Lay Ministry Formation Class

Once again I get the chance to do some work in my job as Teacher in the Archdiocese. The invitation to come and give a class for the Lay Ministry Formation program was a very welcome one for me. This program has been very successful over the years and is well into its third decade of forming lay people to carry out their mission in the church and in the world.


Here you see some of the great people who give a weekend a month for nine months over three years to get this training.

The program is focused on forming Catholic men and women to live out their baptismal commitment in a profound and balanced way in their everyday lives. There is a strong emphasis on the integration of knowledge, spirituality and community. The program began in 1980 and has been strengthening the Church in the Archdiocese of Regina over all these years. You can find more detailed information on this important part of our diocesan church life on the Archdiocese of Regina web page http://www.archregina.sk.ca/LayMinistry.htm

Since one of the foundational teachings of the program is living out our baptismal calling, I took the opportunity to speak on the meaning of the baptismal priesthood of the laity and how we are called to live that priesthood so that all the world will one day be in communion with our Risen Saviour, and indeed all creation will be made one in the love of God made known to us in Christ.

Here I am with two of the Archdiocesan staff who put on the formation program, Bonnie Thiele Hunt who is Coordinator of the John Paul II Office of Adult Education and Faith Formation and Judy Zolc who leads the Lay Ministries Formation Program.

The Church can only be strengthened as more and more of the faithful deepen their knowledge of our relationship with Christ as members of His Body, the Church and understand more clearly the teaching of Jesus and its meaning in our lives. The Lay Ministry Formation Program is a great richness in our diocese which helps bring this about.

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