Menu

Propaedeutic Formation Program

The program at Mount Angel Seminary began in the summer of 2023 and focuses on human formation and the development of the spiritual life, while integrating each seminarian’s intellectual and pastoral dimensions. In keeping with Mount Angel’s proven experience in priestly formation, the propaedeutic year is centered on the Eucharist and communion. The men are accompanied by a dedicated team and enriched by the Seminary and Hilltop communities. The prayers and rich ways of the Benedictine monastic community of Mount Angel Abbey enhance and support the seminarians’ formational experience.

Our Team

Fr. Michael Niemczak

Coordinator of the Propaedeutic Stage

Fr. William Dillard

Spiritual Director

Katie Jo LaRiviere, PhD

Academic Dean

Structure of the Program

The program is based on the principle of gradualism and unfolds in 4 movements of a 12-month plan “to lay the foundation for a new way of life.” While in the program, the seminarians live together as their own cohort on a floor in the Anselm dormitory. They follow their own horarium as a cohort, including community Mass and Liturgy of the Hours, a daily Holy Hour, study time, and meals together. This enables them to build a robust and focused community while still benefitting from the opportunities and interactions of the broader seminary community.

Summer (July-August)

  • The men have the Hilltop to themselves for the first two months of their formation, allowing for bonding as a distinct cohort and developing their own personality without the pressure of comparison to more seasoned seminarians
  • Highly structured horarium with an emphasis on group activities and staying on the Hilltop, allowing the place to become home
    • Weekly outings and formational experiences in the surrounding area
    • Participation in the St. Benedict Festival and Bach Festival with the Abbey Community
  • Lightest academic load they will have in seminary, focused on prayer and spirituality.

Fall Term (August-December)

  • With the arrival of the rest of the seminarians, the propaedeutic house learns to be a distinct community within a community.
    • While most liturgies are as a propaedeutic house, the men join for some Abbey and St. Joseph liturgies each week.
    • The men are encouraged to build bonds with their diocesan brothers, but still spend most of their time with their own cohort.
  • The horarium has more flexibility than in the summer with more events occurring in small groups or at the men’s individual discretion
  • Slightly heavier academic load.

Spring Term (January-May)

  • The focus of this phase is to move the seminarians from an external to an internal locus of control, accompanying them as they internalize the tiorarium and begin to integrate into the community.
    • The propaedeutic house remains distinct, but with a view toward transition into the successive stages of formation
  • Much of the horarium is still fixed, but each seminarian is accompanied in building a personal horarium, to which he will be held accountable by his formation director.
  • Heaviest academic load of propaedeutic stage, but still lighter than in any other stage.

Summer (May-June)

Summer (May-June) the men return to their home diocese and have a two-month guided pastoral experience.

Dimensions of Priestly Formation

Members of the propaedeutic program at Mount Angel Seminary walk together to noon prayer.

Human

A community diverse in age, background, culture, etc is reflective of the broader Church and the presbyterate into which they would be ordained. Much like a family, it provides a rich environment and support for their human formation. Conferences include participation in the The Augustine Way ...
Seminarians in the propaedeutic program at prayer in St. Joseph chapel at Mount Angel.

Spiritual

Lorem ipsum suta consequate quodis dolorruptae sitent.Quo explaborem. Deleseque exeriae sin nat auda numquamus molorer ibusciis et eiciae molorem ut optat ulluptu sdaepro berum as esti officia quia.
Members of the propaedeutic program at Mount Angel Seminary in class.

Intellectual

As a stand-a-lone seminary with an academic dean dedicated to the propaedeutic program, classes are integrated with the other dimensions of formation and are tailored to the individual needs of the seminarian.
Members of the propaedeutic program at Mount Angel on one of the Hilltop pathways.

Pastoral

Focus on self-giving, mutual support, service of the broader community both on and off the Hilltop. Learning to be a considerate, other-person focused man of Christ.

 

What bishops and vocation directors are saying . . .

The propaedeutic stage has produced a level of fraternity amongst the men that I have never seen in the seminary. This fraternal support, coupled with preparation through communal adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, mandatory study-hall, and intentional mealtimes with the men in the propaedeutic stage, build a solid foundation for the seminarians to build upon during the rest of their years in formation. I would have benefited from this program if it were available when I was in formation.

Fr. Peter Julia
Director of Vocations
Archdiocese of Portland

When the sixth edition of the PPF was published, I was very encouraged by its emphasis on the importance of the propaedeutic year. Now that I have seen first-hand how Mount Angel Seminary has put this year into practice, I am even more convinced that this critical year places our seminarians on firm footing for their formative years. Monsignor Betschart and his staff have grasped the essence of what the propaedeutic year is all about and it shows in the men who are about to go into the discipleship stage of their formation. I cannot recommend Mount Angel Seminary highly enough for offering our seminarians this excellent beginning as they follow Christ’s call to the priesthood.

Archbishop John Wester
Archdiocese of Santa Fe

Mount Angel Seminary is a blessing and treasure to the Church! It provided me with a rich education and robust formation. I was so grateful that we were able to send Jeremy to Mount Angel for his Propaedeutic Stage. A diocese the size of Great Falls-Billings simply does not have the resources or ability to have our own local Propaedeutic house. Our student is a bit older than the average candidate, but he has fit into the program well and has been blessed by his experience. The formation and spirituality has made a great difference in his preparation and journey toward priesthood. I am grateful to Mount Angel Seminary, the monastic Community for all that they do.

Bishop Jeffrey Fleming
Diocese of Great Falls – Billings

To enjoy the presence of such an excellent seminary in this Region has been a blessing. The quality of formation gives our men there the right balance of all the necessary components to form excellent priests. While the implementation of the Program for Priestly Formation, Sixth Edition, has posed remarkable challenges, the staff and administrators at Mount Angel Seminary developed visionary plans with decisiveness and – I would judge – success. I know that our Diocese looks forward to a continuing partnership with Mount Angel. I highly recommend their academic, pastoral, human and spiritual components of formation, and I appreciate the care they take in communicating with us who send them our men who have been gifted with a call to serve God as priests in eastern Montana.

Rev. Jay H. Peterson
Director of Seminarian Formation
Diocese of Great Falls-Billings

The propaedeutic program at Mount Angel Seminary is an immersion experience for young men discerning a vocation to the priesthood. They are invited to immerse themselves with Jesus in the waters of the River Jordan and begin a lifelong journey of discipleship with the Lord. By learning to be in the company of Christ, they may come to hear with an open heart the will of the Father for them.

Bishop Jaime Soto
Diocese of Sacramento

I just wanted to share a quick note and let you know that Mount Angel has established an outstanding curriculum with this past year’s Propaedeutic Program that one of our seminarians participated in this past year. The Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau and Archbishop Andrew Bellisario has been very pleased with how well the staff has managed the program. The spiritual formation that our seminarian has received has been outstanding and we look forward to sending more vocations to Mount Angel Seminary.”

Fr. Mike Galbraith
Director of Seminarians
Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau

 

©Mount Angel Abbey, 1 Abbey Drive, Saint Benedict, Oregon 97373 | 503.845.3030 | info@mtangel.edu