Features of the Discipleship Stage
Discipleship I Sunday Worship: The Parish Visit Program
Seminarians in Discipleship I accompany their Formation Advisor every other Sunday for Holy Mass at various parishes and ministries throughout the Archdiocese.
The Parish Visit Program aims to introduce seminarians to the varieties of ministries and ministerial contexts of the diocesan priesthood. Inner-city parishes, large suburban parishes, rural parishes, college ministry, youth ministry, Hispanic ministry, and religious communities all figure into the itinerary.
After Mass, seminarians typically share a meal with the Pastor, who explains his ministry and entertains some questions.
When seminarians in Discipleship I are not on a Parish Visit, they join the men in the College and the Propaedeutic Stage of the Pre-Theology Program for Lauds at 8:30 AM and Holy Mass at 9:00 AM, in the St. Joseph Chapel.
Discipleship II Sunday Assignments
Seminarians in Discipleship II are assigned to parishes, where they take on the ministry of sacristan, serve Holy Mass, collaborate with the Pastor, and engage the faithful. With the permission of the Director of Pre-Theology, they may also undertake other parish responsibilities, at the discretion of the pastor.
The Director of Pastoral Education, Evangelization, and Apostolic Service publishes the parish assignments and the schedule at the beginning of the year. Discipleship II seminarians should pay careful attention to the schedule due to the periodic divergence in the Pre-Theology and Theology calendars.
If for good reason seminarians cannot travel to their parish assignments, they attend the house liturgies in St. Joseph Chapel.
11:15 Saturday Mass
Pre-Theologians in the Discipleship Stages gain experience serving in Saint Joseph Chapel by providing the ministers (sacristan, cantor, servers, and reader) for the 11:15 AM Saturday Mass.
Other Devotional Practices
On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in the afternoon, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the St. Joseph Chapel. Discipleship Stage seminarians with their brothers in the Configuration and Vocational Synthesis Stages commit to spending half-hour with the Lord per week (in addition to the expected daily holy hour).
They may also participate in any house devotion that does not conflict with the regular horarium, including the recitation of the rosary in the St. Joseph Chapel, Praise Nights, and the monthly Nazareth Nights.
