Well-grounded and mature candidates for diocesan priesthood and religious life do not happen by accident. Beyond the individual expressing his or her desire to serve God and the Church, the diocese or order must discern this call as well. They should ask some difficult questions:
– Is the desire to serve and love the Lord deeply rooted and earnestly discerned?
– Is the individual sufficiently mature to understand the demands of priesthood or religious life?
– Does the candidate demonstrate the capacity for rigorous education and formation?
– Are there issues related to personal or family history that could prove challenging for a sustainable, healthy vocation?
The Church is balancing the need for an increase in vocations with an even greater demand for candidates for priesthood and religious life of the highest caliber—men and women who are healthy, trustworthy, and faith-filled. Prudence suggests a response that is comprehensive, rigorous, and evidence-based.
Led by Experience
Saint Luke Institute (SLI) experts are poised to share our knowledge, experience, and skills to help inform and form the process of candidate assessment. Based on nearly thirty years of experience, we know that practitioners need high-level skills to conduct integrated, comprehensive psychological and spiritual evaluations for individuals discerning a call to priesthood or religious life.
Proudly, we are ready to share the Saint Luke Institute Candidate Assessment Protocol (SLI-CAP) with other professionals. This is a multidisciplinary team approach to psychological assessment using two clinicians and one trained spiritual director. With this collaborative, holistic model we are able to integrate a variety of perspectives and provide the candidate, diocese, and/or order with a richer, more positive experience.
The SLI-CAP is based on best practices in psychological and spiritual assessment and is aligned with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Guidelines for the Use of Psychology in Seminary Admissions.
New Training Series
A 4.5-hour online training series for licensed psychologists and trained spiritual directors has been developed by SLI, the industry leader in psychological screening for Catholic ministry. Participants will explore the key elements of the SLI-CAP and develop the essential skills necessary to provide a thorough and responsible screening of candidates for priesthood and religious life. Presenters will identify evaluation benchmarks for assessing a candidate’s core competencies and vulnerabilities and discuss how to formulate effective recommendations based on those findings.
When and Where
This training will be offered online for the first time in February and March 2020. The series is presented in a live, interactive webinar format. All presentations are recorded and will be available for viewing on-demand. American Psychological Association continuing education credit is available for registrants who participate in the entire live presentation and complete the presentation evaluation.
Who Should Participate?
Psychologists, spiritual directors, vocation and formation directors, seminary personnel and other mental health professionals involved in psychological screening of candidates for Catholic ministry are invited to participate.
To Learn More and Register
Contact: Beth Davis | 502-632-2471 | bethd@sli.org