Program Evaluation of the Human Formation Program of St. John Vianney Seminary

Abstract

The work of priestly formation is one of the most complex and delicate aspects of the mission of the Catholic Church. It involves assessing the needs of the seminarians in formation and giving attention to the unique requirements for successful pastoral ministry in the present age. Recent magisterial documents have given greater attention to the need for psychological expertise in the screening, assessment, and formation of seminarians. There is significant disparity among seminaries in the United States concerning the role of the seminary psychologist. One model, that of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary (SJV) in Denver, CO, is relatively unique in the offering of a mandatory spirituality year, requiring seminarians to live in small communities throughout their formation, and the substantial integration of psychological services in the human formation program. This study articulates the goals of the SJV human formation program and performs outcome measurements by means of a cross-sectional comparison of seminarians at the beginning and conclusion of their formation. Ten domains are measured: positive and negative affect, contingencies of self-worth, emotional awareness, satisfaction with life, resilience, scrupulosity, impulsivity, self-regulation, obsessionality, and self-other differentiation. Results indicate a significant difference between cohorts on some measures (i.e., emotional awareness) with the majority indicating a nonsignificant difference. Results further suggest that seminarians of both cohorts are as psychologically well adjusted as the general population. The limits of this research are discussed, including the advantage of following up with a longitudinal study of Cohort 1 as well as comparison studies with other seminaries.