by Susan Cook Northway SALT LAKE CITY — Recently the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops noted that; "for several decades and in growing numbers, lay men and women have been undertaking a wide variety of roles in Catholic Church ministries." Today over 32,000 ministers work at least 20 hours per week in parishes in the United States. These followers of Christ are composed of "every race and culture who serve in parishes, schools, diocesan agencies, and Catholic Church institutions [and] are identified by many different position titles." In the 2005 document, "Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord," this group is identified as "lay ecclesial ministers." According to "Lumen Gentium" (The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, promulgated by Pope Paul VI, November 1964): "…all Christians in whatever state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity, and this holiness is conducive to a more human way of living even in society here on earth." The late Holy Father John Paul II observed that the living out of a call to holiness of the laity is "an undeniable requirement arising from the very mystery of the Church." For lay people, the call to holiness comes out of the Sacraments of Initiation. The laity is called forth to "cooperate with their pastors in the service of the ecclesial community." Their ministry is ecclesial because "it is a participation in the threefold ministry of Christ, who is priest, prophet, and king." A key way of understanding how this service differs from that of the ordained minister is to understand that the call itself is fundamentally different. For the ordained, the call to ministry within the Church comes from the Sacrament of Ordination, rather than from the Sacraments of Initiation. In faithful support of the Church’s tradition and theological foundations, the Diocese of Salt Lake City has been carefully studying the suggestions and guidelines put forth by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in "Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord." Under the direction of the Office of Religious Education and in cooperation with the Office of Hispanic Ministry, a lay ecclesial task force has set forth recommendations for a three year formation program targeting lay leaders in our diocese. The lay ecclesial ministry formation program will follow the document’s guidelines by providing for the intellectual, human, pastoral, and spiritual development of participants. The diocese’s intention is to provide a top level theological education for leaders of the Catholic Church in Utah, We chose to partner with the University of Notre Dame Satellite Theological Education Program. It offers adults online theology courses that are developed by professors at the University of Notre Dame. Courses are highly affordable and the schedule accommodates people who are balancing the demands of family, employment, and service to the Church. Participants will receive training and supervision in pastoral practice plus days of spiritual and human development. The estimated cost of the program is $325 per participant per year. Further information and applications for admission to the lay ecclesial ministry formation program are available by calling 801-328-8641 Ext. 326 or through the website: http:// www.dioslc.org. The deadline for completed admission materials for the 2006 program is August 2. Northway is director of religious education for the Diocese of Salt Lake City.
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