Office of Spirituality and Formation for Ministry

The Office of Spirituality and Formation for Ministry is an integral part of the Education and Faith Formation Office of the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina. Spirituality and Formation for Ministry collaborates with the offices of central administration and provides coordinated, thorough and consistent preparation for ministry throughout our large diocese. Spirituality and Formation for Ministry helps lay women and men to understand the process of formation, as they use their gifts and talents in becoming Missionary Disciples.

Learn More: 2018-2019 Annual Report

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 Spirituality and Formation for Ministry 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 Spirituality and Formation for Ministry 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, we will be collaborating with the Office of Stewardship and Mission Advancement to offer a retreat which deals with the Spiritual Formation pillar of our four-pillar formation program.  The first three years, we worked on Intellectual Formation studying the teachings of the church so that we could better understand the Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Tradition which are the two major sources of Divine Revelation in Catholic Theology.  Last year, we focused on Human Formation by taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator so that we could understand ourselves better and those with whom we minister.  Spiritual Formation deals with our response to God’s call to grow in holiness.  Each of us has been called by God to a vocational life choice, a vocation to serve through our ministry and a call to grow in intimacy with the Lord.  It is our desire that you grow in holiness this year by attending this retreat and learn about your charisms, discernment and how best to respond to God and to the community to which you belong and serve.  By learning the gifts of the Spirit that you have been uniquely given, you are challenged to share those gifts with others.

We are instruments of God’s grace, peace and love in the world.  As St. Theresa of Calcutta said, “we must be the eyes, the hands, the feet of Jesus in the world.”  We must be God’s agents of peace and justice and be willing to share the fruits of the Holy Spirit with others.  Your gifts or charisms will lead you to your vocational life choice and your ministry.  Each of us has been called to a unique life’s call and ministry.

Peace and All Good, Sister Kathy