Diocesan priests at an international course.

January 20, 2010. During this Year for Priests, many Regnum Christi members and teams have embraced resolutions to support our diocesan priests and bishops. For those who are looking for additional resources, the Legion of Christ has a wide range of initiatives that have proven to be helpful, ranging from ePriest homily packs to topical seminars to retreats and pilgrimages in Rome and the Holy Land.

We invite you to take a look at the list below to see if some of these programs or initiatives would meet the specific needs of your pastor or bishop. Perhaps some of the programs could be on a pastor’s wish list… after all, who wouldn’t want to go to Rome for the closing ceremonies of the Year for Priests with Pope Benedict XVI?

There is also the possibility of group fundraising so as to offer the bishop a scholarship for one or several of his priests to attend some of these events. The sky’s the limit!

RESOURCE: ePriest.com website

What it offers: ePriest offers weekly Homily Packs, parish Best Practices, and the support of online forums.

Homily Packs offer ingredients for an effective homily with lesson ideas drawn from the Sunday liturgy, illustrations and applications. They also include preaching tips and, for those who need help ministering to Hispanic congregations, “ready-made” Spanish language homilies.

Best

	ePriest, a Resource for Catholic Priest.

Practices are profiles of successful ministry practices currently working in real parishes. They touch all sectors of parish life including sacraments, outreach, faith formation, family, youth, vocation promotion, administration and finance and ongoing priestly formation.

Forums offer the possibility of online fellowship with other English-speaking diocesan priests around the world.

As of January 1, 2010, ePriest has over 6,400 registered clergy users worldwide, of which 70% are from the United States. More than half are registered as diocesan priests, one sixth as permanent deacons, one fifth as religious priests, and the rest are seminarians, other religious and bishops.

What priests are saying:
“Thank you so much for a great [ePriest] web site, and especially for the help with the Spanish homilies. I´m one of those priests in a mission diocese who has almost too much to cover, and so your web site comes at a great time in helping me, especially with homily ideas. I´ll pass the site along. This is a true blessing, and I appreciate your dedication and important apostolate.” Fr. Greg Plata, OFM, Greenwood, MS

Find out more: www.epriest.com 

RESOURCE: Sacerdos Courses and Seminars

What it offers: Courses and seminars in collaboration with other Catholic institutions, such as:

1.     The Priestly Ministry and the Psychological Sciences seminar, featuring Fr Benedict Groeschel: a 3-day seminar (April 14-16) offered in the New York City area, in conjunction with the Institute for the Psychological Sciences (IPS).

2.     A 3-day seminar (August 3- 5) entitled “Helping Christians to Grow Psychologically and Spiritually,” featuring Fr Benedict Groeschel. Offered in Bethesda, Maryland in conjunction with IPS.

3.     A 10-day Bioethics Summer Course (June 28-July 9) offered on the campus of the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum College in Rome.

4.     A 5-day Exorcism Course (April 19-24) offered on the campus of the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum College in Rome.

What priests are saying:
"I learned very valuable information which will help me in my role as a seminary formator. I especially appreciated the review of the anthropological foundations and also the presentations on Discerning Psychological Problems." Fr. Brett A. Brannen, Vice Rector, Mount St. Mary´s Seminary

Find out more: View the specific links above or click on Courses and Seminars.

RESOURCE: Sacerdos Retreats and Spiritual Exercises

What it offers: 4, 8, and 30-day retreats for priests in

	Diocesan priests concelebrating Mass at the course for seminary formators in Italy.

the San Jose and New York City areas. Visit link below for dates and locations.

What priests are saying:
“The setting was inspiring; the retreat reflections were very suited to the group of priests, and the time for silence, private and communal devotions and the support of the community was of great benefit.” Fr. Mike Fitzpatrick, Archdiocese of Omaha, NE

"I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity of making two retreats at Thornwood and I have found them to be an excellent means of renewal for my priesthood. The Ignatian method, combined with the atmosphere of silence, I find gives me a great opportunity to deepen my personal relationship with God.” Fr. Kevin Maloney, Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Ontario, Canada

Find out more: Sacerdos Retreats and Spiritual Exercises

RESOURCE: Spiritual Renewal Course for Priests at the Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center (July 12-31)

What it offers: A 3-week priestly pilgrimage with guest speakers and workshops, as well as trips to the main sites in the Holy Land.

