Priests’ convocation to focus on spiritual direction

Archbishop Gregory Aymond
Clarion Herald

More than 200 priests of the archdiocese will gather Sept. 11-13 for their annual convocation. Why is this meeting so important to our priests?

Well, there are three reasons. First, it’s an opportunity for continuing formation for priests. Second, it’s a time of prayer. And, third, it’s a time of fraternity. We’ve done this every year except for the COVID year in 2020, and gathering as a presbyterate has helped us strengthen our fraternal bonds and grow in our ministry as faithful shepherds for the people we serve. We appreciate the prayers of the entire archdiocese during our time away from parish ministry. We also appreciate parishioners’ understanding if the daily Mass schedule is affected on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of that week. Some parishes will have retired priests celebrating Mass or some will have deacons leading a Liturgy of the Word with Communion. My prayer is that this time away will bear much fruit in nurturing our priestly ministry and God’s people.

Is there a theme for this year’s convocation?

Yes, we will be discussing ways to grow as spiritual directors for the people who come to us looking for God in their lives or searching to develop a deeper relationship with the Lord. As priests, we are expected to engage in spiritual direction for ourselves, so we understand how important it is to focus on where God is in the midst of the joys and challenges of our own lives. There’s an important difference between spiritual direction and pastoral counseling. In the case of pastoral counseling, a person comes to a priest with an issue of concern in his or her life and asks for guidance on how to respond to that challenge in a way that would be Catholic Christian. The priest provides spiritual accompaniment and offers empathy and support in helping the person respond to that challenge in the light of church teaching. The priest can offer possible insight to resolve whatever the issue might be. Spiritual direction usually involves an ongoing relationship in which the spiritual director meets with a person regularly to discover more adequately the movement of God’s Spirit in the person’s life and what God would be calling the person to do and to be. It’s a process of discernment – weighing what God is asking the person to do in his or her spiritual life. Priests get some spiritual direction training in the seminary through their theological and pastoral studies, but the convocation is a way of furthering those skills as spiritual directors. Some choose to be certified in spiritual direction through the Archdiocesan Spirituality Center. The Spirituality Center offers an internship in spiritual direction for religious, deacons and laity so that they receive good training in how to serve as a spiritual director.

Who will be giving the main talks at the convocation?

The key presenters will be Father Vincent Fortunato, a Franciscan Capuchin priest who is well respected in the art of contemplative spiritual direction at the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha; Father Joseph Kelly, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York who serves as a spiritual director at Immaculate Conception Seminary Residence; and Father Mark Thibodeaux, a Jesuit priest who is the pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Church in New Orleans and who has served for many years as a spiritual director. Each of these priests has trained priests to be spiritual directors. My prayer is that their encouragement and inspiration will help us acquire new insights into caring for God’s people.

Questions for Archbishop Aymond may be sent to [email protected].