MERCIFUL HEART AN APPROACH IN HUMAN FORMATION OF SEMINARIANS FOR EFFECTIVE PRIESTLY MINISTRY IN MACHAKOS CATHOLIC DIOCESE, KENYA
Abstract
Background of the Study: This study investigated how merciful heart can be used as an approach in human formation of seminarians for effective priestly ministry in Machakos Catholic Diocese, Kenya.
Objective of the Study: The objectives of this study were to find out how formators may help seminarians to develop healthy human relationships amid celebration of divine mercy; to seek out ways in which affective human maturity can be instilled in seminarians as agents of consoling mercy of God; to establishes means through which seminarians can be aided to form right moral conscience as agents of redeeming and renewing mercy of God and to propose possible intervention strategies for addressing issues related to the formation of merciful human heart in seminarians. The study was guided by Westerhoff (1976) theory, on four stages of faith development, which is within the context of Christianity and spirituality.
Methodology: The study adopted convergent parallel design which collects, analyses, compares and relates both quantitative and qualitative data, then interprets it. The target population was 90 respondents. They comprised of 79 Diocesan seminarians and 11 Formators both from Machakos Diocese from whom, a sample size of 72 respondents was drawn, which represented 80% of target population. Questionnaires and interview guide were employed to collect data from the participants.
Results and Findings: The findings of the study revealed that genuine celebrations of divine mercy in the liturgical life of the church do contribute to health human relationships among the seminarians and the people they come across. The results showed assisting seminarians to grow to affective maturity greatly helps them to be ministers of consoling mercy of God to the people they encounter. The study established that right formation of moral conscience benefits the seminarians to experience the redeeming and renewing mercy of God in their personal lives and the ability to communicate the same mercy to other people.
Keywords: Mercy, Heart, Human, Seminarians, Effective, Priestly, Ministry, Diocese, Machakos.
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