Extraordinary donation of exercise equipment will encourage top-notch conditioning in seminarians.
YOUR SEMINARIANS
Mind, Spirit, and Body
Extraordinary donation of exercise equipment will encourage top-notch conditioning in seminarians.
1.
In his pastoral exhortation I Will Give You Shepherds,
St. John Paul II says the formation of future priests should be“ holistic”— encompassing the whole person. He presents as the“ four pillars of formation” the careful development of a seminarian’ s spiritual, intellectual, pastoral, and human qualities.
Part of human formation is caring for the body. Taking inspiration from the Holy Father, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops recommends in its document Program for Priestly Formation that“[ s ] ufficient time for physical exercise and for leisure be built into the schedule” of seminarians( no. 307), and that“ a holistic approach to physical and psychological well-being... will enhance the spirituality of priests”( no. 555).
A balanced approach to seminarian development is one of the guiding principles of the Sacred Heart formation program— and that includes balancing the intellectual and spiritual life with a focus on physical well-being. In fact, encouraging seminarians to be physically active has long been a part of Sacred Heart’ s formational philosophy. Archival photos from the 1920s, the seminary’ s first decade, show that Sacred Heart already had football and basketball teams that competed with local schools. Photos from the 1930s and 1940s show seminarians doing jumping jack calisthenics in the athletic field and playing lively games of intramural baseball.
16 Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Mosaic | Spring 2016