Reverend Father Shayne Craig, p.s.s.; Diocese of Victoria
Seminary Rector; President of Newman Theological College
Education
B.A. University of Victoria
M.Div., Newman Theological College
S.T.L., Dogmatic Theology, Pontifical Gregorian University
Biography
Fr. Shayne Craig was born on Vancouver Island, in the town of Campbell River, in 1964. He grew up in various places (Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia), as his father was serving in the military in these locations. After completing a B.A. in History at the University of Victoria, in 1986, he went on to study at St. Joseph Seminary and Newman Theological College, graduating in 1991. He was ordained for the Diocese of Victoria in 1992, and then served for two years in St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Victoria, then on the Formation Team of St. Joseph’s Seminary with Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Fr. Paul Terrio. He returned to the Diocese of Victoria as Pastor of St. Patrick’s parish in Campbell River. In 1998, he joined the Society of St. Sulpice and went into formation in Paris and Lyons, and then further studies in Rome. He completed his license in dogmatic theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, with a thesina entitled: Mary Immaculate: Two Visions for the Church, being a study of Von Balthsasar’s Mariology and Ecclesiology, and its critique. In 2001, Fr. Craig was named as Vice-Rector of St. Joseph Seminary, then in 2004 as Rector, where he has served in this position until now. In 2010 he was also named as President of Newman Theological College.
Reflection
According to Pastores Dabo Vobis, 62, the seminary can be seen as a place and a period in life. But it is above all an educational community in progress. According to Sulpician pedagogy, emphasis is placed on the whole seminary community forming one community of disciples gathered around the Lord Jesus. This sharing of life between the Priests and those in formation constitutes a true “educative community”, in which the future candidates for priesthood are formed progressively, sharing in various responsibilities and tasks, and in pastoral and priestly attitudes and aspects. This approach has recently been re-emphasized in Pastores Dabo Vobis, 42, where “being with” the Lord is the core of formation, and emphasis is placed on the “transfer of his spirit”, the inculcation of the Spirit of the Good Shepherd, through the life that is shared in common.
The specific role of the Rector in Sulpician pedagoy is such that he “has the primary responsibility for the unity of spirit in the community”. As such, “the superior oversees the whole program especially in the area of spiritual and pastoral formation. In union with the other members of the team, he exercises this leadership chiefly during the liturgy, in conferences to the community and in other meetings with seminarians”. (Art. 17, The Constitutions of St. Sulpice) He also has the responsibility “to see that the directives of the Church concerning the spiritual formation of priests are faithfully followed and that every candidate chooses a spiritual director.”
Courses Taught
MPS 170: The Spiritual Life
SCR 153: Jesus and the Gospels
STD 400: Introduction to Theology
STD 440: Liturgical Theology
STP 463: Theology of Ministry
SYT 185: Trinity
SYT 187: Theology of the Human Person
SYT 188: Ecclesiology
SYT 200: Introduction to Catholicism
Publications
Mary Immaculate: Two Visions for the Church (Pont. Univ. Greg. 2005)
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