About Us
Seminar: Formation for Mission and Ministry
Formation for Mission and Ministry is a staff-development process for all chancery, parish and Catholic Charities staffs who minister in the Diocese of Charleston which includes the entire state. Our shepherd, Bishop Gugliomone, recognizing the role of the laity in the church established Pastoral Formation under the Education and Faith Formation Secretariat in August of 2016. At that time, our bishop was responding and recognizing the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the great Ecumenical Council Vatican II. One of the sixteen documents of Vatican II was the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, Apostolicam Actuiositatem.
His Holiness, Pope Paull VI promulgated the document and in its Introduction, one reads about the “proper and indispensable role of the laity in the mission of the Church.” The Christian vocation by its very nature is a vocation to the Apostolate.” #2. The laity’s major duty is union with Christ.
The four major areas of formation are: human, intellectual, spiritual and pastoral. The Office of Pastoral Formation developed a three-year curriculum in the area of intellectual formation and theological updating for primarily two audiences: Catholics and those of other faith traditions. The Bishop felt it was important for staff to understand the basic tenets of our faith so that when people come to our doors, we will know how to respond to their questions and how best to help them.
This year (2018-2019), Pastoral Formation is concentrating on Human Formation which aims at developing the mature, healthy human qualities that mark a truly faithful person. Virtues such as temperance and prudence, character formation, wellness and interpersonal abilities are all part of developing in the area of one’s human formation.
All staff will be taking the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator during the session, thanks to the very generous grant of the Bikulege Family Foundation. May each of us continually yearn to individually grow and cooperate with God’s mission of spreading the Good News as Missionary Disciples of the Lord. Peace and All Good. Sister Kathy