By Father Nick Adam
In mid-November I was able to visit the two seminaries in South Louisiana that we currently have seminarians attending and visit with all of our men. I was in the area because I was asked to give a ‘formation conference’ at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. Formation Conferences are weekly seminars provided for the seminarians that focus on various aspects of their ‘formation.’
Formation is a huge buzz word in the seminary world. Instead of seeing seminary training as a simple ‘education’ in theological facts that future priests can take into ministry, the church considers seminary training as a ‘formation’ of the man’s heart to know and love Jesus and to share that knowledge and love with others in an effective manner.

With that definition in mind, the church provides four ‘dimensions’ of formation that men studying for the priesthood focus on. I’ve talked about these dimensions before, but as a reminder they are human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. All four of these dimensions are highlighted in these formation conferences with topics covering different aspects of priestly formation. My topic was on accompaniment of men considering the seminary and promoting vocations. I gave my presentation to the guys who are about to be ordained deacons. That’s the class the includes our own Will Foggo. Please remember that you are invited to Will’s ordination to the diaconate on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson.
I told the men that as they begin their life as ordained ministers that they are going to be highly sought after by young people who are discerning their vocations.
When I was a deacon I remember many young people seeking me out to visit and to explore their own call from the Lord. I was grateful for the reminder that Grayson Foley gave us at Homegrown Harvest about my first interaction with him. He told the story of how when he was a high school basketball player at St. Joe Madison he was invited by ‘Deacon Nick’ to come play basketball at the parish gym. It was the first time he realized that priests and religious were ‘real people,’ and he was able to recognize that he needed to be open to whatever the Lord asked of him as well.

I also shared with the men some of the successes that we’ve had in our vocation program here in the diocese, and I highlighted the effectiveness of our bi-annual discernment groups which are held across the diocese. My discernment group just wrapped up for the fall, and the guys had a great time. They capped their experience with a fun afternoon at Top Golf and watched Mississippi State come back and beat Arkansas at Buffalo Wild Wings after that. We pray that men from these groups will be called forth to discern the priesthood in the seminary, and that many would be the future priests of our diocese.

(For more information on vocations, visit jacksonvocations.com or contact Father Nick at nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.)