BRIGHTON, Mass. — Priestly formation means more than simply a degree, a study of theology. Formation means attending to the whole of the man who puts on the Roman collar every day. Approaches to that formation change over time, particularly after the Second Vatican Council. In 1965, Pope Paul VI released a decree called Optatam Totius, proclaiming the importance of priestly training.
“Over the years since then,” Msgr. Stephen E. Salocks, rector of Saint John’s Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, said that priestly formation shifted in “our understanding and certainly the Church’s adjustment to how do we make this the best possible experience, as well as covering all the significant factors or dimensions of proper development or formation.”
The Diocese of Providence sends many seminarians to this illustrious institution, which is currently celebrating 140 years in its mission of preparing priests for their vocations.
Prior to the founding of the Archdiocese of Boston, New England states often sent their seminarians to Baltimore – the root diocese for most of the U.S. in colonial days – or Washington, D.C. When John J. Williams became the first archbishop of the newly elevated Archdiocese of Boston, he “had the wherewithal, the resources as well as a commitment to the Sulpicians to build a seminary in Brighton,” Msgr. Salocks explained. Saint John’s opened its doors to the first priestly candidates in 1884, all of them from the Archdiocese of Boston. Ten were ordained that December.
Today, Saint John’s continues this legacy of forming strong, solid priests in the Catholic faith. As this process evolves, Saint John’s meets this challenge by focusing on four dimensions of priestly development: spiritual, human, intellectual and pastoral formation. “And to try to make sure there was a balance; no one dimension can overshadow the other, because all four of them should be working simultaneously and should be supplementing and supporting one another,” Msgr. Salocks added.
Each of these aspects works in tandem and feeds each other so that the man can become a mature, Christlike shepherd to his flock. He illustrated that what these men learn in the classroom – “their theology, their scripture, their moral theology” – should be taken to prayer and prayer should feed that learning experience. That knowledge along with the relationship built between the man and God in spiritual formation fuels the pastoral life.
Msgr. Salocks has been a part of Saint John’s for 40 years. His own formation took place there, beginning in 1975. Only five years of his priesthood were spent away from the school. He taught the New Testament for more than 30 years and has been rector for six.
“Just in that time I’ve seen a lot of changes, continuing the mission of Saint John Seminary, continuing the legacy that we have, but also deepening the understanding of what we’re supposed to be about.”
Saint John’s maintains an affiliation with the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome (the Angelicum), offering a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in conjunction with the centuries-old university. Msgr. Salocks commented that even he has learned much from administering a comprehensive exam to students at the completion of that degree.
Continued education is at the heart of Saint John’s mission, and at the 140th gala, he told those present that his 40 years there “have been my ongoing priestly formation.” And not only his, but the faculty members who continue to grow and learn from each other and the students they instruct. He praised these instructors and hopes to keep an “excellent faculty” in the coming years.
Though only an hour from Providence to Boston, men like Vincent “Jay” Zizza and Nicholas Jones live a vastly different life in the seminary than in their home state.
Zizza is a member of Christ the King Parish in Kingston, and currently in his third year of configuration after four years in seminary. His projected ordination date is June 2026.
“Saint John’s Seminary has been one of the most significant formative years for me,” he told Rhode Island Catholic. “There are many impressive aspects of the seminary, but the four highlights are particularly the fraternity, the faculty, the liturgy and the classwork.”
Jones is in second-year theology – his fourth year of seminary, all at Saint John. A member of St. Kevin Parish in Warwick, Jones admits that he’s “not much of a city guy,” but has enjoyed the opportunities Boston offers, including cheering for any team that beats the Red Sox. With his fellow seminarians, he tries to go to Fenway Park at least once per semester.
He hasn’t been alone in Boston, however. A friend from the University of Rhode Island began discerning with the Oblates at the same time he started seminary, and another one from his elementary and college years also moved to Brighton.
“Even as I had to make a leap of faith and move up to Boston, God provided two of my closest friends to make the move with me,” Jones said.
Roughly 45-55 seminarians comprise Saint John’s community, making it very close-knit. Jones spoke about the fraternity within the seminary; how some older seminarians became like “big brothers in the faith” and that he is now growing into that role.
Recreational activities like their basketball team, which travels locally to play teams from parishes and in a national tournament in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, humanize these priestly figures, he noted.
“I know at the end of the day that we’re all just fallible men trying our best to serve the Lord,” he said.
Saint John’s is also a culturally diverse community. Not only do students from other New England states attend seminary there, but some come from countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, India and Nigeria, to name a few. But no matter how far or what culture these men come from, they share the common goal of serving God’s people as priests.
Additionally, priests from places like Cameroon teach and live among the seminarians. Zizza spoke about how resident priests live closely with the seminarians.
“As someone who can find himself in trouble more often than not, I joked with one priest in the beginning of my seminary life that I would be careful with all these priests around all the time,” he remarked. However, he conceded that those same priests “excel in their ability to be approachable.”
“I am deeply thankful for having them in my vocation, and I can say that their example, leadership, hope and love has been the work of the Lord that has carved out a vocation to the priesthood for me, God willing.”
This vocation has been fed by the liturgical life celebrated at Saint John’s. The singing of morning and evening prayer through the Psalms is an aspect of seminary life that Zizza has come to treasure each day.
“There is a deep understanding of the human heart, the human struggle for God, a constant battle to offer ourselves entirely to Him. Saint John’s liturgy gives us that inspiration, that beauty to receive the Lord.”
Father Ryan Connors, rector of the Seminary of Our Lady of Providence, served as the Dean of Men at Saint John’s and on the faculty since 2018. He attests to the quality of the priestly formation for the men ordained from there.
“Many priests of our diocese have benefited from the formation at Saint John’s. They have an outstanding faculty of dedicated priests and lay professors,” Father Connors stated. “They teach according to the mind of the Church and seek to form courageous and generous shepherds after the heart of Christ. I enjoyed greatly my time teaching there. It was a privilege for me to live and work with the seminarians and priest faculty. The people of God can be confident in the future priests of New England and beyond.”
Father Nathan Ricci, vice chancellor of the Diocese of Providence and adjunct professor of Canon Law at St. John’s praised “the dedication of these men in formation.”
“They are committed to growing in virtue and receiving from God the necessary grace to be shepherds after the heart of Christ,” said Father Ricci. “They’re also great students with important questions in the classroom about the life of the Church — including canon law.”
Between the spiritual life, intellectual growth and fraternity that have combined to nurture his vocation, Zizza feels optimistic about his own future.
“There is now a certainty that the Lord fulfills His promises to me, that He will watch over me, that He will be with me at every moment of my priesthood.”
