In his apostolic exhortation, Christus Vivit, Pope Francis writes, “If you are to accompany others on this path, you must be the first to follow it, day in and day out” (n. 298). For those who proclaim the Gospel and teach the faith, ongoing personal formation forms part of this path.
Many dedicated lay ministers serve the People of God in our local Church, and many more proclaim the Gospel outside of formal Church settings. Thank you for your ministry and your vocation!
As a help to adults who serve in the Church, the Diocese of Cheyenne has begun an initiative to help with their ongoing formation: Discipleship Formation for Lay Leaders. This learning community aims to equip lay leaders with the spiritual, intellectual, pastoral, and personal formation to help them better serve their parishes, missions, and schools under the leadership of the clergy.
If dioceses expect parishes to invest in adult faith formation as a priority, then dioceses must do the same.
We conduct our learning through the Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation, hosted by the University of Dayton. Those who might consider this opportunity include staff or volunteers who:
The primary role of the diocese is to affirm the priority of adult faith formation and to provide leadership, personnel, services, and resources to assist parishes in developing this ministry. While the specifics of strategies will vary from diocese to diocese, it is crucial that parishes have reliable assistance from their diocesan offices in forming parish leadership, teams, and catechists for adult faith formation.