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To: Priests
From: James Schillinger, director, Ongoing Formation of Priest
The Archdiocese of Atlanta is proud to partner with the Leadership Roundtable to offer the Toolbox for Pastoral Management for pastors and future pastors from the five dioceses of the Province of Atlanta.
The Basic Plan for the Ongoing Formation of Priests states, “Pastoral formation entails the development of skills and competencies that enable priests to serve their people well. Pastoral formation is not divorced from intellectual or theological education. It is, however, the more practical side of theology … Competencies and skills by their very nature are acquired and developed through instructions, application and practice.” Ongoing formation is essential to realizing the fullness of this objective.
The Toolbox was developed in 2007 by the Leadership Roundtable and Seton Hall University and has been enormously successful in providing formation for new pastors in dioceses across the United States. Nearly 50 of our brother priests here in the archdiocese are alumni of the program. The five-day seminar is designed for new pastors or soon-to-be-pastors who understand that management skills are essential for creating and sustaining the dynamic and vibrant parish that is vital for living out the Gospel. If you would like additional information on the program, go to: https://leadershiproundtable.org/toolbox-pastoral-management.
The faculty for The Toolbox is supplied by The Leadership Roundtable. Experts will offer presentations on such topics as a theology of management, stewardship, internal financials controls, risk management, building finance and pastoral councils, as well as standards for excellence from which every parish and its pastor can benefit. All presenters are committed Catholics and not just content experts. They are experienced in presenting to priests and pay particular attention to the specific role of pastor in a parish.
The Toolbox for Pastoral Management will be held at the Ignatius House in Atlanta from January 17-21. Spaces are extremely limited and will be on a first-come first-served basis. If you would like to attend, please complete the accompanying registration form and return it no later than Wednesday, December 15. The cost for the workshop is regularly $2,000, but is being offered to priests of the Archdiocese of Atlanta for the discounted rate of $1,150.00. Funding for The Toolbox is generally the responsibility of a priest’s parish or assignment. It this presents a hardship for the parish, arrangements can be made by contacting our office.
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at jschillinger@archatl.com or Amanda Hailey at ahailey@archatl.com.