The priestly vocation is a gift from Christ to His Church, a sacred calling that demands careful discernment, formation, and accompaniment. The Church’s contemporary vision for priestly formation has been significantly renewed through the 2016 Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) 6th Edition of the Program of Priestly Formation (PPF, 2022). These documents articulate a coherent and dynamic framework of four interconnected stages: the Propaedeutic Stage, the Discipleship Stage, the Configuration Stage, and the Pastoral Synthesis Stage. Each stage supports the gradual integration of the seminarian’s human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral identity. Among them, the Discipleship Stage occupies a pivotal place, serving as the essential bridge between initial discernment and theological configuration.
The Discipleship Stage is designed to deepen a man’s identity as a disciple of Christ. This stage fosters intellectual rigor, spiritual maturity, human formation, and vocational clarity. As the Ratio Fundamentalis states, this is a time for “becoming aware of the meaning of being a disciple of Jesus” (§61). Seminarians in this stage are no longer merely exploring their vocation; they are intentionally striving to follow Christ in freedom and sincerity, with the goal of internalizing their identity as future priests.
At the heart of this vocational identity is a deeper understanding of the nature of the priesthood itself. Saint Thomas Aquinas writes that the priest “has the office of sanctifying the people by offering sacrifices to God” (ST III, q. 22, a. 1), a mission that is rooted in the priest’s conformity to Christ the High Priest. Aquinas sees the priest as both a mediator and a teacher, whose authority comes not from himself but from his participation in Christ’s own priesthood. This sacramental configuration to Christ requires not only theological and moral preparation but a profound interior transformation, which the Discipleship Stage is meant to initiate.
Pope Benedict XVI echoed this vision when he said, “The priest is not a mere office-holder, like those that exist in any organization, but is above all a man who is called, drawn inwardly by Christ.” The priest, then, is not merely a functionary of the Church but a man consecrated for the proclamation of the Word, the celebration of the sacraments, and the shepherding of souls. His identity must be anchored in an intimate relationship with Christ, fostered especially through daily prayer, contemplation, and Eucharistic devotion.
Pope Francis has often emphasized the pastoral dimension of the priesthood. In his Chrism Mass homilies, he frequently calls priests to be “shepherds living with the smell of the sheep,” men who are close to their people, who share their joys and sufferings, and who accompany them with mercy and tenderness. This deeply relational and missionary dimension of priestly life must be cultivated from the earliest stages of formation. The Discipleship Stage, then, is not merely academic preparation, but a school of love, humility, and availability to God’s people.
Pope John Paul II, in Pastores Dabo Vobis, offers one of the most comprehensive magisterial reflections on the priesthood in modern times. He writes, “The priest is called to be a living image of Jesus Christ, the Spouse of the Church” (§22). This spousal imagery evokes the total self-gift and fidelity required of the priest, who must be formed to love as Christ loves — with generosity, chastity, and sacrifice. The Discipleship Stage is therefore the time when the foundations of this spousal love are laid, through the cultivation of affective maturity, freedom of heart, and the willingness to be configured to the Cross.
Bishop Robert Barron emphasizes the intellectual and evangelical dimensions of the priesthood. Drawing from Aquinas and the great tradition of the Church, he insists that priests must be formed not only in virtue but in vision: a Catholic worldview grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. In his work on evangelization, Barron reminds future priests that they are not meant to “dumb down” the faith but to raise minds and hearts to the mysteries of God. The philosophical formation of the Discipleship Stage — particularly in Thomism — serves this very purpose: to cultivate wisdom that evangelizes, convinces, and consoles.
The Program of Priestly Formation emphasizes that the Discipleship Stage is the proper time to deepen one’s relationship with Christ, clarify vocational commitment, and establish a strong foundation in human and intellectual virtues (§318). The coordinator of this stage plays a crucial role as a formator, spiritual guide, and mentor. This responsibility is entrusted to a seasoned theologian and priest who oversees the holistic development of each seminarian — fostering growth in prayer, chastity, emotional maturity, and an interiorization of priestly identity.
Philosophical formation is central to this stage. The PPF calls for a robust intellectual foundation rooted in the Catholic philosophical tradition. This is realized through deep engagement with the perennial wisdom of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Thomistic philosophy is not pursued merely as an academic discipline but as a preparation for theology and a formation in metaphysical clarity, truth, and finality. Saint Thomas affirms, “The study of philosophy prepares the soul to receive theological truth” (In Boeth. de Trin., q. 5, a. 1). This intellectual formation is inseparable from the moral formation needed to sustain it.
