Ministry Formation Program

MFP ORIENTATION DAY

The Ministry Formation Program welcomed 12 new students, most from parish communities, two from religious orders and one from the Military Ordinariate.

The theme for the year was based on the Plenary Council question ‘How is God calling us to ministry in a Christcentered Church in Adelaide’.

Bishop Greg O’Kelly SJ led the opening and closing retreat days and prayer evenings were held each semester as well as retreats for the first, second and third year students. A spiritual director and mentor is allocated to each student in the four-year formation program. Fr Frank Brennan SJ led a seminar on ‘The Goodness of the Gospel; a Church that is joyful, hope filled and a servant community’. Other seminars featured Dr David Kirchhoffer and Fr Jamie Calder SJ from Australian Catholic University.

A Zoom session by Fr Elio Capra focused on what it means to be Church, to be prayerful and to be Eucharistic as a community of believers. Holly Roberts from Catholic Office for Youth and Young Adults outlined opportunities to engage with youth in a way that is inclusive, participatory and synodal. She helped students understand young people’s experience of Church as well as their concerns and dreams.

A first for the MFP was the inclusion of a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) unit. All seminars were made available as a Zoom option for rural and remote participants and were not only open to current MFP students but to anyone from parishes and communities.

Margaret Speechley retired in February after leading the MFP for seven years. Margaret’s leadership of MFP and her ongoing development of the program made it what it is today and this was acknowledged at a Diocesan farewell. Aldo Floreani retired midway through the year after also working with the MFP for about seven years. The team welcomed Kathy Horan and Judy Foster. Deacon Tee Ping joined the program to support those interested in the permanent diaconate. Annette Heinemann took over as acting director.