St. Joseph House of Formation graduating to next level
The days are numbered for the Catholic Diocese of Wichita’s St. Joseph House of Formation, but only because it is about to be replaced by St. Philip Neri Seminary, reports Fr. Chad Arnold, director of both the house of formation and the diocese’s seminarians.
“It’s very exciting to take this step, because it formally recognizes our diocese’s hard work,” he said. “It doesn’t change much about that work, though, and is a testament that the Lord has been working in this and has shown us many good fruits.”
When Bishop Carl A. Kemme officially establishes the college seminary on Wednesday, Aug. 26, it should:
• Promote good governance;
• Expand recognition of and clarity about the diocese’s priestly formation; and
• Formalize Fr. Chad’s role.
On the matter of good governance, establishing St. Philip Neri Seminary will “solidify the future and firm up the things that we have been doing,” Fr. Chad said.
Concerning recognition, he cites an example in which he was interacting with staff from a Catholic publication in Spain that did not understand what sort of formation was taking place at the house of formation.
“Many outside our diocese don’t even know what a house of formation is,” Fr. Chad said. “People recognize the purpose of a seminary, which allows us to communicate with our seminary-level peers and to be notified when things we might otherwise miss are happening in that world.”
As for Fr. Chad’s formal title, it means a bit more than simply subtracting the first two letters, even if the work will remain much the same. “There is more clarity, precision, and official recognition for a rector’s role and responsibilities,” he said. “Again, these are mainly things that I am already doing.”
Impressive growth
Fr. Mike Simone served as the diocese’s first director at the St. Joseph House of Formation when it opened in August 2017 and Fr. Chad was its first assistant director. Before then, he had also served on a committee that studied the possibility of creating such an institution.
“We thought it was a good idea, but I didn’t think it was going to happen in 2017, but lo and behold, it did,” Fr. Chad recalls. “I was the very first person to ever move in there.”
During that first school year, Fr. Chad recalls, seven men lived at the house of formation, which offered a two-year program for students’ first four semesters of college undergraduate seminary through classes at Wichita’s Newman University. In those humble early days, he indicates, the possibility of establishing a seminary seemed too remote even to consider.
“After that first year, we moved into a four-year program because we clearly saw the good fruit and the Holy Spirit working,” Fr. Chad said. “At that point I realized there was a good chance it would be a seminary someday. Did I imagine I would be here and in this role when it happened? No.”
He goes on to laud the critical part Newman has played for the house of formation and will now play for the seminary.
“The partnership with Newman has been wonderful,” he said. “The school is very happy to have our men, and we are very happy they are part of Newman. The theology, philosophy, and language departments have done great work for us, so it has been a blessed, mutually beneficial relationship that has continued to grow. Newman enriches our men’s education, and I think our men enrich Newman’s community and Catholic identity.”
A joyful saint
Fr. Chad recounts quietly brainstorming with the bishop in search of a seminary name, and notes it became a recurring topic of conversation for them during last spring’s pilgrimage to France. Unbeknownst to Bishop Kemme, Fr. Chad’s notebook with potential seminary names had crossed off almost all saint possibilities, with only a couple remaining. When the bishop raised the possibility of St. Philip Neri, Fr. Chad indicated that saint was also on his short list. Later they reached out to the diocese’s priests and seminarians for input.
“We didn’t tell anyone we were thinking of St. Philip Neri, but his name was recommended far more than any other,” Fr. Chad said. “We felt that was a confirmation.”
Other points in the 16th-century saint’s favor include his renowned joy and infectious evangelization. Although well-formed and unfeigned Catholic faith might have seemed rare in Rome when Philip arrived there in 1533, the future saint set about proclaiming the gospel to all. During a time in which ecclesial worldliness stoked the Protestant Reformation, St. Philip emphasized humility, service, and community among the faithful and became a major figure of the Counter-Reformation.
Fr. Chad reports that the seminary will take St. Philip’s Italian saying “Siate umili, state bassi” (“Be humble, be lowly”) as its motto, but points out that a different phrase attributed to the saint also seems particularly apt for Diocese of Wichita.
“St. Ignatius Loyola tried to get St. Philip Neri to become a Jesuit,” Fr. Chad said. “St. Philip Neri resisted, saying, ‘The world is your parish, but my parish is my world.’ That’s really how we want our diocesan priests to be: The parish is the world where we live and love and serve and sacrifice ourselves.”
Fr. Chad laughs when he admits that one other characteristic for which St. Philip Neri is particularly known – his lighthearted sense of humor – also resonates. “I do like that,” he said. “I have already warned the two priests working with me that they may need to call me on it if I too often lean on St. Philip Neri as an excuse to buck the trends. He liked taking unusual routes, and I have been told that I have a penchant for that too.”