Venerable Augustus Tolton Formation Institute
Where Seminary Formation Meets Christ’s Call to Serve the Poor
“The pastoral formation program should provide seminarians with experience in working with and for the poor.”
– The Program for Priestly Formation
In the heart of Alabama’s Black Belt, where poverty and faith intersect in profound ways, the Edmundite Missions offers a transformative opportunity that embodies the Church’s preferential option for the poor. Since 1937, when Pope Pius XI called the Society of St. Edmund to Selma, we have lived out Christ’s mandate to serve “the least of these,” creating a sacred space where future priests can encounter Jesus in the faces of those most in need.
The Tolton Formation Institute stands as a testament to the Church’s enduring commitment to social justice. Here, seminarians don’t just study Catholic social teaching – they live it. In a region where disability, diabetes, and early death rates exceed national averages, where unemployment remains in double digits, and where the wounds of racial injustice run deep, future priests learn to be true shepherds to those on society’s margins.
Our Augustus Tolton Formation Institute, named after America’s first Black Catholic priest, provides a unique immersion into the challenges facing rural America’s poorest communities. Seminarians engage directly with families struggling with multi-generational poverty, experiencing firsthand how the Church’s social justice teachings translate into meaningful action. Daily Mass in our Edmundite Chapel and regular prayer before the Blessed Sacrament help integrate these experiences into their spiritual formation.
This program embodies Pope Leo’s vision of a Church that goes to the peripheries. In Selma, seminarians witness how Catholic social teaching addresses systemic poverty through our comprehensive programs in nutrition, education, workforce development, and healthcare. They learn to minister in an overwhelmingly Baptist and Evangelical setting, understanding the unique challenges of Catholic witness in the Deep South.
The experience transforms how future priests understand their vocation. They learn to see Christ in the faces of those seeking help at our Bosco Nutrition Center, in the determination of Black farmers working to reclaim their agricultural heritage, and in the courage of families striving for economic self-reliance. These encounters shape pastoral hearts that understand both the immediate need for charity and the longer-term imperative for justice.
Our program aligns perfectly with the Church’s call for priests who can minister effectively in diverse cultural contexts. In Selma, seminarians engage with the rich spiritual traditions of Black Catholics while learning to address the complex intersections of poverty, racism, and rural isolation. They discover how to build bridges of understanding and cooperation across denominational lines while maintaining a strong Catholic identity.
“Do the best we can, with what little we have, to serve those most in need.”
– Fr. Frank Casey, S.S.E.
Kenyon Hall offers comfortable accommodations that support both community life and individual reflection, including eight ensuite bedrooms, community spaces, and easy access to our chapel. But more importantly, it provides a sacred space where future priests can develop the pastoral sensitivity and practical skills needed to serve Christ’s poor effectively.
Join us in forming priests who truly understand the Church’s preferential option for the poor – not as an abstract concept, but as a lived reality. Kenyon Hall stands ready to welcome your seminarians into an experience that will profoundly shape their priesthood and their understanding of Christ’s call to serve.
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