CHAPTER 1

INTODUCTION

Rationale

Pursuing a vocation in the clergy is a profound journey that requires sacrifice,

dedication, and unwavering commitment. Seminarians are among those who walk this

path, having answered the call to devote their lives to spiritual service. However,

beneath the solemnity of their chosen path lies a sobering reality: the profound

difficulties they face while separated from their families. This study delves into

seminarians' lived experiences, hoping to shed light on the emotional and psychological

toll of being separated from loved ones during their early years of training. Separation

from family is an ongoing challenge for seminarians as they navigate the rigorous

demands of their academic and spiritual training.

This distance not only causes feelings of loneliness and isolation, but it also

undermines their ability to maintain important familial bonds and support networks.

Being away with the family is the most common problem that the seminarians are

dealing, home sick, seeking for your family's care is just one of those feeling

seminarians would feel inside the seminary wherein they are away from their family.

The absence of familial presence during critical periods of personal growth and

spiritual discernment puts additional strain on seminarians, making them vulnerable to

emotional distress and burnout.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This research we reseachers conducted aims to study and explore the struggles

of the seminarians of San Carlos Seminary and Pope john XXIIII Seminary. It focuses

on knowing how this seminarians cope up with this struggles of being away to their

families.

1. What challenges do this seminarians face in terms of:

1.1. home sick;

1.2. loneliness; and

1.3. time management?

2. What pushes them to enter seminary?

3. What strategies do they utilize to cope up with the struggles they are

facing?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research is made with the aim of providing crucial information and

knowledge that will be beneficial to students, teachers, parents, guardians, and future

researchers.

Students - This study will help the students understand religious faith, practice, and

experiences.
Teacher - They could help each other implement a plan for helping the students

attend the seminary school to become religious and spiritual.

Parent and Guardian - They could encourage their children to go to seminary school

in order for them to know more about the lived experience of being a seminarian.

Researchers - This could help us to provide the information we need. To fulfill the

curiosity we have that resulted to study this kind if topic.

Future Researchers - This study will help future researchers expand their studies in

relation to the lived experiences of seminarians. The conduct of studies will further

open doors for future researchers; this may serve as a source of information

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Here are some terms that being defined to avoid confusion and to give you some

clear understanding;

 Seminarians - are students who are in a process of religious training to become

priests, pastors, or ministers in a Christian seminary.

 Seminary - A seminary is an educational institution where they study theology

and other subjects related to their faith. The duration and specific curriculum of

seminary education can vary widely depending on the denomination and the

individual's prior education.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

The research study entitled The Lived Experience of Seminarians. Will employ

responses from the San Carlos Seminary and Pope John XXIIII Seminarians. As regards

this study it focuses on knowing the emotions and struggles of this Seminarians. In

reference to their sex they are male, on age majority of them is aged 17-18, their

Educational Status they are Senior High School Students and their religion is Catholic.

Furthermore, this study will accommodate by growing in your prayer life.

According to the description given by the respondents.

 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDY

 CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This is qualitative research that employed a phenomenological research design. A

phenomenological study is a method that can be used to identify the meaning of

people's lived experiences, and it aims to understand, and explore what people

experience and their emotions. Researchers used a phenomenology study because it

tackled the lived experiences of the selected participants.

Research Participant
 The participants of our study are those seminarians in San Carlos Seminary and

Pope John XXIIII Seminarians, which will much be studied. In this study, we

researchers use Purposive Sampling in picking our 15 respondents. And those

participants are choosen based on the 3 following criteria: (a) He only studied in

seminary schools. (b) Study at grade of senior high school to college. (c) He is a full

decided or undecided seminary (d) He must be 16 years old and above.

Research Environment

There are several Seminarians or Seminary school in Cebu City together with the

San Carlos Seminary and Pope John XXIIII Seminarians. Most of these seminary school

is what we usually found in Cebu City.

The researchers investigate the study of the lived experience of Seminarians at

the San Carlos Seminary and Pope John XXIIII Seminarians. Both of these seminary

school in cebu city are mostly active based on our findings. Alongside from the reason

that the San Carlos Seminary and Pope John XXIIII Seminarians are those seminary

school we found in Social Media. Furthermore, some of these seminarians students are

active in social media, and we researchers are willing to examine their lived experience

in being a seminarians students.

Research Instrument

The researchers will use an online interview through a video call as a tool for

gathering and collecting data.In order to get the data needed for the study, the

researchers made guided questions to be answered by the participants. The guided

questions consist of 10 questions in relation to the study, which tackles the lived

experiences of the seminarians. In conducting the interviews, the researchers will also

use devices such as an audio recorder and a camera in order to accurately document

the answers of the participants.

Data Gathering and Procedure

In gathering the data, the researchers wrote a letter to the principal and to their

research output mentor. After getting permission, the researchers looked for 15

respondents who were semenarians. The researcher has met the participant through an

online interview, and by doing so, they ask questions based on the guided questions

they prepared. The researchers also bring recording devices and a camera in order to

save all the information gathered from the participants.

Self – Awareness

Bracketing

Informed Concent
Member Checking

According to Linda Bert et al. (2016), member checking, also known as

participant or respondent validation, is a technique for exploring the credibility of

results. Member checking is often mentioned as one of the validation techniques. This

simplistic reporting might not acknowledge the value of using the method or its

juxtaposition with the interpretative stance of qualitative research. Member checking

also aims to enhance the credibility of this research. This part of the research allows for

a collaborative relationship between the participants and the researchers.

As researchers, to have better communication and a clearer conversation

between us and the participants, we must analyze the behavior and attitude of the

participants. Also, as researchers, we must validate their answers and be unbiased so

that the conversation will be formal. And the information we gather must be well

analyzed and kept confidential. Everything will be kept between us, the researchers,

and our respondents.

Trigulation Method

Ethical Consideration
 in research are a set of principles that guide your research designs and practices.

Scientists and researchers must always adhere to a certain code of conduct when

collecting data from people.(scribrr) Ethical Consideration serve and protect the rights

of the participants.

As a researcher, we must consider, validate and respect our participants privacy

and opinions. In gathering the data, we should secure their privacy, it is on the

participants if he/she want to put his/her information confidential or not. Futhermore,

as a researcher we must not force the people's to be our participants, we must respect

and understand they're decision. This is why we have ethical considerations in research

to protect and secure the participant during the gathering of data.

Rigor of the Study

in qualitative terms, is a way to establish trust or confidence in the findings of a

research study. It allows the researcher to establish consistency in the methods used

over time. It also provides an accurate representation of the population studied.

(Thomas, E. and Magilvy, J. K., 2011).

As a researcher, we must be confident in gathering data and we must establish

trust to show our participants that we are trustworthy. To ensure the trust between the

the researcher and participants, the researchers will present the informed consent they

have. By the informed consent presented, the participants are being informed about

their rights in participating in this study it will also serve as the root of the

trustworthiness between the researcher and the participants.