An inside look into the Irish Pontifical College’s year-long formation programme
An intriguing opportunity crossed my timeline recently, applications had opened for a year of formation in Rome at the Irish Pontifical College. Oriented toward young people. The list it promised was simple enough. Live in Rome. Study theology. Share life with other young people pursuing the faith. Then return home, charged up and missionally ready for whatever life held next.
To find out more, I spoke with Eoin McCormack of the Irish Pontifical College, who also brought along two students currently midway through the year-long programme: Sadhbh, 20, and Cal, 25. Sadhbh is taking a year out from education, while Cal stepped away from his job as an assistant accountant.
It’s about preparing them for the mission to go back to Ireland and serve the Church in various vocations”
So what exactly is this programme? According to Mr McCormack, it is structured around a clear and intentional framework. “We follow four essential dimensions of formation identified by Pope John Paul II: spiritual accompaniment, human development, intellectual growth, and pastoral or community formation,” he said.
“The philosophy of the programme is to offer young people in Ireland the opportunity to be in common with like-minded young people who are searching for their vocation and who want to grow deeper in the faith,” Mr McCormack said.
“It offers a supportive setting where young people can be accompanied while they discern where the Lord is calling them. It’s about preparing them for the mission to go back to Ireland and serve the Church in various vocations.”
And this vision is already taking shape in the lives of the current students.
Sadhbh said she first heard about the programme through her mother, at a moment when she was unsure what her next step should be.
“My mum sent me the poster she found online. Normally she sends me a lot of things, but this time I just had no reason not to do it,” she said. “I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do next, and this just came at the perfect time in my life… This was a year out from education to discern what God wants me to do and to figure out what comes next.”
Journey
Cal’s journey looked a bit different. “I had been working as an assistant accountant, and when this was put in front of me it was hard to say no,” he said. “I was weighing that up against sitting with Excel spreadsheets all day, and it didn’t take long to decide… My parents and my priest encouraged me, and everyone around me said this was a good time to do it and to discern where I wanted to pivot next in my life.”
Another key part of the year is the daily life of the community. Sadhbh said one of the most formative aspects was being trusted with real responsibility within the community.
“We were able to take on real responsibility in the life of the college, especially around the liturgy. We started a choir, organised rotas, and helped with training altar servers,” she said. “That was really helpful, not just spiritually, but for learning leadership and organisation. It wasn’t just about turning up, we were actually contributing to the life of the place.”
“I don’t come from a background in theology, so at the start it felt like I was a bit in over my head,” she said. “It was challenging, but it pushed me in a really good way, and it ended up being incredibly impactful for my spiritual life.”
What you study feeds into your prayer life and your conversations, and that flows into community”
For Cal, the intellectual life of the programme was one of its strongest draws.
“The intellectual side really drew me in. Theology was a personal interest of mine, even though it wasn’t connected to my job,” he said. “Being able to study philosophy, theology, art and literature in a structured way, with excellent professors, was something I couldn’t have done anywhere else.”
“Everything is very intentional,” Cal said. “What you study feeds into your prayer life and your conversations, and that flows into community,” he said. “It didn’t feel fragmented. It felt coherent and integral, like everything was working together.”
Focus
As the programme moves into its second semester, the focus shifts more deliberately toward spiritual accompaniment, prayer and discernment.
For Sadhbh, that change in pace has been welcome. “This year is really about building on relationships and deepening prayer,” she said. “Last semester was about settling in, but now it feels like we’re going a bit deeper. I’m still quite young, so being surrounded by people with more life experience has been really helpful. Everyone’s story is inspiring in its own way.”
Cal echoed that sense of clarity emerging over time: “We’re all here because we want to grow closer to God and discern more clearly what he wants to do with our lives.”
There hasn’t really been space like this in Ireland in recent years, where lay people can step up, learn more about their faith, and then bring that back home”
Both students said the year has exceeded expectations and encouraged others to consider applying.
“It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity, especially for lay people,” Sadhbh said. “There hasn’t really been space like this in Ireland in recent years, where lay people can step up, learn more about their faith, and then bring that back home.”
Cal acknowledged the hesitation many young adults feel when faced with a major decision, but said the risk was worth taking.
“Any big decision comes with a lot of trepidation, and I definitely had that,” he said. “If you’re thinking about it, I’d say just go for it. It’s a very unique opportunity, and we’re in need of that kind of formation back in Ireland.”
Applications for the next cohort of the year-long lay formation programme at the Irish Pontifical College are now open, with further details available at irishcollege.org.
