Spiritan Varsity hosts CPE programme
From Damian Avevor, Ejisu
The Spiritan University College at Ejisu in the Konongo-Mampong Diocese is holding a six-week certified intensive community-based Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) programme on the theme The Role of Inspiration and Culture for the Competent Pastoral Care Provider.
The Summer Course, from June 8 – July 17, 2015, was organised by the Spiritan University in collaboration with San Francisco Theological Seminary(SFTS) in the USA, to support the enhancement and development of pastoral care competence for Priests, Religious, Pastors and lay faithful.
The SFTS programme in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is fully accredited to offer Level I, Level II and Supervisory CPE by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). Nine participants, six Priests from Ghana and three lay from the San Francisco Theological Seminary, USA were recently commissioned at a ceremony at the Spiritan University at Ejisu to undertake the first unit of the Course, the first of its kind in Ghana.
The participants are Rev. Fr. Anthony Anomah, Rector of the Spiritan University; Rev. Fr. Kosikojo Mensah, a Spiritan Priest from Ho Diocese working in the Yendi Diocese; Rev. Fr. Richard Opoku a Spiritan; Rev. Fr. Joseph Donkor, from the Jasikan diocese; Rev. Fr. Philip Erzuah from the Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese and Rev. Fr. Daniel Fosu, from the Konongo-Mampong Diocese.
Others were Mr. Stanley Chagala, a Kenyan based in the USA; Sabrina Bolus and Min-Hee Kim, both from the USA. The commissioning was led by Rev. Prof. Laurie Garrett-Cobbina, the Course Supervisor from San Francisco Theological Seminary Faculty and an Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) certified Pastoral Educator.
It was supported by Dr. Michael Cobbina, and Rev. Prof. Vanessa Hawkins, both of the SFTS Adjunct Faculty; Very Rev. Fr. Peter Laast, CSSp, Immediate Past Provincial Superior of the Ghana Province of the Holy Spirit congregation (Spiritans) and Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Osei-Yeboah, the new Provincial Superior of the Spiritans in Ghana.
Commissioning the students, Prof. Garrett-Cobbina, prayed that God would help them to be courageous and gentle as they gave their energies, time and concern, hoping that they would be competent to provide care and leadership to the people they would serve after their Course.
In an interview with The Catholic Standard, Prof. Garrett-Cobbina said the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Course initiates an innovative intercultural, ecumenical, international collaboration for students to engage vigorous theological reflection and pastoral practices in connection with the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), USA.
She said the Course was in four units, spanning for four years and the students after the completion of the first unit, would be awarded certificates from San Francisco Theological Seminary, to provide pastoral care to patients, families, and Hospitals, Schools and local Parishes. Speaking on the partnership between the Spiritan University and San Francisco Theological Seminary to undertake the CPE Course, she said it was guided by the belief that competence in religious and spiritual care called for educational experience relevant to the entire interdependent global community.
“The richest mixture of students and pastoral care contexts have been identified in order to prepare religious leaders to serve in multi-faith, multicultural, and pluralistic global communities, as well as provide informed and competent spiritual care in their own religious communities,” she added.
She said the students were expected after the Course to use their care-giving skills acquired to comfort the traumatized and the grief-stricken.
According to Prof. Garrett-Cobbina, the CPE programme welcomes Seminarians, Priests, Religious, interfaith community Pastors, and lay professional, who have full-time serving or caring positions. She added that applicants must be current students at a Theological Institution or involved and in good standing as a spiritual leader of a faith community or institution in which pastoral care is provided or anticipated.
Fr. Anomah, Rector of the Spiritan University who is also undertaking the Course, said it was spirit-filled moment to learn about care-giving, noting that the University College would continue to collaborate with SFTS in this gesture.
He prayed that next year, Dioceses would enroll their Priests to undertake this course.
The Spiritan University College at Ejisu in the Konongo-Mampong Diocese is holding a six-week certified intensive community-based Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) programme on the theme The Role of Inspiration and Culture for the Competent Pastoral Care Provider.
The Summer Course, from June 8 – July 17, 2015, was organised by the Spiritan University in collaboration with San Francisco Theological Seminary(SFTS) in the USA, to support the enhancement and development of pastoral care competence for Priests, Religious, Pastors and lay faithful.
The SFTS programme in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is fully accredited to offer Level I, Level II and Supervisory CPE by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). Nine participants, six Priests from Ghana and three lay from the San Francisco Theological Seminary, USA were recently commissioned at a ceremony at the Spiritan University at Ejisu to undertake the first unit of the Course, the first of its kind in Ghana.
The participants are Rev. Fr. Anthony Anomah, Rector of the Spiritan University; Rev. Fr. Kosikojo Mensah, a Spiritan Priest from Ho Diocese working in the Yendi Diocese; Rev. Fr. Richard Opoku a Spiritan; Rev. Fr. Joseph Donkor, from the Jasikan diocese; Rev. Fr. Philip Erzuah from the Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese and Rev. Fr. Daniel Fosu, from the Konongo-Mampong Diocese.
Others were Mr. Stanley Chagala, a Kenyan based in the USA; Sabrina Bolus and Min-Hee Kim, both from the USA. The commissioning was led by Rev. Prof. Laurie Garrett-Cobbina, the Course Supervisor from San Francisco Theological Seminary Faculty and an Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) certified Pastoral Educator.
It was supported by Dr. Michael Cobbina, and Rev. Prof. Vanessa Hawkins, both of the SFTS Adjunct Faculty; Very Rev. Fr. Peter Laast, CSSp, Immediate Past Provincial Superior of the Ghana Province of the Holy Spirit congregation (Spiritans) and Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Osei-Yeboah, the new Provincial Superior of the Spiritans in Ghana.
Commissioning the students, Prof. Garrett-Cobbina, prayed that God would help them to be courageous and gentle as they gave their energies, time and concern, hoping that they would be competent to provide care and leadership to the people they would serve after their Course.
In an interview with The Catholic Standard, Prof. Garrett-Cobbina said the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Course initiates an innovative intercultural, ecumenical, international collaboration for students to engage vigorous theological reflection and pastoral practices in connection with the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), USA.
She said the Course was in four units, spanning for four years and the students after the completion of the first unit, would be awarded certificates from San Francisco Theological Seminary, to provide pastoral care to patients, families, and Hospitals, Schools and local Parishes. Speaking on the partnership between the Spiritan University and San Francisco Theological Seminary to undertake the CPE Course, she said it was guided by the belief that competence in religious and spiritual care called for educational experience relevant to the entire interdependent global community.
“The richest mixture of students and pastoral care contexts have been identified in order to prepare religious leaders to serve in multi-faith, multicultural, and pluralistic global communities, as well as provide informed and competent spiritual care in their own religious communities,” she added.
She said the students were expected after the Course to use their care-giving skills acquired to comfort the traumatized and the grief-stricken.
According to Prof. Garrett-Cobbina, the CPE programme welcomes Seminarians, Priests, Religious, interfaith community Pastors, and lay professional, who have full-time serving or caring positions. She added that applicants must be current students at a Theological Institution or involved and in good standing as a spiritual leader of a faith community or institution in which pastoral care is provided or anticipated.
Fr. Anomah, Rector of the Spiritan University who is also undertaking the Course, said it was spirit-filled moment to learn about care-giving, noting that the University College would continue to collaborate with SFTS in this gesture.
He prayed that next year, Dioceses would enroll their Priests to undertake this course.
|
The nine Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) students (Front row) after their commissioning at the Spiritan University at Ejisu.
|
