1. PROGRAMME OF FORMATION AT RUHALAYA
The programme of formation at Ruhalaya is designed to achieve a holistic integration of human, religious and Christian values and various aspects of missionary life. This formation programme co-ordinates academic study with a solid spiritual formation centred on liturgy and personal-social-missionary formation based on commitment to and involvement in the civil society and missionary endeavours. The whole programme is geared to inculcate missionary qualities and abilities that deepen the relationship with God, with oneself and with others.
1.1 HUMAN FORMATION
The human formation of a seminarian is motivated by the need for proper growth and self-realization, and is demanded by the very nature of his future ministry to proclaim the Word, administer the Sacraments, and guide the Christian community. This formation includes the development of physical and mental health, emotional and psychological maturity, and interpersonal and social skills.
The ability to relate to others with compassion and mercy is of special importance, because a priest is to be a man of communion and dialogue. They are trained to know the depths of human heart, perceive the difficulties and problems of others, create trust and co-operation, meet and dialogue, and express objective judgments. Communication skills and ability to relate with others together with an affective maturity in relationships and friendships are nurtured. The students are trained in affective and sexual maturity by guiding them to relate to children and persons of complementary sex with emotional maturity, respecting their individuality and freedom. This formation is further supported by the study of the theology of the body and the provision of proper knowledge of the rules, regulations, and contemporary laws regarding safe environment policies.
1.2 SPIRITUAL FORMATION
The vocation and identity of a missionary are to be a man of God, maintaining an unceasing union with God and leading all to God, whom he has experienced in his own life, in imitation of Jesus the Missionary. Spiritual formation fulfils the Christian way of addressing religious needs through evangelical newness, configuring oneself to Christ through radical self-giving. Prime importance is given to daily attendance at the Eucharistic celebration and the recitation of the office of the hours, especially Sapra, Ramsa, and Leliya.
Spiritual direction, retreats, recollections, instructions, exhortations, and spiritual reading are essential components for spiritual growth. The study of the spiritual traditions and practices of the Christian East and Indian traditions enhances spiritual formation. The students are helped to grow in spiritual maturity by practicing virtues like faith, hope, charity, chastity, poverty, obedience, honesty, concern for justice, sincerity of heart, fidelity to promises, compassion and mercy, and respect for nature.
1.3 INTELLECTUAL FORMATION
Ruhalaya is keen to instil in the students a wisdom that transcends human understanding. A deeper knowledge of the divine mysteries and human nature will prepare the priest “to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in him” (1 Pet 3:15) and proclaim the Gospel in an acceptable and attractive way. Achieving this demands a high level of intellectual formation, which cannot be achieved by imparting abstract knowledge alone but by cultivating a habit of theologizing—the capacity to think with critical discernment, the ability to look beyond the secular and ordinary, and the capacity to communicate the mystery of God’s coming into the world. This requires the study of various languages, human sciences, and, above all, philosophy and theology.
Ruhalaya offers a seven-year academic programme—three years of philosophy and four years of theology—interspersed with a year of missionary training in the field. The students receive a solid philosophical and theological formation firmly rooted in the Word of God, the tradition of the Fathers of the Church, and the teachings of the Magisterium, complemented by present-day faith experiences and theological reflection. This includes an in-depth study of philosophy and theology, with emphasis on biblical, patristic, Syriac, and Indian traditions, to provide deep insight into the Christian patrimony and Indian heritage.
1.3.1 Philosophical Formation
Philosophy is the human attempt to understand the mystery of reality - God, world and humans - using natural reason. Philosophical formation aims at developing a reflective awareness of the fundamental relationship of the human spirit with others, the world and God. Study of philosophy leads the student to a deeper understanding and interpretation of the wisdom of the whole human family with special emphasis on the Western and Indian philosophies. Hence both historical and systematic courses on Western and Indian philosophy together with sciences such as sociology, psychology, education, literature, social communication, dalit-philosophy, eco-philosophy, etc. are taught.
