On Saturday, August 24, 2024, the formation programs at the Center for Pastoral Leadership celebrated the Mass of the Holy Spirit for the opening of the formation and academic year. Borromeo Seminary, Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology, The Lay Ecclesial Ministry Formation Program, the Permanent Diaconate Formation program, and the Continuing Education of Priests gathered at the newly renovated and dedicated Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd Chapel (formerly Resurrection Chapel) with Bishop Woost presiding and Bishop Malesic concelebrating with the priests on the faculties. Many seminarians, lay and religious students, and men and women in ministry formation gathered to invoke the Holy Spirit….and they were not disappointed!
“Welcome home!
Welcome home to this newly consecrated chapel dedicated to Mary, the Mother of the Good Shepherd, the crown jewel of the CPL renovation project! Welcome home to this new year of formation! Welcome home to this holy time, place, and process where priestly, diaconal, lay ecclesial, and ongoing formation intersect and interact under the guidance of the Holy Spirit!
Welcome home to those of you who are returning for another year of formation. Welcome home to what has already become familiar to you: community gatherings, liturgical prayer, academic classes, parish and apostolic assignments – the recognizable foundations for our spiritual, human, intellectual, and pastoral formation.
Welcome home especially to those of you who are new to our formation programs: first year seminarians, aspirants to the diaconate, and candidates for lay ecclesial ministry. Yes, welcome home to all that is unfamiliar, overwhelming, confusing, and challenging. Trust me, we’ve all been where you are today!
Welcome home members of the Doctor of Ministry cohort, MA and continuing education students, and all our senior scholars!”
Continue reading Bishop Woost’s “Welcome home!” homily here.
See more photos and the account of the event by diocesan photographers.
https://stmarysem.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Homily-for-Mass-of-the-Holy-Spirit-082424.pdf
https://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/news/2024/08/29/bishop-woost-welcomes-all-home-during-opening-mass-at-cpl