For the Propaedeutic Stage
Briefly:
- The Saint Paul Seminary has purchased a former convent to serve as the first permanent home for its propaedeutic (introductory) formation program, after years of operating without a dedicated space.
- The new residence, with over 20 bedrooms and communal areas, will support a structured year focused on prayer, simplicity, community living, and discernment, including limited technology and shared daily responsibilities.
- The propaedeutic program has proven effective in strengthening seminarians’ spiritual foundations and sense of vocation, gaining wider recognition; and now, the seminary seeks support for renovations and ongoing costs.
For five years, The Saint Paul Seminary’s propaedeutic stage formation program has been quietly doing something remarkable: reshaping how men begin their journey to the priesthood. Now, this first and foundational year of seminary formation has something it has never had before: a permanent home.
As soon as we started praying and looking for that home, the parish of St. Francis and St. James in Saint Paul informed us that they wanted to divest of their twenty-plus bedroom (cells, as the sisters used to call them) convent, with the roughed in elements of the communal spaces this propaedeutic stage of formation needs. Enlisting the guidance of long-time advisors (many thanks to Bill Reiling, Bob Strachota, and others), and securing an independent valuation of the property, a deal was struck and the seminary purchased the property.
This is no small step. The decision came after careful consultation with trusted advisors, and it was made possible, in part, through a mutually beneficial arrangement with a local parish that held more property than it could steward. More than 20 bedrooms, along with communal spaces for prayer, study, and shared life, make the building well-suited to the rhythms of this distinctive year. Renovation planning is now underway, with hopes of welcoming the first residents next fall.
The propaedeutic stage, which The Saint Paul Seminary was one of the first seminaries in North America to implement, is critical to men beginning their formation. Before entering formal seminary formation, men in the propaedeutic year are invited to slow down, deepen their faith, and listen for God’s call with fewer distractions and more intentionality. They share daily responsibilities: cooking, cleaning, and caring for their home together. They engage in prayer, spiritual direction, and formation classes. And for an entire year, they fast from personal technology. A weekly call keeps them connected to family, but the rest of the year is devoted to silence, prayer, and discernment.
This kind of formation requires a setting that supports it. Until now, the program has operated without a dedicated, stable space to call its own and designed to serve its unique character. That changes with this purchase. A permanent home means the rhythms and culture of the propaedeutic year can be embedded in a place — one that belongs to the program and reflects its mission.
The fruits of that mission are evident. Seminarians who complete the year enter major seminary with a stronger spiritual foundation, a deeper fraternity, and a clearer sense of vocation. The program has attracted national attention, with seminary staff regularly invited to share what they have learned.
This is a significant moment, and we will soon be looking for help to offset the costs of this critical purchase and needed renovations. In the meantime, please pray that God will provide what is needed, and give thanks with us that this important work now has a home worthy of it.
If you or someone you know would like to find out more or support this program, please contact TIZOC ROSALES, at tizoc.rosales@stthomas.edu, or 651-962-5056.