Parallel to the philosophical studies, students also pursue an equivalent bachelor’s degree at a secular university. The curriculum at Ruhalaya is therefore aligned with the requirements of these secular studies as well. The study of secular human sciences provides philosophy students with a richer, more well-rounded education. It broadens their perspectives, enhances their analytical skills, deepens their understanding of the human condition, and prepares them to engage thoughtfully with both philosophical and real-world challenges.
Study of Western philosophy is given importance as it prepares one for critical evaluation and is closely bound up with the Catholic heritage. Study of Indian philosophy leads one to a profound investigation of the cultural and religious heritage of India, engaging in fruitful dialogue with Indian religions and cultures. The entire formation is aimed at laying a solid foundation for theological studies enabling the students to pursue the theological investigation with a mind open to the Word of God and human wisdom.
1.3.2. Theological Formation
Theological formation is the kernel of the intellectual formation of the future priests. The theological formation at Ruhalaya aims: (i) to provide a deeper understanding of and insight into the Christian faith in order to nourish the personal faith and spiritual life of the missionary, and (ii) to cultivate the ability to share faith effectively with others through witness of life, proclamation and dialogue. An intimate integration of these two goals marks the content, modality and spirit according to which theology is studied at Ruhalaya.
The essence of theological formation consists in giving the students a complete and unified vision, with ever increasing clarity about the mystery of salvation revealed in Jesus Christ, the definitive Word and Wisdom of God, and lived in the Church. The intrinsic relation between Christian faith, prayer and life reflects in the theological formation. Students are enabled to thoroughly integrate the celebration of faith (liturgy), reflection on faith (theology) and the living (witness) of faith. Theologians reflect on the Word of God found in the Scripture and Tradition and contribute ever deeper understanding of the revealed Word and human response to it. Hence, accurate methodology, principal sources and greater themes of the Bible are taught which influence all the other theological disciplines.
Theology is the ongoing, critical understanding of Revelation considering present human experience and the interpretation of the actual human experience in light of divine revelation. The Christian theology enriches itself by reflecting on faith in the cultural, historical and religious context and wisdom of the community. Hence a contextualized theology, drawing largely from the Oriental and Indian theological traditions, is a must for preparing the candidates for effective missionary apostolate in India. Orientation is given in interreligious dialogue, inculturation/interculturation and ecumenism. While stressing the scientific vigour, the missionary-pastoral needs are kept in mind in the enunciation of various theological disciplines.
1.4 MISSIONARY-PASTORAL FORMATION
The formation given at Ruhalaya aims at preparing candidates for mission ad gentes and hence, formation in its different stages and aspects has basically a missionary character. Even the human, spiritual and intellectual formations acquire specific content and characteristic because of its orientation to missionary formation. The future missionaries are trained for the proclamation of the Word, ministry of worship, service of charity and leadership.
By training in missionary apostolate is meant getting inserted into the living missionary tradition of a particular Church through a scientific reflection on and application of the missionary practice of the Church together with an evangelical discernment of the socio-cultural situation. Missionary formation is imparted through the study of missiology, history of missions, paths of mission, present state of mission and methods considered most effective in the present time and the inculcation of missionary dispositions.
This formation requires study and practice, and hence, an action-reflection method is followed in the theological programme. This approach involves training the students to be open to values, civilizations, and cultures different from their own. The whole seminary has a missionary atmosphere so that the students clearly realize they are being formed to work for and with people. Mission exposure programmes, regular village visits, apostolate for street children, jail ministry, juvenile home ministry, human empowerment, education ministry, hospital ministry, ministry for persons with disabilities, care of HIV/AIDS patients, etc. enable them to meet this purpose.
Students are also trained in preaching and pastoral ministry through living with the people of God, building up Christian communities, teaching catechism, conducting prayer services, and taking care of migrants, etc.
