Propaedeutic Stage

Course Descriptions

Courses in the propaedeutic stage may include (but are not limited to) the following:

PY-100: Introduction to Sacred Scripture
This course introduces the student to the study of Sacred Scripture. Though occasional areas of the subject require a more focused scientific analysis, particularly with regard to the language of the original text of a particular passage, the majority of the course content emphasizes the macro narrative of salvation history, in both the Old and New Testaments, and the relationship of these two as understood by the Christians of the early Church, particularly those of the apostolic era.

PY-101: God and His Image: An Outline of Biblical Theology
This course introduces the men to reading the Bible as a coherent narrative about God’s salvific plan for his creation. The men will be provided some essential reading keys to help them see the unity of
the Old and New Testament. The course will concentrate on the main Old Testament themes and their fulfillment in Christ. Furthermore, the course strives to help the students discover the word of
God “not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word,” which is at work in the believers and has the power to save our souls (1 Thess 2:13; James 1:21).

PY-102: The Psalms: An Exercise in Lectio Divina
The psalms form the core of the official prayer book of the Catholic Church, the Liturgy of the Hours (the Breviary). The early Church used the psalms in its celebration of the Sacred Liturgy and also in the method of prayer and contemplation called Lectio Divina.  Lectio Divina is designed to lead a person to contemplation which St. Gregory the Great described as “resting in God.” This course is an informative and practical introduction to praying the psalms as an exercise in Lectio Divina. It aims to cultivate in the seminarians a greater receptivity to the presence and action of the Holy Spirit within them.

PY-103: To Know Jesus Christ
This course consists in a meditative reading of selected writings on the person and mission of Jesus, writings that are rich in both biblical theology and spiritual insight. The writings selected focus on key moments in the mission of Jesus Christ: his childhood, his baptism in the Jordan, the temptations in the wilderness, the Lord’s Prayer, and his passion, death, and resurrection. The knowledge of Jesus Christ obtained is meant to inspire greater love that shows its genuineness in a greater “configuration to the heart and life of the Lord Jesus” (PPF #115).

PY-104: The Face of the Father
“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). This course is essentially an exercise in contemplating Jesus Christ as the definitive revealer and living icon of God the Father (Jn 1:18; Col. 1:15). Following the guidance of Sacred Scripture and the theological reflections of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the course uncovers and brings to light the true features of the face of the Father. This is the God and Father whom we are called to imitate and hence to glorify (with Christ and in Christ) as beloved sons/children of God (Eph 5:1; Mt 5:48). The course will situate its reflections on God’s Fatherhood in reference to the crisis of fatherhood today, which has impacted the lives of many young men; and it will draw on the Beatitudes to illumine a path to living true fatherhood, including the spiritual fatherhood of the priest.

PY-105: The Catechism of the Catholic Church (Part 1)
This course is a mystagogical survey of sacred doctrine as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part One, the Profession of Faith (covering selected material from paragraphs 26 to 1065). This is the first of four courses in the propaedeutic stage that expound on the universal Catechism in preparation for graduate level theological studies. The course aims to make students conversant with the language of the faith, to have a basic grasp of important dogmatic definitions, but most of all, to lead them to a life-changing encounter with the incarnate Son of the Father – since only through submitting oneself to Christ as a disciple can the journey of priestly formation begin in earnest.

PY-106: The Catechism of the Catholic Church (Part 2)
This course is a mystagogical survey of the liturgy and the sacraments of the Church as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part Two, the Celebration of the Christian Mystery (covering selected material from paragraphs 1066 to 1690). This is the second of four courses in the propaedeutic stage that expound on the universal Catechism in preparation for graduate level theological studies. The course aims to make students conversant with the language of sacramental and liturgical traditions of the Church, to have a basic grasp of the sacramental economy and the liturgical life of the Church, but most of all, to lead them to a life-changing encounter with the incarnate Son of the Father – since only through submitting oneself to Christ as a disciple can the journey of priestly formation begin in earnest.

