Practical guidance for priests in their lifelong journey of human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation Given the demands of ministry, it can be difficult for priests to keep learning and growing without the structure of seminary life. Yet, ongoing formation is essential for effective ministry and evangelization. Written by bishops, the Guide to Ongoing Formation for Priests offers practical guidance on the lifelong pursuit of human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation for priests at every stage of their priesthood. This official text from the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is published here in print for the first time. The Guide to Ongoing Formation for Priests: Describes a holy, healthy priesthood and explains how priests can remain dedicated to lifelong learning and growing Offers solutions to common challenges of living the priesthood today, both within the Church and the wider culture Addresses ongoing formation at every stage of life, including early priesthood, the middle years, and “retirement” Organizes guidance around the four dimensions of formation: human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral Includes appendices for those involved in ongoing clergy formation at the diocesan level on the topics of recently ordained priests, evaluating when clergy need assistance, cultural considerations of formation, and boundary education The Guide to Ongoing Formation for Priests is intended to be a resource that priests review regularly, both in their development of individualized formation plans, and in discussion in spiritual direction, with colleagues, and with mentors. This new edition of the Guide features: A newly designed cover with beautiful sacred art Colored tabs with paragraph numbers at the top of each page for easy navigation Carefully designed pages to make each page readable, organized, and inviting A document summary explaining the intended audience, the document’s origin, and the purpose it seeks to serve within the mission of the Church The official text of this work written by the USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations
