FROM THE MAIL: WRITER WARNS ON (Catholic) FORMATION GROUP

SpiritDaily ^ | December 5, 2004

[NYer]

Dear Spirit Daily,

I recently graduated from the Pastoral Formation Institute, which is sponsored by the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York.  The overhead goal of this institute is to educate and empower lay faithful to assume more active roles in Our Church.  The reality, however, is somewhat different.  This institute has been hijacked by a select few, whose agenda appears to be the systematic dismantling of centuries - old Catholic teachings in favor of an entirely secular and un-Catholic agenda.

            Attached is a letter which I’d like you to publish anonymously.  Please contact me by either phone or email prior to anonymous publication.  Thank you for your efforts to safeguard sacred Catholic tradition.  May God bless you: 

The ‘Pastoral Formation Institute’ of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, propagates teachings dangerous to our Catholic faith” 

      In a recent anonymous letter to the Editor of the Spirit Daily, a graduate of the Pastoral Formation Institute of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, wrote about numerous, erroneous and un-Catholic teachings. 

      “I graduated from the two – year Pastoral Formation Institute slightly over one year ago.  At that time I had initially applied for and fully intended to pursue a third year specialized course of study – called a third year track, i.e. youth ministry, marriage ministry, RCIA, etc.  However, I never followed up regarding my original intention because of what I had encountered in the P.F.I.  It pains me deeply to write about this situation, but failure to stand up for our faith is a terrible sin of omission.  I’ve carefully considered my obligation to defend our faith via this letter for a considerable time.  I hope and pray that, by so writing, I may help promote positive reform in this institute.  I want the P.F.I. to be reformed, not destroyed.

      The stated objective of the Pastoral Formation Institute remains the education and empowerment of Catholic laity.  Lay people are thereby enabled to assume leadership roles in Our Church.  In an abstract, objective sense, this concept is not objectionable.  The reality is that the Pastoral Formation Institute is driven by a radical, pro- feminist and secular few who present un – Catholic teachings, many of which I will list below. 

      Our Lord’s Real Presence in the Eucharist was repeatedly denigrated, as was the Catholic Priesthood, the Blessed Mother and The Holy Rosary.  The line between the priest and lay minister was repeatedly blurred – to such a large extent that the two positions became virtually interchangeable.  Holy Orders were repeatedly attacked and denigrated.  ‘Female priestesses’ were also proposed – on more than one occasion.

The sacrifice of Our Lord on Calvary was openly attacked by repeated statements by instructors that all the world’s religions were ‘different roads up the same mountain.’  Other religions were presented as being equal to the Catholic Church founded by Jesus Christ.  Our religion was minimized, while other religions were praised.

      The attacks, which trouble me to this day, involve attacks upon the holy sacrifice of the Mass.  One instructor stated that a priest, who says mass alone, without the community present, does not completely transform the Eucharist into the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.  The mystical presence of Our Lord in our faith communities was repeatedly confused with and presented as equal to His real and actual presence in the Holy Eucharist.  Our Lord’s passion was actually denigrated, instead of being praised and propagated.

Numerous, age – old Catholic teachings were distorted to the point of actual rejection thereof.  The notion that a priest is fine for confession if we desire, but NOT necessary for absolution, was actually taught.  Additionally, I was informed by fellow students that one instructor actually promoted blessing and the inherent desirability of homosexual marriages, and that another instructor had stated that St. Luke was actually female.  True Catholic dogma was never presented. 

I was informed that a former P.F.I. graduate has now completely lost her faith in the Catholic Church.  She was so confused that she did not know what to believe.  This is one example of a byproduct of the P.F.I.’s teachings.  Our Church should have been promoted, and not repeatedly belittled.

      In the middle of terrible scandals in our Church in the United States, I am forced to wonder what the true intentions of these instructors may be.  Is it their intent to dismantle everything Catholic, which we hold to be true tenants of our faith?  I hope and pray that my faith is not diminished over the course of years as a result of this course of (mis)instruction.  The initial intentions of P.F.I. instructors and of its leadership may be appropriate in an objective sense, but the actual fruit and attendant byproducts of the Pastoral Formation Institute are terrible.  I feel sorry for the men who went on to Diaconate studies, of which the P.F.I. composed the first two years.  I hope they receive accurate teachings and true Catholic dogma.  The P.F.I. has trained over two thousand lay people over the years, who have subsequently trained and potentially (& unintentionally) misled others.  Please pray that no one else is hurt by the misguided and distorted teaching of the Pastoral Formation Institute and please pray for and support our Bishop in his struggle to maintain sound, orthodox Catholic teaching.”

