In an effort to invite current and future lay ministers to participate in the diocese’s Lay Ministry Formation Program, pastors, administrators, priest conveners and laity from across the diocese are encouraged to attend information sessions to address questions and provide specific course detail in preparation for the 2010 spring semester of the Diocese of Camden’s Lay Ministry Formation Program.
Specifically, these information sessions will be held on Wednesday evening, November 4, at 7 PM at St. Bernadette Parish Hall in Northfield and on Tuesday evening, November 10, at 7 PM at St. Mary Parish Hall in Cherry Hill.
The Lay Ministry Formation Program, with close to 300 individuals currently participating, is a major initiative to help laity from across the diocese who are already engaged in or planning to participate in parish work to obtain the educational formation specific to their area of ministry.
The program offers college and university certificate and degree courses for parish leaders and staff who serve in various pastoral ministries, including religious education/faith formation, youth and young adult ministry, adult faith formation, family life formation, Hispanic and Black Catholic ministry, social justice and liturgy. Programs also are offered for lay persons involved in pastoral administration and parish business management.
Professional institutions partnering with the Diocese of Camden in this venture are the College of St. Elizabeth (Morristown, NJ), Georgian Court University (Lakewood, NJ), the Center for Ministry Development (Naugatuck CT), the Northeast Hispanic Catholic Center (New York, NY), St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (Overbrook, PA), Neumann University (Aston, PA) and University of Dayton (Dayton, OH).
Local satellite campuses have been established by these academic institutions throughout the Camden Diocese: St. Pius X Spiritual Life Center in Blackwood, Pope John Paul II Retreat Center in Vineland, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Hall in Absecon, Romero Center in Camden, Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Atlantic City, Immaculate Conception Parish in Bridgeton, and St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral Parish in Camden.
At the above noted information sessions, all of the academic institutions will have representatives on hand to address the specifics of their programs and interact personally with individuals potentially interested in their offerings.
Additionally, information sessions for the Lay Ministry Formation Program in Spanish are being planned currently in November. Specific dates and locations will be forthcoming.
To register for these information sessions, please contact Nicole Hasson, 856.583.6123; nhasson@camdenondiocese.org.
For more information regarding these information sessions, program course descriptions or a program catalogue, see http://lmfp.camdendiocese.org/ or contact Kevin Connor, director of Lay Ministry Formation at 856.583.6122; kevin.connor@camdendiocese.org.