Priestly formation and development is an integral component to providing appropriate pastoral care for the people of the Diocese of Helena; as such, it is an important case element in the diocesan capital campaign from Age to Age.

As noted in campaign literature, over $300,000 was required for funding diocesan seminarians alone in fiscal year 2007-2008. With growing vocations in the diocese, these expenses will likely continue to increase.

For this case element, the goal is to provide an additional $1 million for priestly formation and development endowments.

In addition to providing for seminarians, these funds would also allow for ongoing formation and development opportunities for priests already ordained and serving.

According to diocesan Financial Services Director Pete McNamee, areas currently funded include the Borromeo Pre-Seminarian Program, seminarian education, vocations, and priest continuing formation. Current funding sources include the Diocesan Offertory Program, a grant from the Extension Society, Roman Catholic Bishop endowments, like the Rodes Memorial Scholarship for seminarians, and endowments in The Foundation for the Diocese of Helena. McNamee said that there are also non-endowed, restricted gifts that go toward priestly formation and development.

Continuing education for priests includes liturgy workshops and spiritual retreats offered for all priests of the diocese, as well as assisting some individual priests to participate in other workshops. McNamee said that the diocese underwrites those offered to all priests and that other workshops are partially funded by the diocese, with the rest of the monies coming from the individual priest, and his parish or affiliated institution. Some priests have pursued professional education, such as advanced degrees in canon law and various areas of theology.

Father Robertson, diocesan chancellor, said that sabbaticals, another area of continuing education for priests, haven’t been offered for some time in the diocese due to financial limitations and a limited number of priests, but the hope is to get to a point where they can again be offered.

“All of these revenue sources are needed to provide priestly ministry to our people. More ordinations mean more expenditures than we can fund with our current sources. But it’s a good problem to have,” McNamee said.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 24, No. 12, December 19, 2008.