By David Karas | Correspondent

 The halls of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa., are typically quiet during the summer months, as seminarians hailing from area dioceses and archdioceses engage in their parish assignments.

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But for a week in June, class for seminarians in the Diocese of Trenton was very much in session.

A special clerkship program, initiated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and hosted through a collaboration with the Diocese and the Center for Church Management and Business Ethics in Villanova University, Villanova, Pa., engaged some 18 seminarians at all levels in a week of intensive workshops, courses and discussions geared toward instruction on the practical aspects of pastoral duties.

“These days were designed to expose our seminarians to the ‘practical side’ of pastoral work in our parishes, since they already receive great theological and spiritual formation in the various seminaries we use,” said Bishop O’Connell.

This summer marked the inaugural program for diocesan seminarians, held June 8-12. The topics of discussions, readings and classes – taught by faculty assigned by Villanova University, as well as Bishop O’Connell – were organized and arranged according to the seminarian’s year and class, and were complemented by panel presentations by a team of pastors in the evenings.

With topics becoming progressively more complex, the objective is for seminarians to gather more knowledge as they draw nearer to their graduation; upon successful completion of the theology students’ three-year plan of study,they will be awarded a Certificate in Church Management from Villanova.

Bishop O’Connell led the component of the clerkship program for the other subset of the diocesan seminarian population, those in the pre-theology phase of preparation.

“We are fortunate in our Diocese to have this ‘ecclesial trifecta – spiritual, theological and pastoral preparation’ to offer all our young men preparing for priesthood and leadership in our parishes,” said Bishop O’Connell.

“Our seminarians will head out, across the Diocese to work in parishes for the rest of summer,” he said. “Our wonderful parishioners and seasoned pastors will take it from there.”

Charles Zech, academic director for the Center for Church Management, noted that priests are being assigned pastors at a younger age than in the past, which means they will be confronted with a range of duties and responsibilities early in their priesthood.

“Pastors have a threefold charge – teaching, sanctifying and governance,” he said, noting that the third component involves a fair amount of business and management strategy and practice. “The Church is not a business, but we do have stewardship responsibilities.”

Classes throughout the week focused on a range of topics, including human resources, parish budgeting, pastoral leadership and planning, civil law, church management, public speaking and stewardship, among others.

The program also included two installments of an organizational behavior course taught by Dr. Jim Klinger, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship in Villanova.

In a course meeting June 11, Klinger was discussing the demographics of parish communities, as well as the subset of Catholics who do not regularly attend Mass or celebrate Holy Days of Obligation. Building on that, he discussed the role of a priest and other senior parish leaders in crafting a vision for leadership.

“The parish priest is the steward of the organization’s culture,” he said, noting that some seminarians might not recognize that at first. “It is an enormous opportunity. They can choose to create a culture that empowers everyone.”

Seminarian Tom Barry, who recently completed his second theology year, said that the clerkship program, Klinger’s course included, will benefit his cohort as they better “understand the functions of parish life.”

“This is the practical functionality (of pastoral life),” he said, noting the many responsibilities of a pastor. “Parish life is more than just church on Sunday.”

Another session focused on parish security, and the various plans designed to do everything from prevent theft or vandalism, to respond to medical emergencies that might occur during Mass. In a classroom next door, a group was discussing parish marketing, and the means through which pastors and parish priests can spread the word about what their faith community offers its members.

First theology student Nick Dolan said that the clerkship program provides a range of practical offerings in a logical manner that connects well to the seminarians’ preparation: “the classes build on one another.”

Jim Gallo, director for the Center for Church Management, said that Bishop O’Connell approached them with the concept. Having grown up in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Maple Shade, and both attended and taught in Holy Cross High School, Delran, he said the call was one he was thrilled to receive.

“It was really exciting for me when Bishop O’Connell called,” he said. “The credit really goes to the Bishop.”

Both Gallo and Zech also spoke of the other benefits of the week; the seminarians attend various seminaries during the year and don’t interact very often, and so staying in St. Charles for the week provides them with time to bond as a class of future priests. In addition, Bishop O’Connell stayed at the seminary for the week as well, spending time talking with the seminarians, leading sessions and sharing meals with them. The Bishop also went out to dinner with the cohort, and they spent time visiting museums in Philadelphia as well.

Gallo and Zech said that they intend for the program to continue in future years.

Bishop O’Connell said that a lot of the topics covered in the courses and discussions were not part of the traditional seminary preparation that he and most other clergy received during their own formation.

He jokingly described it as a week to learn about what “they never taught me in the seminary.”