Guide to Ongoing Formation for Priests (Ascension)

GOFP 290

Guide to Ongoing Formation for Priests

Catholic population of the United States. Those same skills also have application to the interactions among clergy in rectories and in parish ministry. Second, dioceses need to consider the cultural identity of their presbyterate when selecting topics or planning programs for the clergy. This consideration benefits not only missionary clergy who were ordained in other countries, but also local clergy who might belong to a particular cultural identity within the US context. Third, the essential fraternity of a healthy presbyterate might be weakened if the clergy interact exclusively with those of their own cultural experience and viewpoint. A comprehensive ongoing formation program will seek to encourage or build those bridges between priests. BOUNDARY EDUCATION 290 Given the nature of culture, attitudes and perceptions as to proper physical and emotional boundaries are heavily influenced by a priest’s culture. Thus, boundary education (addressed in appendix D) needs to be sensitive to cultural differences among priests. For international clergy arriving for ministry in the United States, these concerns are a source of considerable anxiety. In addition to the initial orientation provided to them, this area of ongoing formation should figure into a number of settings for priests on a regular basis. INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCY 291 The polarized and highly secular US context may make this aspect of ongoing formation more difficult, as the field of intercultural competency is sometimes characterized by ideologically driven jargon and operates from an anthropology that is foreign to Catholic culture. Some of the secular work has the regrettable effect of dividing people. Some clergy may be suspicious of these efforts because of such abuses, so this aspect of ongoing formation needs to be founded

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