University of Notre Dame

Moreau Seminary Postulant Program

Discern God’s call in a vibrant community of Catholic men who wish to give over their lives in the service of the Lord and his Church.

The Moreau Seminary Postulant Program is for college graduates ages 22-35 who feel called to discern a vocation to religious life and priesthood with the United States Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross. In this yearlong program, postulants enter into a rhythm of prayer, religious formation, study, and community life at Moreau Seminary, where they live alongside temporarily professed seminarians and brother scholastics who are completing their graduate studies in theology. By introducing them into the life of a religious brother and seminarian, the postulancy allows young men to discern a vocation to Holy Cross more deeply, while also preparing them for the novitiate, which would be the next stage in their formation as brothers and priests.

To learn more about the Postulant Program, we encourage you to read the overview of the program or take a virtual tour of Moreau Seminary. We also invite you to meet our current postulants and the postulancy formation staff as well as the temporarily professed men in formation who also reside at Moreau Seminary. You can hear about the latest events at Moreau by following us on social media @cscvocations. However, the best way to learn more about the Postulant Program is to visit or attend a discernment retreat, and so we invite you to contact us.

Program Overview

Men between the ages of 22-35, who have already received an undergraduate degree enter the seminary through the Postulant Program. Postulants live at Moreau Seminary, adjacent to the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Moreau Seminary is a house of prayer and study. Postulants are enrolled in courses at Notre Dame while being formed for life in Holy Cross.

The Postulant Program is ideal for college graduates under the age of 35 who feel God might be calling them to the life of a Holy Cross priest or brother. Applicants must be baptized and confirmed Catholics who actively practice their faith. They should also be men of good moral character with a solid history of leadership and service. They should be mature and possess good interpersonal skills so that they are ready to take the next step in discerning God’s call. For a man who fits this description, the Postulant Program provides a unique setting where he can learn more about himself and his faith so that he may give his life for the Kingdom.

Education

The daily rhythm of life at Moreau Seminary helps men to learn more about the life of Holy Cross priests and brothers so they can see more clearly if that is where God is calling them. Postulants typically take courses at Notre Dame as prerequisites for the Master of Divinity Program. Usually this consists of undergraduate courses in philosophy and theology, depending on the postulant’s particular background.

Prayer

Postulants participate in the same life of prayer as the temporarily professed seminarians and brother scholastics. They attend Mass each day and participate in common prayer twice a day, in addition to the personal prayer that is expected of them. Postulants spend time each week in a ministry placement and they attend formation conferences dedicated to prayer, discernment, priesthood, the Congregation of Holy Cross, and the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Community

Much formation takes place on a less formal level. Daily interactions with Holy Cross priests, brothers, and seminarians give men a lived experience of community life in Holy Cross and help them to understand where they fit into our community. The formation staff is always available to assist postulants through one-on-one meetings, group sessions, and informal interactions. All postulants also have a spiritual director with whom they meet regularly to assist them in their spiritual growth and response to the promptings of the Spirit.

“Jesus spent long days alone with His disciples, speaking to them of the mysteries of His kingdom and forming them to the point when they too could be sent on His mission. … We too are sent to His mission as men formed and in need of lifelong formation for His service.”

Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross, 6:56

Seminary Schedule

Like all men preparing for a life as a priest or religious brother, a significant portion of the weekly schedule of our postulants and temporarily professed seminarians at Moreau Seminary is taken up by their studies, including classes, homework and other related academic activities, and by their weekly ministry placement. The postulants’ studies are focused on fulfilling the necessary prerequisites in philosophy and theology, while the temporarily professed men in formation are completing their master’s in divinity. The time they spend in their ministry placements, as well as their corresponding responsibilities, grow in intensity and length each year of formation.

At the same time, in keeping with our religious life, the weekly schedule at Moreau Seminary centers on our common life as brothers in community, including common prayer, common meals and community events. The times of common prayer are in addition to the 30 minutes of private prayer the men in formation are required to do each day.

This schedule or rule provides the framework in which formation for religious life and priesthood as well as growth in holiness can take place.

seminarians at Holy Half Marathon

VIRTUAL TOUR

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Moreau Seminary