by Fr. Brian Kane
Rector, St. Gregory the Great Seminary;
Director of Seminarians
In an age in which the average American checks the phone 144 times per day, St. Gregory the Great Seminary is taking a different approach.
Our first-year seminarians, those in the Propaedeutic stage, voluntarily embrace what we call a “technology fast,” limiting phone and media use to just a few hours on Saturday afternoons. To help them enter more fully into this experience, new seminarians now arrive with a “wise phone” or similar simplified device—a practical tool that supports their spiritual journey rather than distracting from it.
This practice might seem extreme to some, but for our seminarians it’s becoming an important element of their formation. One first-year seminarian recently told me, “I thought not having my phone would be difficult at the start, but now I’m grateful to be able to put it away.” This is a common sentiment throughout the Propaedeutic class, as these young men discover the peace that comes from disconnecting from constant noise.
The technology fast helps seminarians learn to be truly present—to God, to others, and to themselves. When seminarians aren’t constantly reaching for their phones during free moments, they begin to notice things they’d missed: the people around them and the time available to pray, study, recreate, rest, all of which is drowned out by notifications and endless scrolling.
The U.S. bishops’ Program of Priestly Formation emphasizes why the technology fast exists: “The heart of spiritual formation is personal union with Christ, which is born of, and nourished in, a particular way by prolonged and silent prayer” (PPF 229). By stepping back from their phones and media, seminarians have an easier time focusing, relating, and praying.
The simplified phones our new seminarians use each Saturday serve as training wheels for this countercultural practice. These devices allow them to maintain important communication but resist the black hole of social media, news feeds, and entertainment apps. The simplified phones are tools for connection rather than distraction, servants rather than masters.
As seminarians experience the technology fast, they find it is easier to have deeper conversations during meals, more meaningful prayer, and stronger bonds with each other. Without the escape hatch of individual screens, they’re learning to be present to one another in both comfortable and uncomfortable moments—important preparation for parish life, during which a priest strives to be fully present to parishioners in their joys and sorrows.
Another seminarian reflected on how this type of fasting would benefit others who are not in the seminary: “I think more young people should use a simplified phone or try their own version of a technology fast; it’s helped me so much.” His observation points to something important. In a world in which the rates of anxiety and depression continue to increase among young people, the practice of periodically and voluntarily putting aside our electronic devices for a time can offer needed healing.
The technology fast also teaches our future priests an essential pastoral skill: the ability to disconnect from work. In an era in which parishioners expect instant responses to texts and emails, our seminarians are learning healthy boundaries that will prevent burnout and allow them to maintain a sustainable prayer life throughout their priesthood.
As families prepare for Advent and Christmas, consider the positive effects of designating certain hours or days as periods to put aside phones and other similar distractions — a family “technology fast.” What conversations might be easier at dinner if phones were put away and televisions turned off? What would happen if screens didn’t fill every quiet moment?
St. Gregory the Great Seminary is helping seminarians learn to listen to God’s voice. In doing so, the seminary is preparing them — teaching them — to help future parishioners hear that same quiet, yet powerful, voice. Thank you for your prayers for our seminarians as they discern the call of Jesus and are being formed as our future priests.
