THE HOLY SPIRIT Seminary, and the Holy Spirit Seminary College of Theology and Philosophy celebrate the 90th and the 50th anniversaries of their founding this year. The seminary is responsible for clergy formation, while the college offers formation in theology and philosophy to seminarians and the laity.
In October, in order to reach a wider audience, a ceremony kicking off a series of anniversary celebrations, was livestreamed, and subsequent regional seminars in theology and philosophy will continue until the closing ceremony next year.
It is said that a seminary is the heart of the local Church and that the good example set by clergy comes from a good seminary formation. A seminary emphasises the character, spiritual, academic and pastoral formation of seminarians so that they, future clergy, will have a heart to love God and to serve and evangelise in today’s world.
In a reflection of the shared responsibility of clergy and laity, the Holy Spirit Seminary College of Theology and Philosophy, established in 1970, aims to also train lay people. Its mission is clear: “…the teaching of theology and philosophy to men preparing for the ordained ministry. In line with the newly developing needs of the local Church, a secondary goal is the teaching of theology and philosophy to dedicated men and women, religious and lay.”
The Seminary College had its first intake of lay people in 1973. In 1989, it opened the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences in order to fulfill the desire and need for a degree course in theology. In 2013, it began offering a programme leading to a Diploma in Theology and an Open Studies in Theology programme to enable more lay people to receive foundational, general formation in theology. In recent years, it it began a diploma programme in Evangelisation Ministry with the specialisations in hospital ministry, grief ministry, youth ministry and prison ministry.
At the Seminary College, providing formation to clergy and laity is mutually beneficialand the interaction also fosters future cooperation in parishes and other organisations in building the Church.
In the wake of developments in Hong Kong society and the Church itself in recent years, people have different expectations of the Church. For instance: how should priests and the Church respond to the political and livelihood issues in society? How should they provide pastoral care to the laity under the current macro political and economic environment? The shortage of vocations, issues of parish management, the formation of new Catholics, and how the Church should run education and social services better, and so on, are all issues of concern.
As time goes on, new issues will continue to emerge. It is essential to train Church people to have a good foundation in prayer, faith and knowledge, and together discern the signs of the times, and then jointly respond in different roles. The formation provided by the Seminary and the Seminary College that can nurture such wisdom.
In view of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, the annual collection in support of the Holy Spirit Seminary, usually taken up on the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, will be taken up this year on November 8 (Sunday). Lets support to the needs of the Seminary and pray for the local Church and vocations. SE
