Oracle of Wisdom Journal of Philosophy and Public Affairs

The training of candidates for the Catholic priesthood is a crucial process that molds the pastoral, intellectual, human, and spiritual aspects of the prospective clergy. With an emphasis on the Society of African Missions (SMA) Formation House in Bodija, Ibadan, Nigeria, this study examines the challenges present in the current priestly formation system. To learn more about how formation programme are carried out and experienced by formators and seminarians, data was collected through participant observations, interviews, questionnaire, and document analysis using a convergent parallel mixedmethod. Cultural tensions, contextual constraints in spiritual and psychological accompaniment, fear of formators, lack of effective communication are only a few of the major issues that the findings highlight. The study makes use of human development theory of Erik Erikson and transformative learning theory of Jack Mezirow. The target population is the seminarians of SMA Formation House Bodija. Gaps in the combination of seminarians' growth and modern pastoral needs are also highlighted by the study. A more dynamic and participative model of priestly formation, training for formation staff and contextual sensitivity are highlighted as ways to improve the efficacy of formation processes. The study adds to the continuing discussion on the value and reform of seminary education in the quickly evolving African and international ecclesial landscape. It analyses the data using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

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