PASTORAL FORMATION

The pastoral programs in the Lorenzo Mission Institute are all girded towards the pastoral life of the future priest and missionary. The goal of priestly formation in the seminary is always to be a pastor. Therefore, the pastoral program in the seminary should be a foretaste of what a seminarian would be once he finishes his initial formation. Though the seminarian is exposed to the different areas of the apostolate in order for him to be prepared for his future ministry, he has to be intensifying his pastoral exposure at the pastoral stage. "The ‘pastoral stage’, or the ‘stage of vocational synthesis’, is intended to give particular importance to the period between the end of formation in the Seminary and priestly ordination, with the purpose of helping the candidate to acquire the necessary understanding in preparation for it." (RFIS 3)

In the course of his seminary formation, the seminarian will be exposed in both rural and urban poor settlers so that he may see the different pastoral and spiritual needs of the people. Contexts will play a vital role in making the seminarian shape his own awareness of the local church's need for evangelization and mission.

The seminarian will also be exposed to the Filipino-Chinese Apostolate so that the uniqueness of charism and its initial source inspiration of how the Lorenzo Mission Institute and the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society had emerged may be appreciated. It is also to acquaint the seminarian to the various needs both spiritual and pastoral among the Filipino-Chinese or Chinese-Filipino communities.

Since the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society belongs to the Archdiocese of Manila, it is also of paramount importance that the seminarian has to accustom himself with the different parishes, shrines, chapels and other communities in the Archdiocese of Manila. The pastoral exposures and programs of the archdiocese may be part of the pastoral journey of the seminarian especially during the Vocational Synthesis and pre-diaconal programs. 

The exposure towards missio ad gentes is of paramount importance to the seminarians of the Lorenzo Mission Institute. To imbue the spirit and sense of mission, the seminarian has to be sent overseas for the Chinese language learning, or any country for missionary exposure for a period of time in order for him to appreciate the Church's life of mission and the further needs that the Church is challenged to face now and in the future.