OEFC Meeting Minutes

Meeting # 38
Ongoing Education Formation Committee (OEFC)
Chicago Province Center
Techny, Illinois

Next Meeting
October 21, 2010
Chicago Province Center - Techny

April 22, 2010

• Present: Adam MacDonald (Chair), Jim Braband, Mike Decker, John Fincutter, George Gawlik, Urey Mark
• The meeting began at 10:00 a.m. with a prayer led by Adam MacDonald.

1. APPROVE MINUTES

The members voted 6-0 approving the Minutes of the September 24, 2009 meeting.

2. Reports

2.1

Review Annual Committee Report for 2009

The members reviewed the Annual report noting the committee’s numerous accomplishments in 2009 and the progress to date in achieving its goals for 2010.

2.2

Feedback from USC Study Day # 13: October 8-10, 2009

Study Day #13 was co-sponsored by the Education Secretariat and the Mission Office. Feedback was very positive, and the participants reflected a cross-section of the USC membership. The theme of Pastoral Care of the Sick and Elderly was timely and has led to additional outreach to the sick and elderly in our SVD parishes.

2.3

Summer Programs 2010

The annual listing was uploaded to the website on April 1 containing information on 46 annual institutes, seminars, and educational events scheduled May – August.

2.4

Annual Accountability Statement Delinquency Follow-up Process FY 2008-2009

As of September 30, 2009, 82% of the Statements for 2008-2009 had been received. Follow-up via the Local and District Superiors garnered 13 more Statements bringing compliance to 93% for the year and leaving 9 members on the delinquency list

2.5

Grant Report Update: FY 2009-2010

To date a total of 60 individual grants have been approved for fiscal year 2009-2010 totaling $41,592.97. An additional 22 grants were approved for Study Day #13 which, combined with other Study Day expenses, totaled $5,652.59. This brings the current total expenditures for Ongoing Education to $47,245.56 or 69% of the overall budget for 2009-2010. Three individual grants have already been approved for 2010-2011.

2.6

Website Updates

The USC Ongoing Education website continues to serve as a dynamic tool for providing the members with information, resources, and updates. As was noted in the 2009 Committee Report, the website averaged 396 hits per month in 2009, an increase of 70% over 2008.

2.7

Province Website Redesign Committee

Adam continues to serve as a consultant on the Website Redesign Committee. The web strategist is currently working on creating the pages of the redesigned site.

2.8

Assistance Offered to Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

In January, 2010 Adam responded to a request for assistance from the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales as they work to put together an Ongoing Education program. Adam invited the Oblates to make use of the resources on the website and shared copies of our USC policies and procedural information regarding Ongoing Education. The Education Secretariat was pleased to serve the wider Church in this way.

3. Discuss

3.1

Annual Accountability Process: FY 2009-2010

The Statements for fiscal year 2009-2010 will be mailed to the members of the Divine Word College and Divine Word Theologate communities on April 26, to members working in the Canada and Caribbean Districts on May 17, and to the remaining Province members on May 24. The deadline for submission is June 30, 2010.

3.2

Ongoing Education/Formation Budget: FY 2010-2011

The budget remains unchanged at $68,000.00 for fiscal year 2010-2011. $50,000.00 is allotted for individual grants and the remaining $18,000.00 for group programs.

3.3

Community-Based Ongoing Education Program Updates

The Local Superiors of Bordentown, East Troy, and Techny have submitted their line item budgets and in house educational plans for 2010-2011, and the budgets/plans have been approved by the Education Secretariat. The program continues to address the educational needs and interests of our retired and semi-retired members.

3.4

Update on Plans for Saving Valuable Dollars # 5

The Education Secretariat and the Office of the Provincial Treasurer met to discuss plans for a possible fifth installment in the ongoing series of seminars concerning issues of financial and legal management to be held in June, 2010. After conducting a survey of members working in parishes, it was decided to postpone plans for the seminar given the other numerous Province-sponsored events scheduled for 2010.

3.5

Resources for "The Year for Priests"

To assist the members in celebrating “The Year for Priests,” the website has been featuring books, audiotapes, and videos on the topic of priesthood as well as links to other websites where additional information and resources are available.

3.6

Child Protection Web Page - New Archive Link

To assist Province members in preparing their reports on Ongoing Education in the area of Child Protection as part of the Re-Accreditation Process with Praesidium Religious Services, a new archive page was added to the website featuring all of the monthly articles posted on the site since September, 2007.

3.7

Revision of the Roman Missal

To assist the members in preparing for the implementation of the Revised Missal, the website is featuring links to websites where additional information and resources can be accessed as well as a link to information on a series of regional workshops sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

4. NEW BUSINESS

4.1

Resource Directory Update/Revision: Completion by June, 2011

Work will soon begin on updating and revising the USC Resource Directory, an extensive listing of educational opportunities offered across North America and abroad. The revised Directory will be uploaded to the website on June 1, 2011.

4.2

Group Programs for 2010-2011

There is no current plan for a USC Study Day in 2010, but the Education Secretariat is looking into the possibility of hosting its next group program in 2011

4.3

SVD Involvement in NOCERCC

4.3.1

In February, 2010 Adam was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the National Organization for the Continuing Education of Roman Catholic Clergy (NOCERCC). Adam’s first Board meeting took place on April 9, 2010 and there are five other Board meetings scheduled throughout 2010. Adam continues to remain active as well in NOCERCC leadership on the regional level, and plans are already taking shape for the annual Region VII meeting to be held at Techny on August 11, 2010.

4.3.2

Adam distributed to the Committee members copies of the framework NOCERCC is using to develop programs aimed at implementing the U.S. Bishops’ Basic Plan for Ongoing Formation. The framework aims to determine what kind of programs are needed to address the four pillars of Ongoing Formation (spiritual, human, intellectual, and pastoral) and the three “offices” of the priesthood (teaching, governing, and sanctifying).

4.3.3

“Cultivating Unity” and “Intentional Presbyterates” are programs that might be of interest for a future Study Day. The programs are sponsored by NOCERCC and the Institute for Priests and Presbyterates respectively. Adam is trying to determine how these programs might be adapted to make them relevant to our needs as a community of priests and brothers

5. NEXT MEETING

The next Committee meeting will take place on Thursday, October 21, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to noon at the Province Center.

• The meeting concluded at 12:00 noon.
• Minutes recorded by: Adam MacDonald, SVD