Office of Vocations

Not every candidate who applies to the diocese is accepted as a seminarian. When a man applies to the formation program for the Diocese of New Ulm he is required to fulfill a series of pre-requirements and participate in various screening examinations.

When a man expresses interest in the priesthood he first will participate in a behavioral assessment conducted by the Diocesan Vocation Director. If the behavioral assessment has a favorable outcome the candidate will be invited to continue his application process. After several interviews and supervised ministry experiences the candidate is then welcome to apply to a seminary program.

An essential element of the seminary application process is psychological screening. Currently the Diocese of New Ulm requires each seminarian to undergo a battery of psychological tests. The tests include but are not limited to; The Saint Luke Institute Psychosexual Inventory, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Measure of Psychosocial Development, Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, Strong Interest Inventory and the Rorschach Ink blot test. A substantial effort is made during the screening process to determine if the candidate is able to demonstrate the ability to live a chaste and celibate lifestyle.

After the psychological tests have been administered a licensed psychologist will offer a complete evaluation of the seminarian including a summary and recommendation. This information is then shared with the diocese and the seminary staff. From this information areas of growth are indicated for the seminary formation program.

Throughout his formation and discernment the seminarian participates in various growth seminars and continuing education. A one-on-one relationship is developed with an advisor who challenges and guides the seminarian toward quality formation experiences. The seminarian also meets with a spiritual director twice a month. Between these two professionals the seminarian addresses many life and formation issues.

During this formation period the seminarian is annually asked to compile a list of goals and objectives that will be key aspects of his formation for that year. These goals and objectives are then used to evaluate the seminarian’s growth and potential for ministry. The seminarian is evaluated various times throughout the year and a formal evaluation is held in the spring of each year with the seminary staff, the seminarian and the Vocation Director. It is during these evaluations that decisions are made pertaining to the seminarian’s future formation.

This all-encompassing program is used to look for indicators of healthy behaviors and true desire for ministry in the church.

While quantity of seminarians is desired, the quality of seminarians is much more vital in the church today.