From The President

Following discussion and subsequent interview, we are pleased that Mr. Moises Hernandez is available to accept the part-time position of Administrative Assistant in the National Office. He can begin work on July 1, joining our Executive Director, Mike Cronin, and Secretary, Kathleen Glynn. The funding of this new part-time position is included in the budget which the Executive Committee will propose at the June Board meeting.

Moises is a former student of Mike Cronin, having spent 9 years in Chicago seminaries, held various positions in social service agencies, and will begin studies in civil law this fall at Loyola University in Chicago. Moises brings additional talents and skills to our mission as well as needed assistance in the National Office as we look to the future.

Advisory Council and Board of Directors. The sixteen-member NOCERCC Advisory Council will meet with the Executive Committee on June 24 and with the Board of Directors on June 25. During this joint session, we will engage in an update and consultation about the national plan for ongoing formation of priests and the NOCERCC preaching project, and the Standing Committees will meet. The Board will continue its meeting on June 26-27.

The Board’s agenda will include: updates from the NOCERCC president, executive director and the executive director for the NCCB Secretariat for Priestly Life and Ministry; a discussion of the plans for the 2000 convention in Berkeley, California, entitled Celebrating Priesthood; decision on a theme for the 2002 convention and where to hold the convention in 2001; a report on the operating budget for 1998-1999; and approve the dues and operating budget for 1999-2000.

We will also have a discussion on the Dr. Dean Hoge’s paper, Expressed Needs and Attitudes of Newly Ordained Priests, and the four written responses from NOCERCC members. Louis Cameli and Noah Casey, O.S.B., two of the four response-writers, will join us for this conversation. Copies of this booklet were mailed in May to the NOCERCC membership and to each bishop and major superior of men. We hope you find it a helpful resource.

Please contact me if you have agenda items to be considered for the June Board meeting.

NOCERCC Task Force on Preaching. Following the June Board meeting, the task force will meet on June 28 to continue to design and implement a convocations/assembly for directors to use in the continuing formation of priests in Sunday homiletic preaching.

We have identified three teams of two persons each (a homiletic presenter and a NOCERCC member as the process facilitator) to guide this convocation or assembly. I have written and submitted six grant applications to help us fund this project. We hope to hold a "training session" for the teams in fall 1999 and to pilot the convocation/assembly in one or two dioceses in the winter or spring of 2000. We welcome your thoughts on this project.

Workshop for Pastors. Pastoring in Today’s Parish – presented by the National Pastoral Life Center. At the Bergamo Center in Dayton, Ohio, July 18-23, 1999; at the Marywood Center for Spirituality in Jacksonville, Florida, January 23-28, 2000; at the Oblate Renewal Center in San Antonio, Texas, July 16-21, 2000.

This workshop is for new pastors, pastors looking toward a new assignment, and those wanting a fresh look at their pastoring style. Presenters and Topics: Msgr. Philip J. Murnion, Keynote Address: Pastoring: Parishioners, Mission, Leadership; Dr. Patricia Kelly: Understanding Your Own Style and Goals, Collaboration and Conflict, Working Toward a Developmental Understanding of Christian Leadership; Msgr. Douglas Doussan: Organizing the Ministry, Roles and Responsibilities, Living by Your Priorities; Mr. G. Richard Fowler: The Social Mission of the Parish; Rev. William Griner: Liturgical Policies and Practices; Ms. Jan Haselschwerdt: Parish Religious Education; Sr. Donna L. Ciangio, O.P.: Small Community Development; Sr. Mary Angela Shaughnessy, SCN: Legal Concerns.

For information and brochure, contact: Sr. Donna L. Ciangio, O.P., National Pastoral Life Center, 18 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10012-2404; 212-431-7825; FAX: 212-274-9786.

12^th Annual Summer Institute for Priests is presented by Seton Hall University International Institute for Clergy Formation. It extends from June 27 to July 30, 1999. It is held at San Alfonso Retreat Center, West End, NJ. For more information, course titles, etc., see website: http://www.shu.edu/depts/nifcf.

For other Summer Course listings see these websites:

Retreats International Summer Institute at www.nd.edu/~retreats;

Santa Clara University Program in Pastoral Ministries at www-relg-studies.scu.edu/gradhome.htm; Washington Theological Union (D.C.) at www.wtu.edu/summer_school.htm;

Catholic Theological Union at Chicago at www.ctu.edu/summer.htm;

Institute of Pastoral Studies, Loyola University Chicago, at www.luc.edu/depts/ips;

University of Notre Dame Graduate Theology Department at www.nd.edu/~theo;

Saint Meinrad School of Theology at www.saintmeinrad.edu/theology;

Saint Joseph’s College, Rensselaer, Indiana, Church Music and Liturgy at www.saintjoe.edu/~dept51;

Loyola Institute for Ministry, Loyola University New Orleans, LA, at www.loyno.edu/lim/calendar.html; BonSecours Spiritual Center, Marriotsville, MD, at www.erols.com/bssc/99specpg.htm;

Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry, Boston College, at www.bc.edu/irepm.html; Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis, MO, at www.op.edu/aquinas;

Mexican American Cultural Center, San Antonio, TX, at www.maccsa.org/pastor.htm;

Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, VT, at www.smcvt.edu/gradprograms/99summer.htm;

American College of Louvain, Belgium, at www.acl.be;

Marianella Centre for Study and Renewal, Dublin, Ireland, at http://indigo.ie/~redempt.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia, similar to many large urban dioceses around the country, has a significant number of parish communities, which are largely African-American or Hispanic in membership. These parishes are frequently served by Anglo priests who may or may not have much previous experience in responding to the spiritual and pastoral needs of the parishioners, as well as engaging the complex needs of the urban neighborhoods in which most of the parishes are situated.

