SEMINARY LIFE
Discerning in Community
What is it really like to answer God’s call? You may not know right away whether God is calling you to serve his people as a priest, as a religious brother, or as a husband and father. But if you can’t let go of the idea that you are called to a radical life of love and service, there’s no better place to explore your options than in a seminary.
Holy Cross men in formation come from many different walks of life. Some come directly from high school and some from college. Others have worked or pursued graduate study before entering. They hail from all over the country and have many different hobbies and interests. What they all have in common, though, is a commitment to discern whether God is calling them to serve his Church as a priest or brother in the Congregation of Holy Cross.
Seminarians and brother scholastics live together, study together, work together and pray together. A regular schedule of common prayer, common meals, academic courses, ministry, and formation helps them to grow as Christian men and discern God’s will for their lives.
No one enters a seminary completely certain about his vocation. For a man seriously considering priesthood or religious life, a seminary is the best place to discern a vocation. By living the life of a seminarian or brother scholastic, a man grows in holiness and comes to understand whether this is God’s will for his life.
A college-age man may begin formation in Holy Cross in the undergraduate seminary known as “Old College.” A college graduate would begin formation at Moreau Seminary as a postulant. To help you learn more about seminary life, we have included virtual tours of our seminaries and posted profiles of our men in formation and seminary staff so that you can meet them and better discern if you are called to discern with us.
Our Spirituality
Ave Crux, Spes Unica "Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope"
“The journey begins before our profession and ends only at our resurrection. We would be created anew to the point when we can say, ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.’”
Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross, 6:59
FORMATION PROCESS
How does Seminary work?
With Holy Cross, your journey begins either with the Old College Undergraduate Seminary or with the Postulant Program at Moreau Seminary.
Our Spirituality
Ave Crux, Spes Unica "Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope"
“On my very first visit to Old College, I sensed the presence of a community life that I had not experienced at a previous visit to a different seminary. It was totally unexpected. I learned quickly that I could be myself in Holy Cross. This community would receive me for who I was and help me grow into the person I was called to be. Holy cross is truly a family.”
Br. Jimmy Henke, C.S.C., on his profession of perpetual vows in 2022
MEET THE MEN IN FORMATION
What is the Holy Cross Community Like?
Our men in formation all share a love of the Church and a deep desire to serve the Lord, but they are also unique individuals. They come from all over the country and bring a wide range of interests, experiences, gifts and talents to Holy Cross. Meet our men in formation from our first year collegians to the temporarily professed seminarians and brother scholastics preparing for ordination.
SEMINARY PROGRAMS
Where Should I Start?
Discerning your vocation is a matter of reflecting on God’s call and considering how you are being led to answer that call. There are several tools for discernment and several ways to attend to it. A helpful method of discernment is to spend some time with questions that lead you deeper into the consideration of your vocation. Often, we know that the Spirit is at work in our hearts, but don’t give it the time it deserves. Or, if we are willing to spend time with it, we are not sure how. Below are several questions to aid your reflection on your life and your calling. Writing out your thoughts on these questions or discussing them with either your spiritual director or a vocation director can be helpful.
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