Date of Award

Fall 1978

Degree Type

Master's Essay - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Topetzes, Nick J.

Abstract

Last summer in a chance meeting with a religious sister on a college campus I was asked, "Father, where are you stationed?" "At a high school seminary in Wisconsin," I responded. "0h," she exclaimed, " I thought they had done away with all of those places. They spoiled so many nice kids." "Wrong honey, you're wrong, on both counts!" I snapped, effectively ending the conversation. What are "those places" really like? Who goes to "those places". What goes on? Do they really spoil "nice kids"? This essay is an attempt to cast some light on these and other questions. This study is not intended as a defense of the high school seminary; though it may well serve that purpose. This essay will go beyond a mere defense of justification of the high school seminary. An attempt will be made to explore the source of religious vocation, briefly examine its Scriptural foundation, the traditional theological reflections on vocation, and offer an alternative theological approach. Moreover, an attempt will be made to synthetize the findings of vocational psychologists and integrate them into the theological reflection. Finally, I will conclude with some observations on effective vocational counseling at the high school level seminary. This is, therefore, an effort to reflect on the theory of religious vocation and the place and significance of vocational counseling for the adolescent who has a desire to serve his Church and who chooses to enter the seminary as a step toward fulfilling that desire...

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