
At the moment there are six young men in Buffalo studying Philosophy and preparing themselves for the Novitiate. These candidates for the Oblate priesthood take their classes in Philosophy and Religious Studies at D'Youville and Canisius Colleges during this phase of their seminary training. Although their spiritual training isn’t as full-on as it is in the Novitiate and at Theology but they still live together as a community, they attend Mass every day and pray privately and communally. They also learn to be responsible for others by looking after the property. They clean it themselves, they also are involved in cooking and other ordinary, daily activities. Apart from that they also can experience some pastoral work like teaching catechism, visiting the sick, running youth group. It is important part of their initial training as it is hard to imagine that a person who declares that he loves Jesus doesn’t want to take it out to others. There were a couple of men who started the training a couple of months ago. However I could see some positive and encouraging signs like focus, determination, humility, readiness to work etc. Without these qualities it is impossible to take seriously the call to the priesthood.