Lay ministers honored for completing formation program

On May 30, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis honored 10 lay Catholics from across central and southern Indiana for completing its lay ministry formation program during a liturgy at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis. Posing in the cathedral rectory after the liturgy are, front row from left, Eva Morales, Nora Cummings, Kay Summers, Colleen Velez and Barbara Black and, back row from left, Greg Otolski, Brandon Evans, Marianne Hawkins, Cathy Funkhouser, Bishop Christopher J. Coyne and Kathy Wilt. (Photo by Sean Gallagher) Click for a larger version.

By Sean Gallagher

For nearly 15 years, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis has been working to give lay ministers the knowledge of the Church’s teaching necessary to be effective employees in parishes and archdiocesan agencies across central and southern Indiana.

On May 30, 10 people were honored at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis after completing the theological formation program.

Edward Isakson, archdiocesan director of lay ministry and human resources, congratulated them during the liturgy.

“We are grateful for your dedication and the witness you provide that we are never fully formed as ministers,” Isakson said. “God continually shapes and molds us to be his instruments in the world so that his love can flow through us to people who so greatly need it.

“We hope and pray that God will continue to bless you and guide you in your ministry to build his kingdom and make his love manifest.”

The people honored represent a broad variety of ministries in which lay Catholics are involved in the archdiocese. Some have served in parishes as youth ministers, directors of religious education and a parish life coordinator.

Others minister in the Metropolitan Tribunal, the archdiocese’s canon law court, and in the archdiocese’s communications office.

During her 32 years of ministry, Barbara Black has served in many parish ministries—from school principal to director of religious education and youth minister. She currently is the parish life coordinator and director of religious education of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Terre Haute.

Black participated in the lay ministry formation program for 12 years, and was happy to be honored with so many other lay Catholics ministering in the Church.

“It’s helped me by giving me the background that I need to help the people understand the faith better,” Black said. “I’m just happy to see that we’ve got so many people who are trying to further their education so that they can be better leaders of our Church.”

Marianne Hawkins served as the youth minister of St. Thomas More Parish in Mooresville for 16 years, and participated in the lay ministry formation program for 11 years before being honored for completing it.

“I learned so much through this formation program,” Hawkins said. “I would recommend it to everybody. All of the classes were great. It was a wonderful, wonderful program.”

When Black and Hawkins began taking classes in the program, they were held at various locations across the archdiocese, often requiring them to drive long distances to participate in courses.

Now the archdiocese is offering theological formation for lay ministers through online classes offered by the University of Notre Dame’s Satellite Theological Education Program (STEP) and Catholic Distance University.

Before completing the program, Hawkins took one online course on the papacy through STEP. While acknowledging that it was good to sit in a classroom with fellow students, she also saw the benefits of the online classes.

“It was good,” Hawkins said. “I can see why they’re going online with the distances that people have to travel.”

After the liturgy in which the lay ministers were honored, Bishop Christopher J. Coyne, apostolic administrator, praised them for their dedication to ongoing formation and spoke about the importance of theological education for lay Catholics serving the Church.

“What I really appreciate about the program is the fact that it’s more than just nuts and bolts,” Bishop Coyne said. “It’s also formation in the intellect so that people can not only speak from the heart, but they can also speak from the mind.”

(For more information about lay ministry formation in the archdiocese, log on to www.archindy.org/layministry.) †