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Preparation Course for Entering Pastoral Ministry in the UK
For whom is this course? Priests, religious and lay people who come from Abroad.
Venue: Institute of St Anselm, Cliftonville, Margate
When? 2012 (whilst regular courses are running).
Duration: 6 weeks from either 3rd January 2012, 19th April 2012 or 25th September 2012
Goal: Preparation for Pastoral Ministry in the UK
Tools to achieve the goal:
I) Exploration of cultural differences from the country each participant comes from and the UK. This will be carried out on an individual or group level.
II) Living in a multicultural setting as a member of a community – male and female - where interactions are monitored on a weekly basis at the leader’s meeting.
Each community prepares the liturgy weekly and participants who are priests will have the opportunity to officiate at the Eucharistic Celebration in the Institute.
III) Lecture on pastoral settings and activity in the UK
IV) Saturday and Sunday working in a Parish chosen by the Bishop or Vicar General to become aware of diocesan differences from the participant’s homeland. After every weekend each participant writes a journal on his or her personal experience -
1) Thoughts which came up
2) Emotions experienced and how those emotions were used;
3) Value judgements which came spontaneously and what he or she made of them;
4) What adjustments are necessary on various personal levels to make the pastoral ministry fruitful for the participant and the parishioners?
5) What areas of personal spirituality need to be developed?
- Growth in love by being less judgemental?
- Growth in becoming more flexible?
- Growth in maintaining healthy boundaries?
- Growth in communication skills?
- Growth in self-awareness?
- Growth in discovering, accepting and appreciating different cultural pastoral settings?
For example, the participant may come from a background where he or she is surrounded constantly by people but now has to live alone in the parish house. Is this an undue burden or a setting for developing a deeper relationship with God? Will the participant be able to cope with loneliness?
The parish priest will receive a questionnaire which he is asked to fill in and return to the Institute. This will help the Institute to support the participant in observing perceptions of self, parish priest and parishioners and initiate changes where necessary. For example, there may be an authority problem with the parish priest. This may be due to relationships with authority figures in the past. The participant can be assisted to break this transference so that he or she is able to live and relate to the present situation rather than the past.
This questionnaire will contain questions including boundaries, clarity of speech for homilies and being understood by parishioners, ability to mix with people of all walks of life and cultures.
V) Various other activities:
- Following a variety of lectures that foster going deeper in pastoral ministry, such as the art of listening, empathy, forgiveness etc.
- Some lectures will be geared towards looking at the loss experience of the participant’s own cultural background, family, friends, and familiar surroundings, and at the secularism of our society in so far as it impacts on the participant and the pastoral ministry in the UK.
- Weekly one-to-one sessions for the purpose of personal growth.
- Weekly personal Growth Groups.
- Weekly skills practice to acquire more pastoral skills and deepen those the participant already has.
Length of Course:
This will depend very much on the needs of the participant.
Since personal adjustments are necessary, six weeks are planned to achieve these. In certain situations more time may be necessary, depending on the life experiences a participant may have had without even being aware of the impact these experiences have had on his or her life and pastoral activities.
Cost: £ 1,680 for six weeks including full board and lodging.
(6 weeks from: either 3rd January 2012 or 13th April 2012 or 25th September 2012)
Other practical questions to be addressed before entering pastoral ministry:
Is the participant expected to cook for his or herself? If so, can he or she manage it?
Does the participant know how the emergency services work, for example for calling a doctor?
What should the participant do if there is a problem in the house such as a leak?
Does the participant know how to manage finance?
Does the participant know how to budget for his or her own needs and those of the parish?
Has the participant learned to be accountable?
Are there structures to support him or her in these areas?
Will the participant have a chance to be an assistant for some time to pick up these areas of learning?
Hopefully whilst following the course at the Institute, the participant will learn to wash up, keep his room tidy, in case he or she has not been used to that.
Who will support the participant, and to whom can he or she turn if personal, pastoral or practical problems are encountered?
Certain legal aspects in this country may be different from the participant’s own country. Who will introduce the participant to these differences?
English Language:
If the participant’s knowledge of English is not good enough, he or she could stay at the Institute, follow a language course outside and get acclimatised to the multicultural setting of the Institute and the working place.
Application Form: Word Format
Application Form: PDF
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