Fraternus did not start as nor veered towards being a “vocation engine,” meaning something explicitly meant to spur and support priestly vocations.  But it has in fact been a vocation engine.  Why is that so? 

Before answering that it might be worth noting that right now the challenge in seminaries is not only in the number of seminarians but in the preparedness – the “quality” of the candidates to be candid about it. 

Over the years I have had the undeserved privilege of being close to clergy that are involved with the formation of men in the seminary, and they often voice the great difficult in “forming men” in the seminary because, very often, boys show up at their door instead of men.  I think it helps explain why the Vatican has asked seminaries to add a “propaedeutic stage” to seminary formation.  This addition would fall under “human formation,” which if you’re wondering what that means… It means learning how to be a human and not be insecure, rude, undisciplined, inept, inexperienced, incompetent, unteachable, or weird.  Now, that’s my definition, but that’s the hard truth of it. If it was happening more broadly in society I don’t think they would have added it to priestly formation.  That seminaries are up to this challenge is a whole other question, but it sure needs to be asked.

Most descriptions cast this early stage as “the groundwork for priestly formation,” which again seems to mean to make a man out of you!   One document from the USCCB said it has “focus on significant times of growth in prayer, trust, and fraternity.”  Another one said, “During this stage, participants begin to develop a life of prayer, study, fraternity, and appropriate docility to formation, which takes place within the context of a smaller community…”

When I read that I thought it sure sounded a lot like Fraternus.  But don’t mistake me – I don’t think we’re doing some extraordinary formation experience in Fraternus.  In fact, I think much of what we do is quite ordinary – or ought to be.  Prayer, depth of thought and friendship, and small community – these are things native to our faith, and things that a real man needs, if by “real man” we mean a virtuous man.

But, the truth is these “ordinary things” aren’t happening.  Different generations are separated severely from one another to the detriment of both.  Immaturity is nurtured in our society because it makes us profitable to consumerism and placid in coasting along with fads and worldliness.  Really, we just don’t have the relationships that are actually necessary to being a virtuous, Catholic man.

This is one reason I love Fraternus Ranch so much.  Whenever I see dozens of priests and seminarians, hundreds of men and boys, and those sages that are such good mentors, I realize how important things like Ranch are.  When else does that happen?  And we know it “works,” because Fraternus has been graced to be a part of many stories of discerning the priesthood.  Just as that bishop document said, I think the vocations that are inspired are simply because the soil is tilled with “prayer, trust, and fraternity.”