seminarians is built on the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Post-Conciliar documents. In particular, it is anchored on the four dimensions of formation outlined in Pope Saint John Paul II’s 1992 Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Pastores dabo vobis (PDV) and recently updated in the new Ratio fundamentalis institutionis sacerdotalis, entitled The Gift of the Priestly Vocation. The four dimensions of formation are the Human, Spiritual, Intellectual, and Pastoral.

In response to the changing landscape of seminary vocations in Ireland, it was determined by the Irish Episcopal Conference in 2020 to temporarily suspend the formation programme for Irish seminarians in Rome. Initial formation for Irish seminarians presently takes place at St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth. It is hoped that the Pontifical Irish College will soon have the capacity to host Irish seminarians for a semester study-abroad experience. 

Today, the Irish College hosts a semester abroad formation programme for seminary students from St. John Vianney Seminary Minnesota and Holy Cross Seminary at Notre Dame. Click HERE for an article about this programme.