The Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Homebush has unveiled a new gym for the seminarians.
The gym was part of a refurbishment plan for the seminary which saw three of the houses in the facility renovated.
Rector Fr Michael de Stoop says providing seminarians a well-maintained and attractive place to live is “the least we can do” as they prepare to give their lives to serve the church, and the gym contributes to their holistic formation.
Physical exercise is important in the seminary, as our body is integral to who we are,” Fr de Stoop told The Catholic Weekly.
“Priestly formation is comprised of human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral dimensions.”
He said physical health contributed to psychological wellbeing and the seminary would also provide a personal trainer to the men.
The facility, which was blessed by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP on 3 August, is stocked with fitness equipment of all kinds, providing the seminarians a space to maintain their physical fitness.
Fr de Stoop, is the first rector of the seminary to also be formed by the seminary, as he was ordained in 1999.
He said looking at the new amenities was “quite a surreal experience” as he had memories of what was there before the refurbishment.
“When I’m walking through the facilities I’m often reminded of some of the things that took place when I was a seminarian,” he said.
“Knowing these are the walls in which these guys are formed, I want to make sure they’re well cared for.”
Fr de Stoop said the blessing of the new buildings by Archbishop Fisher was “very meaningful” for the seminarians.
“I had a great increase in confidence that this is a place where God’s work is achieved,” he said.
“To bless a seminary is something very special because it’s a place where men’s hearts are configured to be after the heart of Christ.”
He said the refurbishment also provided a learning experience for the future priests as it illustrated the necessity of spending money at times in order to save money in the long run and plan for future growth.
“The seminary used the refurbishments of its facilities pedagogically by helping the seminarians to see that their future role as a parish priest will require them to exercise good stewardship of the property entrusted to their pastoral care,” Fr de Stoop explained.
“Hopefully, this means of educating seminarians will help change the culture among some priests, which is characterised by the mistaken mentality that money is being saved when no repairs and maintenance plans are undertaken.
“Forming seminarians in what to see, and why they need to see it in this context, then, is an important component to priestly formation, as it will help break this cycle and put less holes in the pockets of parishes in the long-term,” he said.
“Indeed, not carrying out repairs and maintenance works in a timely fashion is the result of a misguided notion that money is being saved.”