[NYer]

Welcome to the Pastoral Formation Institute

[NYer]

Here is the Scranton site. Check out the Course Offerings here.

DIOCESE OF SCRANTON

[netmilsmom]

Wow! It all sounds like the Education Committee of my old church!

If people want a Protestant church, they will go to one. Catholics need to stop trying to be Protestant churches. Get back to the basics and people will come.

To all...pray for those who are in these "Catholic Communities". Pray for all those who want a Catholic Church and are given Catholic Light. I am so happy to be home in my new parish, I wish everyone could be the same!!!!

[DBeers]

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Commission on Certification and Accreditation
 
Accredited CPE Centers
2004 - 2005

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Commission on Certification and Accreditation (USCCB/CCA) serves as an accrediting agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, establishes accreditation standards, policies, and procedures, and accredits quality ministry formation programs that prepare people for ministry. The USCCB/CCA also establishes and approves certification standards and procedures for the certification of specialized ecclesial ministers by arch/dioceses and organizations.

Ministry Formation Program -- Accredited
Office of Laity and Family
Pastoral Formation Institute
Diocese of Rockville Center
P.O. Box 9023
Rockville Center, NY 11571-9023
Phone: 516-678-5800, ext. 539
Fax: 516-536-3473
E-mail: lhanley@drvc.org

The Pastoral Formation Institute of the Diocese of Rockville Center offers a three-year ministry formation program which involves lay men and women in an integrated process of spiritual, theological, and psychological development, leading to the establishment of a skilled and confident corps of leaders for family, community, and church ministry. The first two years consist of core formation and education that is based in experiential learning. During this period, participants attend weeknights or Saturday classes and three workshop weekends per year, for a total of more than 400 hours of prayer, study, and faith sharing each year. The third year offers a choice of ministry tracks which featrues class work, theological reflection groups, mentor assistance, and a supervised practicum. Ministry leadership tracks offer specialization in small Christian communities; parish social ministry; the Rite of the Christian Initiation of Adults; pastoral care of the sick; spiritual growth; tribunal advocacy; evangelization; prison ministry, ministry to the third age, catechetical, family, and youth ministry stewardship; bereavement, and marriage preparation and enrichment. Approximately 260 participants are enrolled in the program. Various colleges are granting credits to graduates of the program. Religious from many communities come to the program for a renewal experience and some congregations send novices for initial formation. Men who apply for diaconal studies must be graduates in good standing of the Pastoral Formation Institute. Please direct inquiries to Sr. Lauren Hanley, C.S.J., program director, of Mrs. Claire Stiglic, Assistant Director.

 

[ultima ratio]

What have traditionalists been saying all along? The New Church proposes a different religion--and this has been more than tolerated by the Holy See for four decades. It is indisputable that Rome has advanced this kind of apostasy even as it has aggressively punished those favoring tradition. It has even dared to award red hats to heretics while casting doubt on the ministries of the orthodox. So how would YOU interpret such extraordinary tolerance of evil? What other explanation can accommodate what is actually going on world-wide besides a deliberate planned effort to undermine the Catholic faith and to replace it with something else?

[26lemoncharlie]

Sede Vacante'

[DBeers]

Emphasis added...

Board of Directors

Chair of the Board of Directors
Ms. Joan M. Bumpus

NACC-Certified Chaplain Ms. Joan M. Bumpus has been the Director of Pastoral Care for 12 years at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. As Director of Pastoral Care, Joan is responsible for the development and management of Pastoral Care for 14 facilities. Joan has served the NACC most recently as a member of the National Leadership Council and the Task Force on Restructuring. She has also been chair of the development committee and a member of the cognate steering committee. On the regional level she served as director, chair for regional conferences, and team captain for certification interviews. Joan has been an NACC-certified chaplain/member since 1978.

