Institute for Priests and Presbyterates

For more than 150 years, Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology has educated and formed diocesan priests for the Catholic Church. That mission now includes a venture, begun in 2004 with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc., to help dioceses provide the ongoing formation needed for their priests.

The Institute for Priests and Presbyterates aims to help priests sharpen their skills for more effective ministry and to keep both priests and presbyterates holy, healthy and effective in various ministry settings and stages of life.

The Lake Institute on Faith & Giving will be conducting an Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising pilot program in the fall.
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Providing education, formation and mentors for priests in their first five years of ministry.
Programs For New Priests

Helping priests make the transition to their first pastorates.
Programs For New Pastors

Training seasoned pastors who have been chosen as mentors to newly ordained priests.
Mentor Training

Building presbyteral unity with the bishop and among priests.
Programs For Presbyteral Unity

Reinvigorating priests for new ministry challenges.
Retreats and Sabbaticals

Equipping international priests with the knowledge and skills to minister well in the United States.
Programs for International Priests

The Institute's programs help dioceses implement Pope John Paul II's  Pastores Dabo Vobis, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' document, The Basic Plan for the Ongoing Formation of Priests. Both documents stress the importance of formation for priests, both individually and as a member of the presbyterates to which they belong - the assembly of priests and their bishop in a particular diocese.