The incidence of the coronavirus in Spain has marked, once again, the Seminary Day campaign. This year, the campaign has not been postponed as was the case last year, so students and formators of minor and major seminaries have resorted to various ways to be present in the different communities and schools where they have not been able to go in person due to the obvious restrictions.
Online Prayers and Vigils
Prayer continues to be the central axis of this Day. For this reason, there are several seminaries that have convened semi-presential prayer vigils or retransmitted by various digital platforms. This is the case of the Seminary of Barcelona, which will have its prayer vigil on Saturday at 7:00 pm. you can attend by reserving a ticketbut which will also be broadcasted online.
Videos
One of the most widely used formats for this vocation campaign has been the video. Dioceses such as Cadiz and Ceuta or the seminaries that make up the Theologate of Avila have used different perspectives to respond, directly or through evocation, to the most frequently asked questions of those who are in the formation process to become priests.
#P FatherandBrother
"The seminar in 5 questions": IVHave you ever wondered if seminarians have doubts about their faith, or if they feel free in the seminary, here is our answer.
What do you think about the doubts?#Seminar2021 pic.twitter.com/M5KNHzcdYF
- Semi. Mayor ZAMORA (@seminario_mayor) March 9, 2021
Bishops' message to seminarians
In addition to the many diocesan bishops who dedicate their pastoral letters to seminary students at this time of the year, the bishops of the dioceses of the obispos of the Episcopal Commission for the Clergy and Seminaries They wanted to mark this date in a special way. In this letter, the prelates point out that the "Seminary is really a presbytery in gestation. Thus, the discreet and attentive presence of St. Joseph in each formative community, at Mary's side".
They also invite the seminarians to meditate three features of St. Joseph's paternal pedagogy,
- – Supernatural fatherhoodSt. Joseph assumes, in the first place, the mission of acting as a representative of the fatherhood of God". The Seminary, this letter points out, "must be the place where we learn the meaning of Joseph's sacrifice, and educate ourselves in the total dedication that comes with living our personal paternity as a testimony of the only divine paternity, guarantor of man's humanity. Learning to renounce all possession - of whatever kind - over our future "children", with regard to our pastoral work, from a spiritual fatherhood that engenders freedom and awakens everyone to a full life, of conscious, free and joyful surrender".
- – Supernatural couragehumility and discretion, as vocational qualities. At this point, the responsible bishops point out, it is necessary to "deepen in the ultimate meaning of things, in the value of work shared with men in real life, and with an always open heart" so as not to fall into individualism or comfort.
- Pedagogical workFinally, they refer to the learning and teaching task of priests after the example of St. Joseph and urge them to "enter into the heart of the houses, to be close to the people, to the sufferings and joys of the People of God".