Recognizing that distinct continuing formation needs frequently emerge among priests who minister full-time in largely urban settings in which the predominant number of parishioners and neighbors belong to a racial or ethnic group different from their own cultural background and personal experience, the Office for Clergy of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has established two continuing formation forums: one for priests serving the Hispanic community and another for priests ministering among African-American communities within the archdiocese. Each Forum convenes once or twice a year to address the continuing formation needs and interests of priests ministering to African-American or to Hispanic Catholics; joint programs are sometimes held for both groups, whenever a topic of common concern is being addressed.

Individual programs are designed by a team from among the members of the Diocesan Priests Continuing Formation Committee. Each program typically includes time for socializing and mutual support, for prayer and reflection, for presentations on ministerial and pastoral topics, and for interactive discussion of the particular issues and concerns raised by the priests themselves. Two facilities are regularly used for the Forum programs: for the AAC Forum: the Saint Peter Claver Evangelization Center in South Philadelphia; and for the Hispanic Forum: the Catholic Institute for Evangelization in North Philadelphia.

The Hispanic Forum was formally inaugurated in May of 1996, with an afternoon gathering designed to identify those continuing formation needs particular to priests serving the Hispanic community and to develop an initial set of concrete proposals for future projects of continuing formation. Some twenty-five priests participated in this initial session of the Hispanic Forum.

The following October, an inaugural gathering was conducted for priests ministering in African-American communities; another twenty priests participated in his initial gathering of the AAC Forum. The program included a morning presentation and discussion with Rev. Donald Sterling of Baltimore on the topic: Pastoring an African-American Parish, and an afternoon session to identify continuing formation needs to develop concrete proposals to address those needs for priests currently assigned to ministry among African-American Catholics.

On the basis of discussions at the two inaugural gatherings, a set of common goals was developed for the two forums. They are:

to encourage priests of the Archdiocese in their personal commitment to continuing formation;

to provide opportunities for priests serving Hispanic and/or African-American Catholics to build more consistent relations, solidarity and priestly fellowship, both with one another and with other priests of the Philadelphia presbyterate as a whole;

to provide opportunities for these priests to socialize with one another, to share their experiences of priestly ministry and to offer each other practical resources to enrich their pastoral service;

to foster continued spiritual growth, renewal in priestly identity, and more developed pastoral skills among priests ministering to African-American Catholics might be addressed, with the support and resources of the Department of Continuing Formation for Diocesan Priests.

 

A variety of topics have been addressed during the past three years, including the following:

an afternoon gathering to discuss local opportunities for ministerial development and pastoral training for members of Hispanic parishes in the archdiocese, conducted by Msgr. Nelson Perez, director of the Catholic Institute for Evangelization in Philadelphia.

a one day program with presentations on two topics—pastoral ministry among Hispanic Catholics and evangelization outreach in Hispanic neighborhoods—conducted by Rev. Vincente Lopez, O.Carm., of Englewood, NJ;

a two-day program with presentations on three topics—a spirituality of worship for Hispanic Catholics, traditions of popular religiosity among Hispanic believers, and a spirituality for priests pastoring Hispanic Catholics—conducted by Rev. Juan Sosa of Miami.

a one-day program with presentations on two topics—the mission of the Church among urban African-Americans and white pastor/black parish community—conducted by Rev. Edward Miller of Baltimore;

a one-day program with presentations on two topics—dealing with racism in parish life and effective evangelization in African-American neighborhoods—conducted by Rev. Clarence Waldon of Indianapolis.

 

In November of 1998, the priests serving in both Hispanic and African-American communities were invited to a joint program conducted in association with the annual Parish Life Congress, at which the issue of racism and Cardinal Bevilacqua’s pastoral letter: Healing Racism Through Faith and Truth, was given special attention. A major address was delivered by Rev. Clarence Williams of the Institute for Recovery from Racisms in Detroit on the topic Living in Hope for a Church in Which All People Are Truly Welcome. In the presentation Fr. Williams addressed the issue of racial and ethnic tensions within the parish, the Church, and American society at large, and explored the larger issue of inculturation in the many multi-cultural settings in which the faith is being lived out in today’s Church. Several individual workshop sessions at Congress ’98 also dealt with topics such as implementing the Cardinal’s pastoral letter on the parish level; evangelization efforts in urban neighborhoods, and sustaining a spirit of hope while ministering in a multi-cultural setting.

The two forums also conducted a joint program in March of 1999 on the topic: Developing Community Leadership & Organizing Skills among Parishioners in an Urban Parish Setting. This program was designed to assist priests in developing community leaders from among their parishioners who are committed to and skilled in addressing the complex concerns and issues which arise in urban neighborhoods. The program was presented by a team of experienced pastors addressing the topic: Empowering Parishioners to Engage Community Concerns, and a discussion led by Mr. Steve Honeyman of the Eastern Philadelphia Organizing Project (EPOP).

In addition, in the Winter of 1997-1998, two informational programs were conducted for seminarians and for priests not currently assigned to ministry among Hispanic or African-American Catholics through a pilot program entitled: The Ministry Exchange- A Conversation among Priests about Pastoral Ministry. Each program included a panel presentation by several priests now serving either Hispanic or African-American Catholics, followed by an open discussion of these believers’ particular spiritual traditions and pastoral needs. These two programs were successful in promoting greater awareness of the need for priestly ministers committed to the Church’s mission in the urban neighborhoods of the Philadelphia area.

All in all, those who have participated regularly have responded very positively to the gatherings and in particular, frequently express their appreciation for the opportunity to meet as a group with fellow priests sharing the demands of pastoral service in an urban, multi-cultural setting. For more information about Philadelphia’s continuing information efforts for priests ministering in urban communities, contact Tom Mullin (215-587-4532).

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