Collaboration Between the Diocese of Pittsburgh and the Institute for Ministry Formation at Saint Vincent Seminary to Build a Culture of Accompaniment
Pope Francis calls us in the Jubilee Year to be signs of hope for peace, for life, for prisoners, for the sick, for the young, for migrants, for the elderly, and for the poor (cf. Spes Non Confundit 8-15). That hope comes through drawing close to them and accompanying them so as to overcome exclusion, indifference and individualism, knowing that we all “aspire to a happiness that is definitively found in the one thing that can bring us fulfillment, which is love” (Spes Non Confundit 21). What is envisioned for this pilgrimage of hope is a culture of accompaniment.
“The Church will have to initiate everyone – priests, religious and laity – into this ‘art of accompaniment’ which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other (cf. Ex 3:5)” (Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel 169). Inspired by this exhortation, the Institute for Ministry Formation at Saint Vincent Seminary has dedicated considerable resources to helping individuals, parishes, organizations, and dioceses to build a culture of accompaniment. Evangelization and catechesis are both dependent on effective accompaniment. The Church considers accompaniment to be foundational for the reception of the Gospel, for genuine spiritual encounter, for growth in holiness, and for the development of the Christian community (cf. The Joy of the Gospel 169-173), in other words for providing a sign of hope.
After decades of collaboration with Saint Vincent Seminary for the formation of many priests in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the Diocese of Pittsburgh will begin a collaboration with the Seminary’s Institute for Ministry Formation during the Jubilee Year 2025 for the formation of priests and laity in the art of accompaniment. Starting with the pastoral staff in January 2025, the IMF will accompany the Diocese of Pittsburgh by offering workshops, courses and individual accompaniment for anyone in the diocese, including pastoral leaders and lay ministers and extending to “every mom and dad,… daughter and son, woman and man, deacon and priest” who seeks to learn the art of accompaniment (The Church Forward 54). This will help us become “a harmonious chorus of clergy and the faithful, working together to make Christ known, loved and served in every time and space” (The Church Forward 54). Fostering this vital work as good neighbors is a sign of hope and an expression of the Church Alive!
The Institute for Ministry Formation at Saint Vincent Seminary created a six-step plan to help the Diocese of Pittsburgh build a culture of accompaniment over the next year.
This plan aims to weave accompaniment into the very fabric of the diocese – from diocesan and parish leadership teams to individual parishioners. As the 2020 Vatican Directory on Catechesis points out, accompaniment is key for effective evangelization and catechesis.
To launch the six-part plan, the IMF offered four 1.5-hour workshops tailored to distinct groups within the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Led by Fr. Boniface, Dr. Helene Paharik, and Kristin Molitor, these sessions offered motivation, foundational principles, and initial formation in accompaniment. These foundational workshops culminated in step five: a vibrant, day-long, diocese-wide accompaniment workshop held in Pittsburgh on April 12.
Now as our partnership with the Diocese of Pittsburgh continues, we are actively engaged in steps six and seven of the process.
Step 6: Attend SD1 – become Spiritual Companions!
For those seeking to deepen their skills in accompaniment, the IMF offers an advanced formation opportunity through the 5-day SD1: Art of Accompaniment (2-credit) course, held in person at St. Vincent Seminary. In this course, students are formed with deployable skills in accompaniment using the Spiritual Inventory developed by Fr. Boniface.
Step 7: Book an Art of Accompaniment Workshop in Your Parish
Dream with us! Imagine a parish where every interaction is transformed by the “art of accompaniment,” which teaches us “to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other” (cf. Ex 3:5) (The Joy of the Gospel 169). Imagine a parish where relationships are more important than resources. Imagine a parish where our interactions with one another aren’t just transactional, but transformational.
Accompaniment affects everything that takes place in the parish, from evangelization to catechesis, from parish meetings to personal engagements. Our six hour accompaniment workshops are designed to provide parishioners and lay ministers with a strong theological foundation alongside relational skills that support growth, healing, and transformation of the human heart.
These robust and dynamic workshops cover:
- What accompaniment is and how it relates to our call to live as missionary disciples
- The relational dynamics, characterized by trust and vulnerability, that foster growth, healing, and transformation in those you accompany
- Listening skills to help you have transformational conversations with those you accompany
- A deeper understanding of the interior life and the dynamics of growth in the spiritual life
Accompaniment workshops are designed for everyone in the parish, with particular value for small group leaders, Bible study facilitators, sponsor couples, OCIA and confirmation sponsors, DREs, catechists, bereavement and homebound ministers. Whether you’re accompanying others in a formal ministry or informally, you’ll benefit from learning to love and listen more deeply from the heart. These workshops offer something meaningful for everyone in the parish.
Our goal in our accompaniment formation for parishes is not simply to offer a workshop, but to help parishes cultivate a lasting culture of accompaniment.
While we are eager to bring accompaniment formation to parishes, priority will be given to parishes that demonstrate a willingness to integrate accompaniment more deeply into parish life following the workshop.
Parishes gain the most from our accompaniment workshops when several parishioners have completed SD1: The Art of Accompaniment. Graduates of SD1 are well-prepared to serve as spiritual companions—offering one-on-one, ongoing spiritual accompaniment to others in the parish.
Attending an accompaniment workshop followed by a few individual sessions with a trained spiritual companion provides participants with a powerful, personal experience of accompaniment. As Pope Francis reminds us, we learn to accompany by being accompanied(The Joy of the Gospel 172). Even those already engaged in accompanying others—such as youth ministers, DREs, and catechists—can grow deeper in their ministry through receiving accompaniment.
Parishes should sign up on this form to express your interest in a workshop