Glossary of Seminarian Jargon
 

Acolyte, Ministry of The ministry of acolyte is one of two lay ministries that seminarians are instituted in before being ordained to the diaconate. Acolytes have some special faculties including being a permanent extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and being allowed to purify the vessels following Mass.
Apostolic Works At seminaries, apostolic works (or simply "apostolics") refer to pastoral works (apostolates), usually in the wider-community, in which seminarians learn about various different types of pastoral care.  Examples include jail ministry or teaching.
Benedicite The Canticle of the Three Young Men (Dn. 3:52-90) prayed at various times during the Liturgy of the Hours.
Benedictus The Canticle of Zechariah (Lk. 1:68-79) which is prayed each morning at Lauds.
Board of Admissions In the Diocese of La Crosse, all seminarians go before the Board of Admissions when seeking admission into the seminary program.  This board, together with the bishop, make the decision whether-or-not the accept a man into the seminary program.
Breviary See Liturgy of the Hours.  Also the name of the actual book from which the Liturgy of the Hours is prayed.
Caena Serotina The small second meal allowed on fast days.
Candidacy, Rite of The public declaration of a seminarian, usually held during Mass, in which he affirms that he is indeed seeking ordination to the priesthood for a specific diocese.
Celibacy One of the promises that priests make to their Bishop at their ordination.  In its simplest, non-theological terms, it is an abstention of marriage and sexual relationships.
Clinical Pastoral Education Summer seminary program in which seminarians learn about and practice healthcare ministry.
Collations See Caena Serotina
College Seminary A seminary in which those who do not possess a college-level degree study for their undergraduate degree, usually in philosophy.
Collegian A seminarian attending minor seminary (college seminary).
Community Life The life at a seminary in which there are many different types of people, different ways of doing things, and a fraternity that holds it all together.
Compline See Night Prayer
Conference In seminarians and retreats, a conference is a gathering of people (i.e. seminarians or retreatants) for a talk, lecture, or discussion.
Confessor A priest who, possibly regularly, hears one's confession in the Sacrament of Penance.  It may or may not be one's spiritual director.  In the broad sense, it means a saint who died "confessing" the Faith.
Contemplation St. Alphonsus Liguori, echoing his predecessors, defines it thus: "At the end of a certain time ordinary meditation produces what is called acquired contemplation, which consists in seeing at a simple glance the truths which could previously be discovered only through prolonged discourse" (Homo apostolicus, Appendix I, No. 7). 
CPE See Clinical Pastoral Education
Days of Recollection Days, evenings, or other times of more intense prayer usually involving the entire seminary for some amount of time.  These usually happen regularly at a seminary.
DB See Diocesan Brother
Deo Volente See God willing
Diocesan Brother At seminaries, all the members of the same diocese are "diocesan brothers" and referred to as such.
Director/Dean of Formation A priest at a seminary that supervises the formation program; there may be more than one at seminary.
Discernment Literally a "sifting through" where a seminarian, through prayer and spiritual direction among other things, figures out the will of God (specifically for seminarians, their vocation) in their life.
Divine Office See Liturgy of the Hours
Evening Prayer Office prayed as evening falls; around 6pm.  It is one of the "hinge hours" that all other offices revolve around.
Extended Vigil An option of the Office of Readings for Sundays, solemnities, and feasts in which, after the readings, three canticles and a gospel reading are prayed/read.
External Forum In seminaries, the notion that what is said to those in "External Forum" is open for release to a vocation director and/or Bishop and can play a role in evaluation.  Rectors, vice rectors, and directors/deans of formation are "External Forum".
Formation One of the goals of the seminary.  Broadly speaking, formation is made up of four areas: (1) Human Formation; (2) Intellectual Formation; (3) Spiritual Formation; and (4) Pastoral Formation. 
Function(s) At seminaries, a "function" is a required community activity such as communal praying of the Office, Mass, or a conference.
God willing A subjunctive clause stating that the statement might happen if it is the will of God.  Usually used by seminarians when saying something such as "When I become a priest, God willing, I will pray the Office daily." 
Horarium The order-of-the-day (schedule) at a seminary
House Jobs Mostly in college seminaries, house jobs (or house chores) are duties/chores that seminarians are expected to perform as assigned.  It is a part of formation.
House of Formation Discernment program, at times similar to a seminary, in which young men discern their vocation without making the transition to an actual seminary.
In Ecclesiam Futurorum Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education's "Instruction on Liturgical Formation in Seminaries".
In Persona Christi Theological expression that the priest, during the sacraments, stands "in the person of Christ".
Institute of Priestly Formation When referring to seminarians, the Institute of Priestly Formation is a summer program for seminarian-theologians, usually required by the diocese, in which seminarians study spiritual formation at a more concentrated level.
Internal Forum In seminaries, the notion that what is said to those in "Internal Forum" is not open for release to a Vocation Director and/or Bishop and cannot play a role in evaluation. Spiritual directors and confessors are the normal instances of "Internal Forum".
IPF See Institute of Priestly Formation
Late Vocation When a man discerns to become a priest later in life, usually after college-level schooling and a significant amount of time in another career, he is said to have a late vocation.
Lauds See Morning Prayer
Lectio Divina A type of prayer used with spiritual/scriptural reading made of up four parts: (1) Lectio/Reading; (2) Meditatio/Meditation or Reflection; (3) Oratio/Prayer; and (4) Contemplatio/ Contemplation.
