St. Mary’s Seminary’s director of human formation focuses on shaping well-rounded future priests

St. Mary’s Seminary in Roland Park is giving an added boost to the human formation of future priests with the establishment of its first-ever director of human formation.

Deacon Edward J. McCormack, a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Washington, was named the first director of human formation at St. Mary’s Seminary in September. His hiring marks the seminary’s commitment to providing a balance in the four dimensions of priestly formation – human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral – needed for a priest to be successful.

“We found a deacon we knew,” said Sulpician Father Phillip J. Brown, president of St. Mark’s Seminary. “He was very familiar with formation, had seminary experience and was an ordained deacon. His needs and our needs fit. It is a big step forward.”

Deacon McCormack has a doctorate from The Catholic University of America in Washington and a master’s degree in theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary in New Jersey. He has trained men and women for ministry in the church for 22 years.

Over the decades, Father Brown said, seminary leaders learned that while they were expertly teaching seminarians how to deliver good homilies or understand the importance of prayer, more was needed in the area of human development. 

“Human formation involves a lot more,” Father Brown said. “We need to dedicate a lot more effort on human qualities. We need to work with them and do everything we can to help them grow.”

In collaboration with the rector and formation team, the director of human formation coordinates seminary life, psycho-social services, fitness, nutrition and recreation to assist seminarians in maintaining a balanced seminary experience, according to seminary leaders.

Funding for the new position was provided as one of four priority areas of the seminary’s recent $25 million campaign.

“We’re developing this program as we speak,” Deacon McCormack said. “There are multiple dimensions to this.”

The goal of human formation is to help the seminarians grow in maturity to get to know themselves, Deacon McCormack said. Every seminarian who enters St. Mary’s has been “formed and deformed” by his family of origin and life experiences, a mix of positive and negative, he said.

“In terms of the spiritual life, instead of hearing the Holy Spirit, you could be hearing your fears and your anxieties, your anger, your emptiness, your rage,” Deacon McCormack said. “In ministry, instead of serving the Lord, you could be cooperating with that part of you that is really critical, that part of you that doubts, that part of you that is insecure.”

He envisions his office being a mentoring center, where mentors and seminarians can come and talk with him about whatever issues they are facing. He wants to support and grow mentors in their skills on different issues and how they can approach them.

He plans to offer workshops with experts in various fields, from counselors to fitness coaches, to discuss issues future priests may face – including loneliness, eating disorders, gambling, alcoholism or addiction. Presentations on exercise, nutrition and sleep are also planned.

“Priests are so busy, and often are by themselves,” Deacon McCormack said. “Try to establish healthy habits now, so when you get into ministry, they are already in place. You are used to getting exercise, a healthy diet, taking time off and connecting with friends and family.”

Celibacy raises many human formation issues, he said.

“The whole seminary is designed to help these guys really discern and give clarity on their vocation. Are they called to priesthood? Are they called to celibacy?” Deacon McCormack said. “The seminary is successful if they help a guy discern ‘Actually no, I’m called to be married.’ We did our job. The first thing is you try to help the guy discern that unique call.”

The seminary is structured in several ways to allow human formation to happen, Deacon McCormack said, with the obvious one being community life and living and interacting with other people. Seminarians also meet with a spiritual director and with a mentor.

“This is like executive coaching,” Deacon McCormack said. “These guys are getting one-on-one contact with skilled spiritual directors and mentors.”

The seminary’s pastoral program gives seminarians experience working with the poor, in hospitals and working in parishes.

“These guys are all going to be parish priests,” Deacon McCormack said. “You have to be able to relate to that infant and to that dying man. You need a real robust capacity to relate.”

Seminarians need to learn how to develop a multi-dimensional support network, Deacon McCormack said, including family, friends, fellow priests and people in their parish.

“You have to get to know yourself, situations to avoid, times of year when you may feel a little more lonely,” Deacon McCormack said. “That is all self-knowledge.”

According to the deacon’s research, “the level of satisfaction among priests is sky high,” as many say their lives have a sense of meaning and purpose.

“Ultimately, it is God who calls these guys,” Deacon McCormack said. “We’re trying to set up a program… that can really support these guys in a priestly ministry where they are able to proclaim and share the Gospel for many, many years as healthy and holy priests.”

Email Katie V. Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org

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