National Directory

156

ORGANIZATION, STRUCTURE, AND PERSONNEL FOR DIACONAL FORMATION

Director of Spiritual Formation 11

286. The director of spiritual formation assists the director of formation by coordinating the entire spiritual formation program, giving it unity and direction. He provides for the individual spiritual direction of each aspirant and candidate. He also may serve as a spiritual director for an aspirant and/or candidate. He provides an orientation to the spiritual dimension in aspirant and candidate formation to other spiritual direc tors, who have been chosen by the aspirants or candidates with the approval of the diocesan bishop. 12 The director of spiritual formation provides for the liturgical life and prayer of the aspirant and candidate communities, making appropriate provision for the celebration of the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours, and opportunities to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance in formation gatherings. He is also respon sible for retreats and days of recollection, ensuring that they are well planned and carefully executed. The director of spiritual formation, who must be a priest, 13 is nominated by the director of formation and is approved and appointed by the diocesan bishop. 287. The director of spiritual formation must be dedicated to the Church’s diakonia and particularly knowledgeable of the diaconate and its mis sion within the Church. He should possess formal training in spir ituality and related areas, including ascetical and mystical theology, pastoral counseling, and referral skills. 288. An integral formation must relate the human, spiritual, and intellec tual dimensions to pastoral practice. “The whole formation imparted [to aspirants and candidates for the diaconate] . . . aims at preparing them to enter into communion with the charity of Christ. . . . Hence their formation in its different aspects must have a fundamentally pas toral character.” 14 To ensure that all pastoral formation experiences are Coordinator of Pastoral Formation