Lector, Ministry of The ministry of lector is one of two lay ministries that seminarians are instituted in before being ordained to the diaconate. Seminarians are instituted as a lector before being instituted as an acolyte. Among other things, a lector's main duty is read the Word of God at liturgies and read the general intercessions.
Liturgy of the Hours The official prayer of the Church offered at various times of the day in order to sanctify the day. Clergy and religious have a canonical obligation to pray the Liturgy of the Hours as official representatives of the Church.
Lucernarium A Light Service consisting of lighting and blessing the Paschal Candle (lucerna) at evening time, usually preceding Vespers or sometimes preceding Compline.
Magnificat The Canticle of Mary (Lk. 1:46-55) which is prayed each evening at Vespers.
Major Seminary See Theologate
Matins See Office of Readings
Meditation Methodical prayer, or prayer of reflection, in which may be included spiritual/scriptural reading.
Mid-Afternoon Prayer Office prayed at the ninth hour of the day: around 3pm.
Mid-Day Prayer Office prayed at the sixth hour of the day; around noon.
Mid-Morning Prayer Office prayed at the third hour of the day; around 9am.
Minor Seminary See College Seminary
Morning Prayer Office prayed at sunrise, or upon waking from sleep.  It is one of the "hinge hours" that all other offices revolve around.
Night Prayer Office prayed at nightfall; traditionally before retiring for the night.
Nōne See Mid-Afternoon Prayer
Obedience One of the promises that priests make to their Bishop at their ordination stating obedience to the diocesan ordinary (or religious superior, in the case of religious priests) and their successors.
Office One section of the Liturgy of the Hours. It can also refer to the entire Liturgy as a whole.
Office of Readings Office prayed traditionally during the night; around 3am-4am but now can be prayed at any hour of the day.  It is called the "Office of Readings" since there are two long readings read each day.
Optatum Totius Vatican II's document "Decree on Priestly Training".
Opus Dei See Liturgy of the Hours.  Also the name of a personal prelature of the Church.
Ordination The conferral of the sacrament of Holy Orders upon a man by the laying on of hands of a bishop.  There are three levels: 1) deacon; 2) priest; 3) bishop.
Ordinatio Sacerdotalis Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter "On Reserving Priestly Ordination to Men Alone".
Parish Assignment For seminarians, a summer placement in a parish in which the seminarian learns how a parish operates and helps out within the parish.
Pastoral Works See Apostolic Works
Pastoral Year A seminarian requirement of some dioceses in which major theologians spend a full year at a parish and not at the seminary.  Also can refer to a year of discernment outside of the seminary proper.
Pastores Dabo Vobis Pope John Paul II's Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "On the Formation of Priests in the Circumstances of the Present Day."  Literally means "I will Give you Shepherds."
PB See Provincial Brother
Permanent Diaconate Deacons not intending to become priests.  Permanent deacons go through a different formation process than seminarians (and such are not called seminarians).  Permanent deacons may be married, but only before they are ordained.  They may not remarry if they become widowed.
Perseverance A virtue that every seminarian must practice to be able to complete seminary studies.
Philosophy The traditional discipline of college seminarians and pre-theologians.  All seminarian-theologians must have a knowledge of philosophy either through college seminary or pre-theology.
Practicum In theologates, a course of study in which seminarians "practice" the application of priestly duties (sacraments, homilies, etc) under supervision and constructive criticism.
Presbyterorum Ordinis Vatican II's document "Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests".
Pre-Theology (P-T) A two-year seminary program for seminarians who already possess a college-level degree but do not have the needed philosophy requirements.  After P-T, seminarians enter the theologate.
Program of Priestly Formation (PPF) Document of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, now in its fifth edition, which outlines the seminary formation program for all seminaries in the United States.
Provincial Brother At seminaries, all the members of the same province (archdiocese and its suffragan dioceses) are "provincial brothers" and referred to as such.
Rector The head-priest at a seminary; represents the bishop at a seminary for day-to-day administration.
Refectory The dining room in a seminary.
Retreat Master The person who leads a retreat; that is, the one who speaks at the conferences, talks, discussions, etc.
Sacerdotalis Coelibatus Pope Paul VI's Encyclical letter "On the Celibacy of the Priest".
Second Career Vocation See Late Vocation
Seminary A place in which seminarians discern their vocation, possibly to the priesthood.  At seminaries, seminarians study and work, as well as participate in a formation program.
Sext See Mid-Day Prayer
Simplicity, A Life of An expectation of diocesan priests.
Spiritual Direction The regular meeting (at least once a month) of a seminarian and priest spiritual director wherein the seminarian shares and discusses his spiritual life and formation in an internal forum.
Spiritual Director In a seminaries, the priest that meets with seminarians for spiritual direction.
Terce See Mid-Morning Prayer
Theologate A four-year seminary program for seminarians who have completed their philosophical training.  At a theologate, seminarian-theologians study theology as well as practical aspects of priesthood.  Men are usually ordained to the transitional diaconate during their third year (or early part of their fourth year).
Theologian A seminarian attending major seminary (a theologate).
Transitional Diaconate Deacons who intend to be ordained to the priesthood.  Transitional deacons are ordained 6 months to a year prior to their ordination to the priesthood.  They are referred to as "Deacon" in spoken conversation and "Rev. Mr." in writing.
Vespers See Evening Prayer
Vice Rector Second-in-command at a seminary.
Vocations Director A priest of the diocese that helps seminarians in their vocation and acts as a representative of the bishop to seminaries.


 
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