About this blog

This blog is an opportunity for the Faculty, Seminarians, and Students of Holy Apostles College & Seminary to present any insightful reflections, articles, or reports they have made that reflect the mission of the College & Seminary which is “to cultivate lay, consecrated and ordained Catholic leaders for the purpose of evangelization.” It is the hope of Holy Apostles College & Seminary that this blog will serve as an educational resource not only for its own primary community but for the greater public.

Furthermore, the content of this blog serves as a window into the education and formation which takes place at Holy Apostles College & Seminary, where in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, one forms his own self to be an effective leader of evangelization according to the Four Pillars of Formation:

• Human Formation 
• Spiritual Formation 
• Intellectual Formation 
• Pastoral Formation 

which were clearly articulated by His Holiness Blessed John Paul II, in his 1992 Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis and by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in their Program of Priestly Formation.

Additionally, formation at Holy Apostles College & Seminary is geared so that seminarians become pastorally proficient in order to acquire the following Twelve Pastoral Competencies:

1. To preach the Gospel prophetically. 
2. To celebrate the Eucharist and other liturgical services properly and with sincere devotion. 
3. To provide leadership, support and inspiration to the lay faithful for evangelization and pastoral renewal.
4. To witness and promote the Gospel of Life and all Catholic social teaching. 
5. To exercise prudence, dialog and collaboration while maintain a proper priestly persona. 
6. To answer correctly contemporary moral questions using Faith and Reason. 
7. To advocate and witness the Church’s preferential option for the poor. 
8. To bring pardon, healing, peace and hope through pastoral care, pastoral counseling, spiritual direction and sacramental confession. 
9. To support marriage, family life and vocation to the priesthood and consecrated life as the Spiritual Father of the parish. 
10. To teach parishioners and parish catechists. 
11. To advocate Inculturation, Ecumenism, and Inter-Religious Dialog. 
12. To administer the parish effectively.

For the benefit and education of others, the reflections, articles, and reports posted on this blog are to relate to the above Pillars of Formation and pertain to the Pastoral Competencies in order to foster the mission of Holy Apostles College & Seminary.