 

Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors
Ms. Ann E. Hurst

NACC-Certified Chaplain Ann E. Hurst is Director of Pastoral Services at Deaconess Medical Center, Spokane, Washington. Originally a nurse, Ann served in the U.S. Air Force for four years and then attended McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, earning a JD degree. For most of her law career, she practiced employment law. She also worked as a mediator and arbitrator. Ann has extensive experience in board work and has done consulting work for various not-for-profit organizations that includes strategic planning and mission development. She earned an MA in Spirituality at Gonzaga University in Spokane and completed her CPE training there as well. She was certified by the NACC in 2001.

 

Secretary
Sister Maryanna Coyle, SC, MS

Sister Maryanna Coyle, SC, MS, is the President and Executive Director of the SC Ministry Foundation in Cincinnati. She also serves as the first Chairperson of the Board of Stewardship Trustees of Catholic Health Initiatives. Sister Maryanna currently participates on the Advisory Boards of Sponsorship for the Loyola University School of Law and the National Coalition for Health Care Ministry. She is a past president of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati and past chairperson of the Catholic Health Association. Sister Maryanna has served on the Steering Council for the creation of Catholic Health Initiatives and on boards of hospitals in the Midwest and West.

 

Episcopal Liaison
Most Rev. Dale J. Melczek, DD

The Most Reverend Dale J. Melczek, DD, is Bishop of the Diocese of Gary, Indiana. He serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Catholic Relief Services and the Joint Committee of Roman Catholic and Orthodox Bishops. Bishop Melczek has traveled widely representing the U.S. bishops in visits to the bishops of Poland, the Czech lands, Slovakia, Estonia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Slovenia. As a member of the Joint Committee of Roman Catholic and Orthodox Bishops, he visited the Holy Father in Rome and the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul. On behalf of Catholic Relief Services he has also visited the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, East Timor, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Congo, and Angola. In November 2001, Bishop Melczek was elected Chair-elect of the USCCB Committee on the Laity and also accepted a position on the Board of Catholic Campaign for Human Development. He was ordained to the priesthood in Detroit in 1964.

 

Mr. Patrick H. Bolton, MDiv

Patrick Bolton, MDiv, is Director of Pastoral Care at Mercy Medical in Daphne, Alabama, where he has developed an ecumenical and ethnically diverse chaplaincy staff. He founded the Gulf Coast Chaplains Association to offer networking and educational in-services for chaplains, and, as a member of the executive committee of the Alabama Chaplains Association, providing retreat and educational opportunities for chaplains statewide. Chaplain Bolton joined the NACC in 1996 and has served the association as a member of the planning committee for the regional symposia in 2002.

 

Ms. Bridget Deegan-Krause

NACC-Certified Chaplain Bridget Deegan-Krause serves as the University Minister for the College of Health Professions and School of Dentistry at the University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit, Michigan. She oversees the pastoral care of faculty, staff, and students and holds other responsibilities in teaching, curriculum planning, and administration of various health education programs. She earned a Master of Divinity from the University of Notre Dame and after completing units of CPE at Yale New Haven Hospital and St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. Bridget was certified by the NACC in the spring of 1998. Her ministry experience includes chaplaincy in various health care settings.

 

 

Ms. Emily R. John, PhD

Emily John provides consulting services to nonprofits through her firm, E.R. John & Associates, based in southeastern Wisconsin. Since 1991 she’s worked with organizations as diverse as the National Catholic AIDS Network (California), Saint Lucia Island Foundation (Miami), The Solidarity Fund (Vatican City), Maryknoll Missioners (Ossining), Next Door Foundation (Milwaukee), and National Catholic Community Foundation (Annapolis). From 1997 to 1999 she was Director of Institutional Advancement for the Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, which is the largest Catholic school of theology and ministry in North America. While there she established a planned giving program and was responsible for all aspects of donor contact including mailings, receptions, and giving clubs. She also oversaw CTU’s website, quarterly newsletter, annual report, and marketing materials. In addition, she assisted in securing capital campaign gifts of $2.5 million and significantly raised the annual income of the school.

