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