Certificate in pastoral Supervision for Missionary Discipleship

• Using Percorso Parish software, all participants will be coached in utilizing a Collaborative Ministry Assessment tool, helping them track their progress in the various benchmarks needed to be a healthy parish team capable of accompanying a transitional deacon.
• Once the transitional deacon arrives, they will be brought into this system with an ongoing assessment of Vocational Synthesis Stage benchmarks outlined by the Program for Priestly Formation, 6th edition.
• All of this important data will be accessible to the Bishop, Vocation Director, and Pastor.
• By the end of Module 3, having received personal interior formation and new tools and resources for integrated ministry, the parish will have a foundational readiness to receive the transitional deacon.

• Fr. Luke Ballman, S.T.L. Pastor, Archdiocese of Atlanta, GA
• Fr. Jake Beltran, D. Min., S.T.B. Vice-Rector, University of Saint Mary of the Lake / Mundelein Seminary, Mundelein, IL
• Fr. Steven Borello, M. Div. Vocation Director, Diocese of Joliet, IL
• Deacon Charles Durban, M.A. Senior Deacon, St. Anselm Parish, Creve Coeur, MO
• Fr. James Duggan, Ph. B., S.T.L. National Director for the Vocational Synthesis, Catholic Bishops Conference of Scotland
• Fr. Brian Gross, M. Div. Pastor, Diocese of Bismarck, ND
• Fr. Tony Lackland, M. Div. Pastor, Diocese of Dallas, TX
• Fr. Elmer Romero, M. Div. Pastor, Archdiocese of Chicago, IL
• Fr. Dennis Spies, S.T.L. Director of Pre-Theology; Formation Advisor, University of Saint Mary of the Lake / Mundelein Seminary, Mundelein, IL

• Fr. John Riccardo Missionary, ACTS XXIX
• Mary Guilfoyle Missionary, ACTS XXIX
• Albert Faraj Missionary, ACTS XXIX
• Rick Popp Missionary, ACTS XXIX 

• Recommitting our lives and priesthood to the Holy Spirit as primary formator
• Recapturing the attitude of the Apostles in responding to the Holy Spirit
• Acquiring a renewed mind for the era in which we are living
• Immersing in three essential principles for transformation in the Church

• Fr. Andrew Turner, S.T.L., D. Min. (Rector, St. Mary’s Seminary, Cleveland, OH)
• Sr. Marysia Weber, R.S.M., Ph.D., D.O. (Vice President of Mission and Ministry, Saint Francis Health System, Tulsa, OK

• Mentoring: Building Formative Environments
• The ‘How To’ and Skills of Accompaniment
• Fostering Communion in the Parish

• Dr. Suzanne Baars, Ph.D., L.P.C-S., L.M.F.T., L.C.D.C. (Baars Institute and Director of In His Image Counseling Services, Irving, TX)
• Mr. Paul Ruff, M.A., L.P. (Faculty, St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, MN)

• St. Thomas Aquinas’ understanding of human passions and affectivity
• The role of psychology in parish formation
• Psychological issues and remedies (e.g., family of origin, psycho-sexual, affective maturity)

• Fr. John Riccardo Missionary, ACTS XXIX
• Mary Guilfoyle Missionary, ACTS XXIX
• Albert Faraj Missionary, ACTS XXIX
• Rick Popp Missionary, ACTS XXIX 

• The Kerygma – Foundation of All Formation
• Beholding the face of Christ: pastoral charity and service
• Discipling and Evangelization through beauty 

By sending pastors and their designees to the “Certificate in Pastoral Supervision,” bishops can equip the parishes with knowledge and resources for this formative task. Supported by innovative online assessments, bishops and vocational directors receive regular reports that provide clear data on the progress of the transitional deacon. This empowers bishops and vocation directors to clearly discern first assignments for the presbyteral candidates.

 "The vocational synthesis stage takes place outside the Seminary building, consolidated within a concrete reality, within his own ecclesiastical entity...This provides for a particular formation which most seminaries cannot offer. While every seminary should be capable of forming men to become priests, most seminaries cannot form men to be priests of their own particular ecclesiastical entity" (PPF 139).

The seminary initially determines the transitional deacon's readiness for priestly ministry by completing an assessment of his growth towards the benchmarks of the Vocational Synthesis Stage. Seminaries may also offer opportunities for ongoing formation and pastoral practicum experiences. While local seminaries can assist the process through occasional ongoing formation opportunities for the deacons and pastoral supervisors, most seminaries cannot offer the international reach and comprehensive formation, practical tools, and diverse fraternal support that the Seminary Formation Council provides.

Throughout their attendance in the program, the pastor and his staff will see measurable progress that demonstrates a healthy parish environment capable of accompanying a transitional deacon. While the development of the parish is an ongoing journey, the bishop can now confidently assign deacon(s) into this formative context. Even parishes that already have a reputable ministry environment would greatly benefit from the program because they would receive the specific formation needed for accompaniment and the important ability to measure their strengths and growth areas.

The Vocational Synthesis Stage begins following ordination to the transitional diaconate. Once a bishop places the new deacon in a pastoral assignment an online benchmark assessment is completed by the seminary in which the deacon studied prior to ordination and sent to the pastor. This assessment provides a summary of the strengths and growth areas for the deacon across twelve components of readiness for priestly ministry. It also presents the deacon’s strength-growth status for all Vocational Synthesis Stage benchmarks based on the four dimensions of priestly formation. This report allows the pastor and deacon to set goals for the assignment, to measure progress towards proficiency, to provide updates to the bishop and vocational director on his progress. With access to clear qualitative and quantitative data, “the suitability of the man for the conferral of the Order of Priesthood is now judged by those responsible in his diocese of incardination, religious institute, or society of apostolic life” (c. 1030). Participation in the Certificate for Pastoral Supervision and use of the resources and tools allows those responsible to determine “that the candidate for the priesthood is ready to assume the teaching, sanctifying, and governing mission of Christ” (PPF, 176).

Yes, absolutely. While it is primarily directed at those preparing for the Vocational Synthesis stage, our program is designed to empower parish leadership to be priestly formators in various pastoral assignments.