Programs Home l Seminarians Summer Program l Dates, Location, Cost
Advantages l Schedule l Online Application l For More Information l Resources
IPF’s Program for Seminarians, focusing on the heartfelt experience of God, includes:
- Growth in holiness through daily prayer
- Weekly one-on-one spiritual direction and an individually directed silent retreat
- Interplay between theology and practical faith
- Integration of sexuality with celibacy as a generative gift from God
- Discernment for pastoral leadership
- Summary of growth and blessings
- Apostolic service
- Appreciation of the unique identity of diocesan priests
- Contemplative leisure
Advantages
- The IPF program adapts easily to individual and local diocesan needs.
- Pastoral years may be integrated with this period of intensive spiritual formation.
- IPF’s credits may be transferred to supplement pre-theology and theology programs.
For Bishops and Dioceses
- Provides an intensive period of priestly spiritual formation within an atmosphere of dynamic orthodoxy
- Fulfills the need for well integrated men growing in holiness and ready to supply appropriate leadership in the Church as priests
- Fosters an ability in future priests to critique prayerfully our culture in light of Gospel values and the Church’s magisterial teaching
- Affords a format which adapts easily to local diocesan needs for seminarians
- Provides encouragement for bishops regarding priestly spiritual formation
- Saves financial resources through half-price tuition at Creighton University and the transferring of course credits to seminary formation
For Regional and Diocesan Seminaries
- Relieves the burden of providing additional spiritual formation programs from within already stretched faculty resources
- Promises help in giving candidates additional spiritual formation while not interrupting existing courses
For Seminarians
- Provides an experience of integrated learning which fosters heartfelt foundational growth in the Holy Spirit
- Encourages time for contemplation and leisure
- Affords an opportunity to earn undergraduate or graduate credit in theology
- Helps build a spiritual fraternity among future diocesan priests as students come each year from all parts of the United States and beyond
Growth and Blessings
- At the conclusion of the 10-week summer program, each seminarian prepares a “Summary of Growth and Blessings.” This document is prepared in the following manner.
- During the summer each seminarian keeps a journal.
- By way of a prayerful process of journal reflection that pertains to each course and component of IPF’s summer program, the seminarian summarizes his interior experience of discerning God’s love.
- This process of journal reflection is fostered in weekly spiritual direction.
- Near the end of the summer, a copy of the “Summary of Growth and Blessings” is distributed to the seminarian, asking him to summarize, in a way appropriate to the external forum, the content of his journal pages.
- A copy of the document is forwarded to the man’s Vocation Director or Director of Seminarians. It is suggested that the appropriate seminary personnel also receive a copy.
- The document, then, provides not only a fitting conclusion to the IPF experience, but also builds a bridge between the seminarian’s summer experience and his diocesan and seminary life. It provides a foundation for fruitful spiritual conversation.