PY-107: The Catechism of the Catholic Church (Part 3)
This course is a mystagogical survey of morals and the commandments in the life of the Church as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part Three, Life in Christ (covering selected material from paragraphs 1691 to 2557). This is the third of four courses in the propaedeutic stage that expound on the universal Catechism in preparation for graduate level theological studies. The aim of the course is not simply gaining the knowledge of how to act rightly, but acting according to this knowledge and thereby growing in intimacy with the Holy Trinity. This can only be done through the transforming grace of Christ, which is why the whole of the moral life is summed up by the Catechism as “Life in Christ.”

PY-108: The Catechism of the Catholic Church (Part 4)
This course is a mystagogical survey of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part Four, Christian Prayer (covering selected material from paragraphs 2558 to 2865). This is the fourth of four courses in the propaedeutic stage that expound on the universal Catechism in preparation for graduate level theological studies. This course discusses the universal call to prayer, the primacy of God’s grace in prayer, and the revelation of prayer as unfolded in both the Old and New Testaments. Particular attention is given to “Jesus’ filial prayer as the perfect model of prayer in the New Testament” (#2620)

PY-109: The Role of Beauty in the Spiritual and Intellectual Life
This course leads students to discover how the beauty of the face of Christ calls them to live a life of deep communion with God, bolstered in their spiritual and intellectual lives by the beauty of the sacred liturgy, artistic masterworks, nature, the elegance and radiance of truth, and the analogical beauty of holiness. Beginning with an inquiry into the nature of beauty and beauty’s link to knowledge, festivity, and worship, students will read about and discuss the role beauty plays in the development of moral and intellectual virtue, as well as its persuasive effect on the heart. Rooted in guided experiences with beauty, students will work to cultivate a love for beautiful and noble monuments of civilization, nature, and the Church.

PY-110: Catholic Spirituality: An Introduction
This course is an informative and practical introduction to Catholic spirituality generally, and the practice of prayer particularly (since “prayer is the very substance and soul of the Christian life,” Pope John Paul II, At the Start of the New Millennium, #32). Topics include the attitudes or inner dispositions that we should bring to prayer, important principles to guide how we pray, fundamental transformations (movements of transition) in the life of prayer, problems or traps that can weaken prayer, and best practices endorsed by Scripture and the saints.

PY-111: Selections from Spiritual Classics I
One of the deepest wellsprings of wisdom in the Catholic tradition is found in its classic spiritual writings. This course leads the seminarian to drink deeply from this wellspring and thereby to discover the power of these texts to nourish and shape the spiritual life. It aims to demonstrate the enduring value and relevance of the spiritual classics to contemporary Christians who seek to follow the Lord more closely. In Part I, selections may be taken from the writings of St. Augustine, the Desert Fathers, St. Bernard, and others who wrote during the first 1400 years of Christianity.

PY-112: Selections from Spiritual Classics II
One of the deepest wellsprings of wisdom in the Catholic tradition is found in its classic spiritual writings. This course leads the seminarian to drink deeply from this wellspring and thereby to discover the power of these texts to nourish and shape the spiritual life. It aims to demonstrate the enduring value and relevance of the spiritual classics to contemporary Christians who seek to follow the Lord more closely. In Part II, selections may be taken from the writings of St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis de Sales, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John Paul II, and others who wrote from 1500 to the present day.

PY-113: Discerning the Will of God: An Ignatian Approach
This course consists in a methodical exploration of Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s book, Discerning the Will of God. “Drawing from the timeless methods of Ignatius Loyola and richly illustrated with examples and stories, this book offers practical wisdom for aligning your will to God’s will. Fr. Gallagher takes you through each step of the process, including opening your heart to whatever God wants; making use of silence, the Eucharist, Scripture, and spiritual direction; finding clarity and what to do when you lack clarity” (publisher’s description).

PY-114: In the School of the Holy Spirit
This course guides the students through a close reading of two spiritual works by Fr. Jacques Philippe: In the School of the Holy Spirit and Trusting God in the Present. Students will learn how to be attentive to the movements of the Holy Spirit and be given concrete ways to grow in spiritual sensitivity and docility. They will discover how to maintain peace of heart through turbulent and difficult situations and to discern the choices that will be helpful for their journey of discipleship.

PY-116: Writing through Spiritual Texts and Literature
As teachers and shepherds, priests model thoughtful engagement with spiritual texts and imaginative literature from the Church’s rich tradition. Through a variety of works—with emphasis on Catholic
women writers—the course develops habits of reflection through discussion and writing.