Rev. W. Shawn McKnight, S.T.D.
Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations
www.usccb.org/priestlyformation
 Pope Benedict XVI called for improved
homilies
 Sacramentum Caritatis
 Verbum Domini
 Formal Statement approved at the
November 2012 Plenary Assembly
 Directed to priests, deacons & those
involved with the initial and ongoing
formation of clergy
 Expands upon Fulfilled in Your Hearing
 Explicit encouragement for doctrinal &
catechetical preaching
 Addresses challenges for the homilist in our
present context:
 Growing social diversity & polarization
 Secularism
 Commercialism/Individualism
 Largely uncatechized assembly
“The Church’s rich
theological, doctrinal and
catechetical tradition
must therefore properly
inform the preaching
task in its liturgical
setting, for Jesus Christ
must be proclaimed in a
new way and with new
urgency.”
 CCLV Conference for
teachers of homiletics
 June 24-25, 2013
 at Notre Dame
 no cost for registration
 free use of airconditioned residence
rooms on campus.
Preaching the
Mystery of
Faith:
A USCCB
Conference for
Teachers of
Homiletics
 Youth involvement in Church is
critical for vocations;
 Low encouragement reported from
youth/young adult/ campus
ministers;
 Underrepresentation of
Hispanic/Latinos and strong
representation of Asians.
 Trending younger still; average 34.6,
median 31
 27% have college debt; average
$21,125, median $18,000
PERCENTAGE OF HISPANICS
BY GENERATION
 Consultation held at the USCCB
in June 2011
 15 psychologists, seminary &
diocesan officials, canon &
civil lawyers
 Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Use of
Psychology in Admissions
Chapter 3: The Process of
Admissions
Chapter 4: Record Retention
& Other Legal Concerns
Glossary: Definition of
Terms
First chapter on the use
of psychology in the
admissions process
under review
Chapters on the
process for admissions,
canonical and legal
concerns, and glossary
of terms still to come.
 Program of Priestly Formation, 5th edition,
expires December 2015
 Consultation has begun with key
constituencies
 NCDVD
 NACS
 MATS
 FSSD
 Rectors
 Preliminary review of the PPF
 Request for Rectors to review the
current PPF, 290-367
 Identify norms that need emendation,
if any
 Highlight difficult norms for which
special resources should be made
available
Annual Surveys of Priestly Formation
2011:
Catholic Social Teaching Formation /
Intercultural Competency Training
2012:
Formation for Evangelization &
Catechesis
2013:
Liturgical & Spiritual Formation
2014:
Homiletic & Pastoral Formation
2015:
Admissions & Human Formation
• Guidelines for Receiving Pastoral Ministers in the United
States, Revised Edition (USCCB Publication, 2003).
• Seminar on Policy & Procedure for the Reception of
International Clergy & Seminarians, Parresia Project, NCEA &
Sacred Heart Institute, Huntington, NY April 24-26, 2013.
• Welcoming, Screening and Preparing International Clergy &
Seminarians, St. John Vianney Center & CCLV, San Diego, CA,
June 10, 2013.
Request from USCCB Communications
• Suggest 1 or 2 men in 2013 ordination class
who could write a 500-600 word blog on
their dreams for the priesthood.
• What do they see themselves doing and
include a bit about their own background.
• Send a simple e-mail to Sr. Mary Ann Walsh
(mwalsh@usccb.org) giving the seminarian’s
name, a bit of interesting background, and
the seminarian’s e-mail address.
• Submit information by February 8.