 

Ms. Theresa Vithayathil Edmonson

Theresa Vithayathil Edmonson is a staff chaplain at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon, and has experience working in home care, hospice, general medicine, health insurance plans, and currently on the perinatal and neonatal units. Chaplain Edmonson has a strong educational background, having graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Master's of Divinity degree and having completed her CPE at Yale-New Haven Hospital and Portland VA Medical Center. She has been active in the NACC since she joined in 1997, serving on certification interview teams and the regional education committee and co-chairing the 1999 region XII annual conference.

 

[DBeers]

a lot of ms' -no mrs' on that board????

[DBeers]

On its face, as exemplified in this case, it would seem self-evident that spiritual formation has been all but abandoned to laity and 'professionals' that do not hold 'position' let alone belief to shepherd in such areas.

As such, the 'physical' realities take precedence, exclude, and dismiss the supernatural. The pastoral prescriptions issues by these psychologists, social workers, and self proclaimed priestesses do great harm...

[vox_freedom]

BTTT

[siunevada]

'Pastoral Formation' is somewhat less than a three year course in our parish:

"Grab your Bible and your Catechism we need you to show up next week."

[Domestic Church]

Antonio Gramsci gets the last laugh on this.

[AlbionGirl]

Our Lord’s Real Presence in the Eucharist was repeatedly denigrated, as was the Catholic Priesthood, the Blessed Mother and The Holy Rosary. The line between the priest and lay minister was repeatedly blurred – to such a large extent that the two positions became virtually interchangeable. Holy Orders were repeatedly attacked and denigrated. ‘Female priestesses’ were also proposed – on more than one occasion.

The sacrifice of Our Lord on Calvary was openly attacked by repeated statements by instructors that all the world’s religions were ‘different roads up the same mountain.’ Other religions were presented as being equal to the Catholic Church founded by Jesus Christ. Our religion was minimized, while other religions were praised.

The attacks, which trouble me to this day, involve attacks upon the holy sacrifice of the Mass. One instructor stated that a priest, who says mass alone, without the community present, does not completely transform the Eucharist into the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The mystical presence of Our Lord in our faith communities was repeatedly confused with and presented as equal to His real and actual presence in the Holy Eucharist. Our Lord’s passion was actually denigrated, instead of being praised and propagated.

Ain't no material heresy here. Nothing short of a full, frontal, bold-as-brass assault. As such, these women need to be reminded of the rule of thumb, just before they're set ablaze.

[thor76]

Indeed........Gramsci's ghost is laughing at us!

I was once invited by a modernist pastor to participate in such programs......"to update me on the liturgy", etc........this was in my capacity as an organist. I politely smiled and proceeded to ignore him.

Anyone who has read my posts (even if you disagree with me) would know that I am well grounded in the faith, and in an understanding of the sacraments. This was simply a ruse to get someone like myself "under control".......to attempt the systematic alteration of my thinking - and faith itself.

No thank you!

[AlbionGirl]

Forgot about the men. We'll show them the rule of lumber, just before they begin kicking at the flames below.

[thor76]

I should note that the course offereings of such "institutes" and their faculty is virtually the same from diocese to diocese.

It does indeed have a common goal. Destruction of the faith. I would even go further to say that - at least on some level - some measure of mind control is involved, subtley.

In one parish I was asking a woman cantor (who happened to be the parish DRE and a secretary in the school), about something, and I made reference to the pulpit vs the lectern in the chancel (sanctuary). Bear in mind that this is a lay woman, who is married and has children, and she has taken many such courses.

Her reaction was to lecture me that "it" is called the ambo (referring to the pulpit), and could not grasp - or refused to- the distinction between the lectern and the pulpit. She also balked at my reference to the "chancel" or "sanctuary" and insisted upon calling it the "altar area in the worship space".

She also thinks that it is wonderful that the "children bop and clap to the liturgy song at the children's liturgy".

This is a woman who is old enough to remember the TLM and to have received sound Catholic teaching in her youth.

We are not speaking of a lack of education, mere stupidity, or lack of knowedge of a term.......all of those would be forgivable, were they true.

This is brainwashing, on one level or another.

[NYer]

As such, these women need to be reminded of the rule of thumb, just before they're set ablaze.

ROFL!! Thank you! I needed that.

[Domestic Church]

I experienced several alteration overtures myself... I fly below radar now and stay as far in the background as I safely can....even had a very extraordinary dream warning me to this.