The past thirty years have witnessed tremendous societal and ecclesial changes that continue to inform ministry education in the 21st century. In Seminary Formation, Katarina Schuth, OSF, examines the many aspects of theologate-level schools including their structures and missions, organization and leadership, student enrollment, backgrounds of both seminarians and lay students, and the evolution and development of degree programs, including human and spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation. Seminary Formation also helpfully includes substantial commentaries on Schuth’s research by Ronald Rolheiser, Thomas Walters, Leon M. Hutton, Barbara Reid, and Peter Vaccari. An exploration of the changes in seminaries and schools of theology, with statistical analysis, from 1985 to the present, Seminary Formation anticipates the challenges ahead and considers new directions for the future.

Local norms for structuring seminarian formation and teaching the next generation of priests Seminarians are the future of the priesthood. During these formative years, they learn what it means to conform their hearts to the service of the Church and develop the charity, faithfulness, and compassion they will need to minister to their future parishioners. The Program of Priestly Formation guides those who teach seminarians with advice on forming compassionate spiritual fathers who will serve their parishioners well. It also outlines the structural elements of seminary formation and the various people responsible for accompanying a seminarian through his formation. The Program of Priestly Formation: Begins with an introduction to priestly formation, outlining its foundations in community and its missionary spirit Explores the theological foundations of the ministerial priesthood and the Church’s role in promoting priestly vocations Outlines the process of admission into a formation program and local norms for how seminarians are evaluated throughout their education Organizes guidance around the four dimensions of formation–human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral–and how to incorporate these at each stage of seminary formation The Program of Priestly Formation is intended for bishops, priests, seminary rectors, seminary faculties, formators, and all who minister to seminarians as they fulfill this high call to form missionary disciples and lay the foundation for a lifetime of priestly formation. This new edition of the Program 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 This edition is part of The USCCB Collection from Ascension, which features official documents from the United States bishops previously published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Taking on a still-controversial topic, a diverse group of experts, including victims and clergy, offers reflections on the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, examining what the church has done—and what it still needs to do—to protect children. Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church: A Decade of Crisis, 2002–2012 is a thoughtful, multidisciplinary commentary. Beginning when the scandal first broke in Boston in 2002, this first-of-its-kind work offers a wide range of opinion, both positive and negative, on what has been done in the ensuing ten years to stop and prevent such abuse. Through the contributions here, readers can delve into the world of the church hierarchy and into the minds of abusive priests and their victims. The book presents the views of leading academics and psychologists, but also allows the church to speak. First-person insights from victims are shared, as in a chapter written by a woman abused by a clergy member as an adolescent. She explains what happened, the resulting trauma, how she healed, and what she thinks needs to be done to prevent future abuse—a subject that still makes headlines and stirs debate.

Who are American Catholics and what do they believe and practice? How has American Catholicism influenced and been influenced by American culture and society? This book examines the history of American Catholics from the colonial era to the present, with an emphasis on changes and challenges in the contemporary church. Chester Gillis chronicles America Catholics: where they have come from, how they have integrated into American society, and how the church has influenced their lives. He highlights key events and people, examines data on Catholics and their relationship to the church, and considers the church’s positions and actions on politics, education, and gender and sexuality in the context of its history and doctrines. This second edition of Roman Catholicism in America pays particular attention to the tumultuous past twenty years and points toward the future of the religion in the United States. It examines the unprecedented crisis of sexual abuse by priests—the legal, moral, financial, and institutional repercussions of which continue to this day—and the bishops’ role in it. Gillis also discusses the election of Pope Francis and the controversial role Catholic leadership has played in American politics.

The Inner Life of Priests is a landmark exploration of how the categories and practices of psychology are contributing to a new health and vitality in the priesthood. Authors McGlone and Sperry (both nationally-recognized experts on the integration of psychology and spirituality in priestly life), investigate issues and answer questions that concern those invested in the healthy ministry of priests everyone from the people in the pews to those in Church leadership. They include: How has psychology helped us understand both mental and spiritual health of those applying to Catholic seminaries and then serving in priestly ministry? How has it shaped understanding of key issues like affective maturity, cultural competency and even the discipline of celibacy? How has it helped Church leaders better understanding and positively influence clerical culture in seminaries, dioceses, and religious orders? Catholic laity, priests, seminarians, vocation directors, those considering religious and priestly vocations everyone interested in how men serving in this critical ministerial role are identified, formed and supported will welcome this authoritative and positive book.