Archbishop's Office for Evangelisation

Accreditation

Lay Ecclesial Ministers need and deserve formation of high standards that will provide them with the necessary skills and resources to adequately minister to the community they serve within. Accreditation is both a recognition and affirmation of the professionalism that is required by ministers in contemporary ministry. If you have been thinking about seeking accreditation for the first time, gaining accreditation at a higher grade or re-accrediting your current level, please contact our Office and we can guide you through the application process. Submissions for the next round of accreditation are due 20 September.

Everyone Leads: A seminar for parish pastoral leaders

Thursday 5 September --- Drawing on decades of leadership experience, bestselling US-author Chris Lowney will examine the profound challenges facing the global Catholic Church, share real-life stories of Catholics making a difference, and offer practical suggestions for change. Chris will not only outline the challenges but also map the path forward.

Watch talks from the 2019 Christian Leadership Series

The Christian Leadership Series is an annual offering for parish leaders and all those interested in exploring what Christian leadership looks and feels like in the context of 21st century Australia. This year’s four-week series offered participants a survey of key books, themes and figures from our biblical tradition. Guided by some of the country’s leading biblical scholars, a range of topics were explored from creation through to the prophetic movement, the Lukan narrative and the Pauline letters. Missed the series? Watch them online >

Ministry Supervision for Lay Ecclesial Ministers

These short videos seek to illustrate the importance of ongoing ministry supervision from the perspectives of an accredited LEM, a supervisor and a spiritual director. LEMs (pastoral associates, pastoral workers and lay chaplains) are encouraged and required under the accreditation guidelines for the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne to participate in regular and ongoing ministry supervision. Supervision provides a learning environment, which nurtures, supports and challenges growth in vocational identity so as to be more effective in our ministering to others.

Resource: Social Profile of the Catholic Community in Australia

The Social Profile of the Catholic Community in Australia (based on the 2016 census) was recently released by the National Centre for Pastoral Research. The profile provides information about key demographic indicators; how the Catholic community is changing across the country as well as over time, with some comparisons provided from earlier reports (e.g. 2011). The report is a valuable tool in seeking to understand the contemporary Australian Catholic community and assessing its needs.

Education Bursaries

The Secretariat for Lay Ecclesial Ministry is committed, through the Education Bursaries program, to assist Lay Ecclesial Ministers with subsidies towards the financial costs of their study. Applicants must be currently employed within a parish (or equivalent ministry setting) within the Archdiocese of Melbourne. A reminder that applications for Round 1 of the bursaries program are required by Friday 10 May 2019.

Registrations for 2019 LEM Group Supervision

Lay ecclesial ministers (pastoral associates, pastoral workers and chaplains) are encouraged and required under the accreditation guidelines to participate in regular ministry supervision. Supervision provides a learning environment that nurtures, supports and challenges growth in vocational identity so that LEMs can be more effective in their ministering to others. Please get in touch with the office to organise your supervision arrangements for 2019.

Guidelines for the Funding of Parish Lay Ecclesial Ministers (2019)

Parish Priests and Administrators are invited to submit an application to the Pastoral Associate Funding Assessment Committee for consideration for the funding of a Lay Ecclesial Minister (LEM), i.e. a Pastoral Worker, Pastoral Associate or Senior Pastoral Associate, for the 2019 Church financial year. The funding is to assist with the parish’s own financial contribution to the employment of a Lay Ecclesial Minister. The level of a parish’s contribution must indicate a preparedness and ability to support a LEM’s salary and a proposed budget for 2019 is required to support the application.

Faithful Stewards of God's Grace

Faithful Stewards of God’s Grace, the first national resource for lay pastoral ministry, was launched by the President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, at Proclaim 2018 in Brisbane. Faithful Stewards of God’s Grace recognises the place of lay pastoral ministry within the common vocation of discipleship in relation to other forms of ministry. The document offers a practical description of lay pastoral ministry and outlines a process of authorisation, from certification to commissioning.

WATCH: Encountering Jesus in our biblical tradition

Internationally-renowned biblical scholar Rev Dr Francis Moloney points to our biblical heritage as the key to encountering the Risen Jesus. "Ritual, law, doctrine, pomp, ceremony, and ecclesiastical dignity dominate our Catholic lives, despite the prophetic words and witness of Pope Francis. God’s word and Christ’s flesh are daily poured into our ears, but we take no heed. It is to this Word that we turn to reflect upon the encounter with Jesus made possible through our biblical heritage."