Program of Priestly Formation 6th edition

SEMINARIES | 171

the functions described below are needed for an effective priestly forma tion program. In keeping with the unique nature and purpose of the semi nary, major posts within the seminary community are normally assigned to priests. All seminary leaders should have adequate preparation and the experience necessary to carry out the responsibilities they are assigned. They should understand the mission of the Church and seminary and be supportive of it. Seminary leaders bear a special responsibility for planning, orga nizing, directing, and evaluating the implementation of this Program of Priestly Formation in their respective institutions. The community of formators must include a rector and a spiritual director. 493 The number of formators must necessarily be sufficient for, and proportionate to, the number of seminarians. Thus, often there will be more than one spiritual director, vice rector, and other priest formators as necessary to provide personal accompaniment to the individual semi narians. To provide excellent and competent priest formators, diocesan bishops and religious ordinaries should be generous in encouraging priests to prepare for seminary work or in releasing their priests for this ministry, even if the seminary is not their own. Rector The rector, always a priest, serves as the pastor of the semi nary community. 494 He is to be “distinguished by prudence, wisdom and balance, someone highly competent, who coordinates the educational endeavor in the governance of the Seminary.” 495 As the diocesan bishop or major superior’s direct delegate for the formation of seminarians, he serves as the father in the seminary community and takes an active part in the accompaniment of seminarians throughout their formation process. 433. ROLES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OF FORMATORS 434. 435.

493 See CIC, c. 239; CCEO, cc. 338-339. 494 See CIC, c. 262; CCEO, c. 336 §2. 495 Ratio Fundamentalis , no. 134.