By David Karas | Correspondent

Those throughout the Diocese of Trenton who are engaged – or hoping to become engaged – in various pastoral care ministries are invited to participate in a training program, a series of a dozen workshops held on six days from November through April.

The program is administered by the diocesan Department of Pastoral Care, and all sessions will be held in St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold – located at 61 Georgia Road.

“We know that not everyone can go back to school to get a degree in theology,” said Deanna Sass, director of the diocesan Department of Pastoral Care, “so I have developed a very doable, but also very comprehensive, curriculum for the good people of our Diocese who wish to volunteer in pastoral care or any of the other pastoral ministries.”

The sessions are intended for family caregivers, visitors of the sick, hospital or homebound visitors, jail or prison volunteers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion in nursing homes or hospitals, bereavement ministers, separated and divorced group ministers and those training for other parish-based pastoral ministries.

“The Pastoral Care Training Program includes a smorgasbord of topics – from theology, to spirituality, from listening skills, to multicultural sensitivity, from legal issues to mental health considerations in ministry, and much more,” said Sass. “While the workshops are a great tool for those interested in or already volunteering in parish ministries, the materials that one receives and has access to through participating in the program, (allow) the attendee to continue to learn well after the program ends.”

All program sessions will take place on Saturdays, with morning sessions running from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and afternoon sessions from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Here is a complete schedule:

Day 1 – Nov. 12

Morning – Session 1 - Pastoral Theology: Suffering & the Healing Mission of Jesus
Afternoon – Session 2 - Pastoral Spirituality: Love of God, Neighbor and Self

Day 2 – Dec. 3

Morning – Session 3 - Pastoral Visits: The Nuts and Bolts of the Pastoral Encounter
Afternoon – Session 4 - Pastoral Care “Rituals for Laypersons: Rites for Holy Communion and the Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying”

Day 3 – Jan. 14 (Required for Bereavement Training)

Morning – Session 5 - Pastoral Presence & The Art of Holy Listening: Part I (Skills)
Afternoon – Session 6 - Pastoral Presence & The Art of Holy Listening: Part II (Skills)

Day 4 – Feb. 18 (Required for Bereavement Training)

Morning – Session 7 - Pastoral Care of the Dying: Companions on the Journey Home
Afternoon – Session 8 - Pastoral Care in the Face of Loss: Ministry to the Grieving

Day 5 – March 18 (Required for Bereavement Training)

Morning – Session 9 - Pastoral Care in the Parish Grief Support-Group Setting
Afternoon – Session 10 - Pastoral Care of Families Planning Christian Funerals

Day 6 – Apr. 8

Morning – Session 11 - Pastoral Care in Special Circumstances & Cultural Contexts
Afternoon – Session 12 - Pastoral Care: Legal, Medical & Bioethical Considerations

Make-Up – April 29

Any session or sessions missed due to inclement weather will be made up on this date.

Sessions that are listed as “required for bereavement training” are compulsory as preparation for leadership in parish-based bereavement or separated & divorced ministries. Those with counseling or social work backgrounds may be excused from sessions 5 and 6, at the discretion of the program administrator.

Those preparing for any ministry leadership are encouraged to participate in the entire program for the most complete preparation.

Registration for the entire program before Oct. 21 is $250 per person, and $300 after Oct. 21. There are discounts available for full program registration for three or more attendees from the same parish, and participants may also register for individual sessions at $25 each.

“The training includes speakers from the fields of theology, social work, law, psychology, liturgy, medicine, clergy, law enforcement, spiritual direction, and more,” said Sass. “The modest registration fee includes the live presentations as well as several textbooks, and electronic access to all of the PowerPoint slideshows, and handouts from each of the 12 sessions.”

Attendees are asked to bring their own lunch and snacks; coffee and bottled water will be provided.

Sass said that the program is well worth the investment of time and energy.

“The number one comment we have heard from folks completing the program is that the quality of their ministry is so greatly improved as a result of the training,” she said. “I believe strongly in persons being prepared for the ministries they feel called to, and this program answers that need, at least in a small way.”

For more information and to register, visit www.dioceseoftrenton.org/pastoralcare or contact 609-403-7157 or [email protected].