The Program of Formation at Juan Diego House consists of many components. In keeping with the fifth edition of the Program for Priestly Formation (PPF) of the U.S. Catholic Bishops, the life at Juan Diego House encompasses the four pillars of formation that are found in the PPF, as originally documented in Pastores Dabo Vobis, Pope John Paul II's 1992 apostolic exhortation.

The pillars are:
Spiritual Formation: Juan Diego House has a life of daily Eucharist, Liturgy of the Hours, personal prayer, devotional prayer and Eucharistic adoration. Each seminarian has an approved personal spiritual director, with whom he contracts to meet on a regular basis.

Human Formation: Sessions are conducted on self understanding, celibacy, interpersonal relationships, social skills, cultural diversity and community building. Students complete VIRTUS training and other activities to enhance their personal development. Field trips and membership at the YMCA are also part of the formation curriculum.

Academic Formation: With an academic focus to assist them to be ready to enter St. John's Seminary, all students are required to successfully negotiate 15-unit semesters at the local colleges and universities. Most of the students complete their major work at Cal State Dominguez Hills with a philosophy major. They complete the pre-theology requirements at St. John's in a program specially designed with seminary professors. Some students double major in order to broaden their academic careers.

Pastoral Formation: All students return home every weekend for participation at their home parishes. Working side by side with the priests and people of their parish, they develop collaboration skills. In the month of January, all students are required to volunteer at various places, such as at the L.A. Metro Project (LAMP), the Little Sisters of the Poor, and local schools.

Father Robert J. Juárez has been the director of Juan Diego House since 2003. He has been Hispanic Vocation Director for the Archdiocese, and was recently named administrator at St. Anthony Church, San Gabriel .

Discovering academics at Juan Diego House
By Rick Alonso

Success! It is the frame of mind I love to have now living here at Juan Diego House.

Wanting be a priest, I understand that being well educated is important when working with the people of God. Always having been an average student, I needed some motivation to excel in my academics. Living at JDH, I have noticed that studying and getting my homework done is no longer a problem. I have time to speak to our tutor, Joe Dichosa, or a brother seminarian if I find any assignment challenging. And when needed, privacy is just as important when reading and writing papers.

Setting aside more time for my studies has allowed me to raise my GPA from 2.2 at Mt. San Antonio College to 3.1 at El Camino College. And I am still looking to improve. Success does not come easy, but at Juan Diego House we are in the best possible situation to achieve our goals in life --- which for me, God willing, is to be a priest!

Rick Alonso is a first-year student at Juan Diego House studying at El Camino College. He is from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Rowland Heights