FORMATIVE COMMUNITY

In view of the seminarians' future priestly and missionary work, each seminarian is formed towards community life. A priest lives in a community. Community life entails reciprocity of life. The priest serves the community as well as the community becomes an inspiration to his priestly service. Thus, community life entails the sense of camaraderie and cohesive lifestyle. The Lorenzo Mission Institute fosters an atmosphere brotherhood for the priesthood. A formative community comprises the bishop, the clergy, the formators, the families, the professors, the seminarians, and those in one way or another are part of the entire priestly formation in the seminary. The Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis clarifies this saying: "By ‘formative community’ is meant all those who are involved in priestly formation: the Bishop, formators, professors, administrative personnel, employees, families, parishes, consecrated persons, specialists, and above all the seminarians themselves, of course, since formation will suffer without their full cooperation. (RFIS 139)

There are elements in the priesthood where the formation of a meaningful community life becomes necessary in the seminary:

1) Leadership- Leadership in missionary life takes a new course. Leadership is being with the people of God and it is opposed to isolation and domination. Leadership is manifested by being a pastor and steward to the flock one is called to serve. Humble service becomes an antidote to selfishness, dictatorship, pride, and insensitivity. The Lorenzo Mission Institute trains seminarians to be leaders by example and leaders by being responsible.

2) Discipleship- Discipleship is biblical vocation and virtue strongly linked to the adherence of Christ. Entering the seminary means following Christ with sense of openness and charity. The Lorenzo Mission Institute fosters discipleship through developing the sense of obedience to the Divine Master which as to be manifested through their obedience to formators. 

3) Communion- Communion is an indispensable requisite for mission. It springs from a Trinitarian theology and model. The Lorenzo Mission Institute affirms the words of John Paul II: "communion gives rise to mission and mission is accomplished in communion." (CL 32) In the seminary, communion is manifested primarily in the Holy Mass through "concelebration" because the ultimate and only source of communion and mission is the Holy Eucharist. The community of formators is indispensable in seminary formation. The brotherhood and communion of formators are essential to seminary formation. A common table and meal for formators is important for future ministry and cohesive parish life. The Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis mentions: "A common table: when they share meals, priests come to know one another, to listen to and to appreciate one another. This also gives them the opportunity for worthwhile friendly exchanges." (RFIS 88)

4) Apostolate- The apostolate is not a private affair but a communitarian activity. It is a life for others and for the Church. Seminarians are trained to be generous and altruistic so that their priestly ministry in the future would be a ministry for others. The missionary activities and pastoral exposures in the seminary are in view of a continued pastoral work in their priestly ministry. Such a pastoral formation should be missionary because it is a life of self-emptying and intersubjective relationship. The Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis says that the apostolate in the seminary should be "a formation of a specifically pastoral character... It should be such as to help the seminarian to acquire the inner freedom to live the apostolate as service, able to see the work of God in the hearts and lives of the people." (RFIS 119)