Office of Ministry Formation

The Risen Lord calls everyone to labor in his vineyard, that is, in a world that must be transformed in view of the final coming of the Reign of God; and the Holy Spirit empowers all with the various gifts and ministries for the building up of the Body of Christ.
United States Catholic Bishops, Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord, 7.

The Office of Ministry Formation includes a number of programs and initiatives which support the initial and ongoing formation of the laity in living out their baptismal call to ministry. Echoing the call of the Second Vatican Council,  Pope Benedict XVI has reminded us that the ultimate goal of such programs and initiatives is to assist the entire Church to see lay men and women as “co-responsible for the Church’s being and action” (Address to the Ecclesial Convention of the Diocese of Rome, May 2009).

The principal responsibilities of the Office of Ministry Formation are:

The Kateri Institute for Lay Ministry Formation (a new entity that combines the work of Formation for Ministry Program/FMP and the Certificate for Designated Ministry Program/CDM)
The diocesan Distance Learning Initiative
The annual Autumn Diocesan Gathering (formerly the Parish Convening)
Administration of the Diocesan Pastoral Council