Human formation, which is centered on Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is the necessary foundation of all priestly formation and every priest “should mold his human personality in such a way that it becomes a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ the Redeemer of humanity” (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 43).
 
In effect, “Human formation, being the foundation of all priestly formation, promotes the integral growth of the person and allows the integration of all its dimensions. (Ratio, 94).” Thus, human formation prepares future priests to be suitable instruments of God’s grace.
 
The goal of the Human Formation Program at Saint Joseph’s Seminary, as described in our Mission Statement, is to form seminarians with “a profound sense of ecclesial communion that is fostered and expressed through fidelity to Church teaching, a daily life of prayer, the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the ceaseless invocation of the Holy Spirit, and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and all the saints.”
 
Our Program for Human Formation cultivates the personal and emotional maturity of each candidate for the priesthood and develops the human qualities which are necessary for them to be balanced and capable of bearing the weight of pastoral responsibilities. These include the ability “to love the truth, to be loyal, to respect every person, to have a sense of justice, to be true to their word, to be genuinely compassionate, to be men of integrity and, especially, balanced in judgment and behavior” (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 43).
 
The means by which these skills are developed in each seminarian in every stage of formation including regular meetings with a formation advisor, regular formation conferences, fraternal activities, excursions and community celebrations. Each seminarian is also assigned a house job with community responsibilities to support the life of the seminary and prepare for their future pastoral ministry.
 
Another primary aim of the Human Formation Program at Saint Joseph’s Seminary is to prepare seminarians to embrace the call to chaste celibacy for the Kingdom of God cultivating affective maturity across the dimensions of the human person- the physical, the psychological, and the spiritual (PPF, 185). Each seminarian is called upon to embrace the call to spiritual fatherhood as priests living an “authentic self-gift in generative and faithful love” (PPF #186). This element of formation is accomplished through a multifaceted program which unites elements from all four central dimensions of priestly formation: i.e., the human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral. The Seminary educates students concerning the theology and meaning of celibacy and inculcates the necessary skills for embracing chastity joyfully and wholeheartedly, including the cultivation of healthy friendships, emotional maturity, self-reflection, priestly fraternity, priestly asceticism and spiritual direction.
 
Our forty-four acre campus also encourages seminarians to remain physically active, including fields for baseball, football, and soccer. The seminary houses a fitness center for faculty and seminarians, and the campus is also home to the Cardinal Spellman Recreation Center, which houses basketball courts, bowling alleys, an exercise center, squash and racquetball courts, and an Olympic-size swimming pool.