The cultivation of the cardinal virtues — prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance — is indispensable in the Discipleship Stage. Josef Pieper aptly observes that “prudence is the cause of the other virtues being virtues at all” (The Four Cardinal Virtues, 7). Without moral formation, intellectual formation remains fragile. The Catechism of the Catholic Church likewise affirms: “Human virtues are acquired by education, deliberate acts, and perseverance in struggle. Divine grace purifies and elevates them” (§1810). These virtues lay the groundwork for affective maturity, vocational freedom, and perseverance in the call to celibate love.
A decisive milestone in the Discipleship Stage is the movement toward a “presumption of permanence” (§RFIS 62). This interior disposition of readiness to commit fully to the priestly path is the fruit of grace and formation. It arises gradually through prayer, spiritual direction, pastoral experience, intellectual formation, and the consistent witness of a life oriented toward celibate self-gift. The presumption of permanence does not imply absolute certainty but signifies a morally secure and ecclesially supported conviction that one is called to the priesthood and is prepared to live its demands freely and joyfully. It is the moment when vocational discernment matures into vocational commitment.
This conviction is evaluated in dialogue with formators, spiritual directors, and the wider seminary community. The seminarian must show evidence of affective maturity, stability in prayer and community life, docility to formation, interior freedom, and the ability to embrace the evangelical counsels, particularly chastity, with peace and joy. The goal is to arrive not only at the intellectual clarity of a vocation but at a heartfelt resolve to lay down one’s life for the Church in imitation of Christ. As the Ratio Fundamentalis emphasizes, the seminarian at this stage must reach a clarity and intentionality strong enough to support “a definitive choice” (§61). Accordingly, by the time he is admitted to Candidacy, vocational discernment must be much more secure — rooted not only in an initial attraction or openness, but in a real existential commitment and verified readiness for the path ahead.
When a seminarian reaches this level of clarity and freedom, he may be presented for the Rite of Admission to Candidacy, which marks a formal ecclesial recognition of vocational commitment (PPF, §331). Yet this is not the conclusion of discernment, but its deepening through the Configuration Stage.
The Rite of Admission to Candidacy itself, as found in the Church’s liturgical books, is a public and solemn act of the Church’s recognition of a seminarian’s intention to receive Holy Orders. The bishop addresses the candidates with words that affirm both their personal discernment and the Church’s approval: “The Church accepts your resolve with joy. May God who has begun the good work in you bring it to fulfillment.”¹ This rite reveals the nuptial and ecclesial dimension of the priestly vocation: the candidate is not a private individual pursuing a career but a future bridegroom of the Church, offering himself in obedience, faith, and love. The rite includes the call by name, signifying election and mission, and the explicit resolve to prepare worthily for ordination, to live in celibate chastity, and to serve Christ and His Church faithfully.
The rubrics of the rite also include a brief interrogation of the candidate, in which he is asked to declare publicly his intention: “Are you resolved to complete your preparation so that in due time through Holy Orders you will be prepared to assume ministry within the Church?” To which he replies, “I am.” He is then asked: “Are you resolved to prepare yourselves in mind and spirit to give faithful service to Christ the Lord and his Body, the Church?” Again, the response is: “I am.”² The rite concludes with the bishop’s prayer over the candidates, commending them to the grace of God and the care of the Church.
Thus, the Rite of Candidacy is not merely a liturgical formality; it is the fruit of sustained formation, deep spiritual discernment, and ecclesial judgment. It symbolizes that the seminarian has reached a point of vocational maturity where he can say with confidence and freedom, “Here I am, Lord.” It is a pivotal step in the journey that began with discipleship and continues into deeper configuration to Christ, the Eternal High Priest.
Bibliography
- The Roman Pontifical. Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
- Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologiae. Translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. New York: Benziger Bros., 1947.
- Barron, Robert. Exploring Catholic Theology: Essays on God, Liturgy, and Evangelization. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015.
- Benedict XVI. Meeting with Clergy of the Diocese of Rome, February 26, 2009.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997.
- Congregation for the Clergy. Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis: The Gift of the Priestly Vocation. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2016.
- Francis. Homily for the Chrism Mass, March 28, 2013.
- John Paul II. Pastores Dabo Vobis: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Formation of Priests in the Circumstances of the Present Day. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1992.
- Pieper, Josef. The Four Cardinal Virtues. Translated by Richard and Clara Winston. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1966.
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Program of Priestly Formation. 6th ed. Washington, D.C.: USCCB, 2022.
About Rev. John P. Cush, STD
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