A question which many people ask about the seminarians regards the way seminarians spend their day at the seminary. For seven whole years, the seminarian spends most of his time at this ‘boarding’ house of formation, preparing himself for the priesthood.
The seminary helps the young man acquire a holistic formation. First, the seminarian is helped to reflect on the call for priesthood, a vocation to which he is inclined. During the seven years of formation, he has to convince himself that God is truly calling him for priesthood. For this reason, a team of formators chosen on purpose to accompany the seminarian, help the young man understand and accept his real self and, at the same time, mature spiritually. The seminarian matures into a shepherd through his pastoral expererience during weekends and the intermediary year.
Concurrently, the seminarian is expected to prepare himself academically for his mission. For this reason, during his seven-year stay at the Seminary, he is trained in the sciences of philosophy and theology at tertiary level. In fact, the Faculty of Theology of the Gozo Seminary is affiliated with the Angelicum Pontificia Università San Tommaso d’Aquino. Lectures are delivered daily except on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
In May, Deacons Michael Grima and Carl Scerri sat for the exam de universa (comprehensive) which marked the end of their academic studies at the Gozo Seminary. The other seminarians had their last lectures for the year on Wednesday 31st May. They will sit for their examinations in the days between 3rd June and 13th June.