1. DIOCESAN SPIRITUALITY
The concluding statement of the fifteenth Plenary Assembly of the CCBI, Tiruchirapalli, 15-19 January 2003, had this to say about Formation of Priests in seminaries and other formation houses: “Preparing future priests and religious, who are intensely committed to proclamation, and inculcating in them a deep faith in Jesus and a love for the Church, should be the top priority. The entire formation programme human, spiritual, pastoral and intellectual should be geared towards preparing them for a life of holiness and commitment to people. This commitment will find expression in Spirit-filled ministries like proclamation of the Word and sharing the Good News of Salvation in Jesus Christ…” (No. 11.3).

The aim of Morning Star Regional Seminary is the formation of Diocesan Priests with a diocesan spirituality. While there are several ingredients, which constitute the spirituality of a Diocesan Priest, the following four are indispensable:

1. Commitment to Jesus who has called the young man.
2. Commitment to the local church to which the seminarian owes his allegiance and offers his services.
3. Commitment to the presbyterium of the diocese to which he belongs.
4. Commitment to the Bishop, who is the emblem of unity in the particular Church.

During his formation period, the seminarian would accordingly deepen and strengthens his understanding as well as the living of these aspects of commitment. In this process, he would be accompanied and guided by his formators and professors who constantly sustain a conducive atmosphere of formation and growth.

It goes without saying that these same principles hold valid for the religious seminarians as well, in particular reference to their religious superiors and religious communities, in the place of the diocese and bishop.

II. SELF-FORMATION

All formation is essentially self-formation. Every seminarian shall therefore strive for this self-formation, making a responsible and best use of his freedom and opportunities. If he does not assume a personal responsibility and form himself, no one and nothing else can help him to be formed.

III. QUALITIES TO BE NURTURED

(Preamble, Statutes of MSRS, 1985)

1. Every seminarian should strive to become a Man of God, giving primacy to spiritual concerns, having an experience of God and being comfortable with the things of God.

2. He should have a missionary spirit with the desire to spread God's word.

3. He should possess a zeal for souls and a generosity to live without comfort and in situations of insecurity with the ability to be alone.

4. He should be committed to poverty in the Indian context having:
a. Contentment with basic needs.
b. Unattachment / Indifference to consumer values.
c. Ability to use things without being possessed by them.

5. He should foster the virtue of perseverance and a tenacity of effort in the face of adversity.

6. He should be able to live a life of obedience and of faith without discouragement because of failure or misunderstanding.

IV. EVALUATION OF SEMINARIANS

The following areas of the growth of the seminarian would be evaluated regularly through different tools of evaluation by oneself, by the peers and by the Staff.

1. Spirituality: Spirituality in the first place implies regularity and fidelity to the various acts of prayers, because it is a visible indication of commitment and steadiness of character. However, true spirituality is more than that. It is a personal and profound involvement with God which gives the strength to practice the essential virtue required for the priestly ministry. The formators should be able to distinguish between genuine spirituality and emotional pietism and other forms of shallow spirituality.

2. Motivation: Right motivation has to be inculcated. Excessive desire for honour, prestige, security should be identified and the seminarian should be helped to overcome it. For this, he will nurture a constant desire to devote himself to work through ministry in the Church. He will also earnestly renew the decision to dedicate himself to prayer and community life. Service of people should not be a cloak for self-gratification and self-fulfillment but should be constantly purified of all selfish gains. They should cultivate a detached attitude to success and failure, and also a generous availability for ministry and service.

3. Emotional Stability: Since priestly life makes extraordinary demands on a person, the seminarian requires strong emotional resources to face its stresses. The seminarian should work to make himself a mature, well-integrated person, capable of maintaining good control over his feelings and desires, and able to face conflicts and opposition with equanimity.

4. Inter-Personal Relations: The seminarian must have the due emotional capacity to be a man with and for others. For this, he must acquire certain skills and ease to relate well and communicate effectively with others. He must learn how to be warm-hearted but with reserve, to mingle freely but without getting over-involved and over-attached.

5. Priestly Celibacy: Celibacy is a gift, which requires psychosexual maturity. It means the ability to maintain warm relationships with persons of either sex without domination, possessiveness and jealousy. Often non-sexual needs and conflicts such as feelings of inferiority or problems of aggressiveness find their release in psychosexual behaviour, which is also at times a compensatory response to overwork, emotional exhaustion or a breakdown of prayer life. Maturity in this area requires an understanding of these dangers. Formation for celibate living must inculcate in the seminarian a commitment to celibacy not only as a discipline, but also as a value for the sake of the Kingdom.