The Aspirantate of Don Bosco Missionary Seminary

The Aspirantate of Don Bosco Missionary Seminary is a community of college students and young professionals in the Visayas and Mindanao regions in the Philippines, aspiring to become a Salesian of Don Bosco. The Aspirantate belongs to the Don Bosco Missionary Seminary Formation House which in turn belongs to the Salesian Province of Mary Help of Christians in the Philippine South (FIS). These institutions are being run by the Salesians of Don Bosco.

=History=Upon the creation of the Province of Mary Help of Christians (FIS), the Salesian Philippine South provice, the Provincial Council decided to create a formation house for Salesian Brothers in Don Bosco Technology Center in 1995. The formation house was then known as the Salesian Brothers Seminary. Years later, the formation plan evolved into admitting college students and young professionals who aspire to become Salesian Priests and Lay Brothers.

By 1998, the seminary in Don Bosco Technology Center was renamed as the [http://donboscoformationcenter.googlepages.com Don Bosco Formation Center] (DBFC).

In 2004, the province decided to gather its formation organizations into one house. Thus, DBFC was transferred to Don Bosco Missionary Seminary. Awaiting its full installation, it was ought to replace the High School Aspirantate of DBMS. The seminarians, as they are once called, stayed in the basement section of the building until the last batch of aspirants graduate from the high school aspirantate.

In March 2005, the last batch of high school aspirants graduated and paved way for the complete transfer of the College Seminary into the dormitory quarters in building. At the time, there were 38 college aspirants.

As of March 2007, the Aspirantate registered 27 aspirants, two of them being young professionals.

=Formation Plan=Any young man aspiring to become a Salesian will pass through the following stages of formation:

Aspirantate

The Aspirantate serves as the seed bed of Salesian vocations for young men in college and young professionals. The recruitment starts with a talk with the Salesian Vocation Promoter, examination of the family background, and initiation into the community through the search-in program and annual summer camp.

The aspirants, as these young men are called, study in college while living together with his fellow aspirants in a community guided by their Salesian formators. Young professionals, or those young men who have finished their college education are required to stay with the college students for at least a year as immersion into the Salesian Community life. The aspirantate then acts as an immersion into the Salesian community life.

Pre-Novitiate

When a college degree had been achieved and a period of immersion has been made, the aspirant enters into a 6 month long pre-novitiate formation followed by 2-month long immersion in a Salesian house within the province. The pre-novitiate, or postulancy, is the period when the formandee discerns if the Salesian life is attuned to his vocation in life.

Novitiate

Philosophy

Practical Training

Theology

Deaconate

Priesthood

On-going Formation

=Location=

The Aspirantate can be found in the premises of Don Bosco Missionary Seminary, Lawaan Talisay City, Cebu, 6045 Philippines.

=See Also=
Don Bosco

Salesians of Don Bosco

=External Links=

* [http://dbformationcenter.googlepages.com/main.htm Official Website of the DBMS Aspirantate]
* [http://www.angelfire.com/dbz/dbms Official Website of Don Bosco Missionary Seminary]
* [http://www.sdb.org Salesians of Don Bosco]
* [http://www.salesianvocation.com Salesian Vocations]