SPREADING
CHEER — Young members of St. Maximilian
Kolbe Parish dressed in first Communion attire, sprinkle
flower petals
during the outdoor procession to mark the feast of The
Body and Blood of Christ. (Catholic Herald photo by
James Pearson)
ST. FRANCIS — A commission
appointed recently by Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan
has begun studying the way the archdiocese prepares
and forms men for the priesthood and diaconate,
and lay men and women for lay ministries. The focus
of the commission’s work will be on Saint
Francis Seminary, where the formation of clergy
and lay ministers takes place.
The commission plans to present its findings to the archbishop by Jan. 1, 2005.
Fr. Daniel Pakenham, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Elm Grove and rector of Saint
Francis Seminary from 1979-1992, is chair of the eight-person Commission for
Ministerial Formation.
“First of all, we will gather information ... on what are the best ways
we can have preparation and formation” of clergy and lay ministers, said
Fr. Pakenham. “Secondly, how do we really assess the resources available
to us, which are personnel, financial, and physical. And consequently, how will
that affect Saint Francis Seminary, which has been our diocesan center for formation
for church ministries.”
