2010 Catalog cover - The Athenaeum Of Ohio

Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West
General Information
The oldest division of the Athenaeum is Mount St.
Mary’s Seminary of the West. The seminary has
as its mission the preparation of candidates for the
priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church. Baptized
and confirmed Catholic men who have completed a
B.A. or its equivalent can be admitted to the
seminary and its Master of Divinity degree
program. A seminarian in this program must meet
the requirements of the 5th edition of the Program
of Priestly Formation (PPF) of the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In addition to the Master of Divinity degree
program, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary offers a
preparatory two-year Pre-theology program for
students who need to fulfill prerequisites for
admission to the Master of Divinity degree
program. The program leading to ordination
requires that seminarians reside in the seminary
community of Mount St. Mary’s. In this environment
the student continues his individual human and
spiritual formation while appropriating and
integrating theological and pastoral experiences.
The seminary program is built around the four
pillars of formation outlined in the Program of
Priestly Formation: human, spiritual, intellectual
and pastoral.
The Church's Understanding of
Ordained Priesthood
In his very Incarnation, Christ already assumes his
mission as priest and mediator. On the cross Jesus
exercised his supreme and unique priesthood
whereby he offered himself, once for all, and thus
reconciled us to God. In order that all times may
be touched by this redemptive sacrifice, the
glorified High Priest shares with his body, the
Church, the anointing he himself received. The
fullness of Christ’s priesthood is communicated to
the Church through two ecclesial priesthoods, each
exercised through a distinct sacrament: that of
Baptism and that of Holy Orders.
Christ continues to exercise his priesthood in the
world through his body conformed to him in
baptism. Thus, “the laity are made to share in the
priestly, prophetical and kingly office of Christ; they
have, therefore, in the Church and the world, their
own assignment in the mission of the whole people
of God” (Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People
2.2).
For the sake of the Church there is also an
apostolic ministry of Holy Orders. Those who are
anointed by the Holy Spirit and configured to Christ
the priest through the sacrament of Holy Orders
“are able to act in the person of Christ the head”
(Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests 2.3). As
head of the body Christ continues to lead the
Church as Lord through the preaching, sanctifying
and governing ministry of Holy Orders.
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