What priests are saying:
“My experiences at the Priest Renewal Course in

	The priests concelebrate Mass at one of the holy sites in Israel.

the Holy Land have really made a positive impact on my spiritual life and priestly ministry. First of all, simply spending time at table in conversation with 65 priests from 25 countries was to encounter priestly fraternity in a unique and invigorating manner and was a vivid reminder of the universality of Catholicism. Secondly, the theological lectures and opportunities for discussion and feedback served to feed an intellectual hunger that had arisen in my life as a parish priest. Finally, and most importantly, to walk in the footsteps of the High Priest Jesus Christ and to offer the Mass where the pivotal moments of His life and ministry occurred was an honor which defies explanation. To be in the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus in His land is an opportunity that no priest should pass by!” Rev. Michael Caridi, Diocese of Pittsburg, PA

Find out more: Renewal Course

RESOURCE: Pilgrimage to Rome for International Encounter of Priests (June 9-11) with Pope Benedict XVI in Rome.

What it offers:  Five possible pilgrimage itineraries.

• Package 1: June 7 – 11. Rome.
• Package 2: June 5 – 11. Rome - Manopello – San Giovanni Rotondo – Rome.
• Package 3: June 3 – 11. Rome – Assisi – Loreto - San Giovanni Rotondo – Pietrelcina – Rome.
• Package 4: June 2 – 11. Paris – Ars – Paray le Monial – Lourdes – Rome.
• Package 5: June 3 – 11. Tel Aviv – Jerusalem – Bethlehem – Ein Karem – Jerusalem – Tiberias – Nazareth – Rome.

What priests are saying:
“Attending the Sacerdos Pilgrimage to walk the final steps of St. Paul and close the Pauline Year in Rome was a great blessing for me. The joy of my companion priests gave us all sense of being brothers united in our ministry as presbyters and members of Christ’s Church. Seeing and standing where St. Paul spent his last days on earth, and then gave his life for the faith, motivated me to rise to the occasion our Lord lays before me each time I spread the Holy Word of God and administer the Holy Sacraments. Every priest can use a time such as this pilgrimage to recover a clearer identity of his priesthood. It was great a blessing for me. Thank you Sacerdos!” Fr Luis Rodriguez, Diocese of Harrisburg, PA

Find out more: Year for Priests Encounter with Pope Benedict

RESOURCE: Spanish Immersion Course for Priests (June 15-July 30)

What it offers: An intensive 7-week Spanish language and culture course in Mexico City for North American priests and seminarians ministering to

	A Curso 2008 participant with some new friends from the local parish.

Hispanic flocks.

What priests are saying:
"I found the Curso de Hispanidad to be extremely valuable. Its pastoral focus on priestly ministry to Latinos in the United States was right on target. The language study was challenging without being overly burdensome. The information on Hispanic culture and religious experience were particularly useful. As I celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe this year I recognize that without my participation in the Curso de Hispanidad I would be at the periphery of this observance rather than at its heart, which is where I want to be. And, in addition to all of that, the times for prayer and fellowship with my brother-priests was a great blessing." Bishop Allen H. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit

Find out more: Spanish Immersion Course

RESOURCE: International Seminary Formators Course for those involved in the formation of diocesan priests (June 26-July 30)

What it offers: A month-long formation course in Italy tailored to the needs of seminary formators, including bishops, rectors, spiritual directors, and other seminary personnel.

What priests are saying:

"This course was not just instruction of how I should form the seminarians. It is something that helped me to see how I am and what I should be. The ideals proposed for the formation of future priests serve as reference for my own life. Meeting priests from different parts of the world and discussing their problems and their solutions was also very enriching." Fr Thomas W. Fissuh (Adigrat, ETHIOPIA)

Find out more: Seminary Formators Course 

In addition to these specific opportunities, the Legion also sponsors two diocesan seminaries at the service of diocesan bishops from around the world: the Maria Mater Ecclesiae International Pontifical College in Rome, and its sister college in Sao Paolo, Brazil. For more information, visit the PCIMME  informational page.

All of these resources are a treasure trove of opportunity for priests—and they can be freely offered to those who might be interested in participating. We encourage all our Regnum Christi members and friends to feel free to share this information with their local pastors, and to keep all our priests in prayer.