Welcome to the Together in God's Service Program

Training & Preparation for Lay Ecclesial Ministry
in the Archdiocese of Chicago

The Archdiocese of Chicago wants to ensure that the future Lay Ecclesial Ministers who serve its parishes and agencies possess a solid spiritual and academic foundation out of which to exercise their ministry.

To form ministers who embrace the fullness of the Catholic faith as handed on by the Apostles, the Archdiocese works with the theological schools in the Chicago area to assure that courses which help achieve that goal are consistently available to lay ecclesial ministry candidates.

The Archdiocese also wants to ensure that while students are pursuing their academic courses, they are also deeply immersed in a program of spiritual formation within a supportive faith community of peers.

The Archdiocese desires that students who hope to eventually minister in Chicago parishes develop an identity as Archdiocesan Candidates who are called, discerned, supported and commissioned to serve in the name of the Church. To that end, lay students apply to the Archdiocese seeking sponsorship at one of the theological schools, similar to the way religious candidates are sponsored at those schools by their congregation. Participation is required for new candidates who hope to be employed by the archdiocese in designated areas of ministry.

Through Together in God’s Service, the Archdiocese accompanies participants in three ways during their time of academic study: 1) Supervising the Academic Core Curriculum, 2) Providing the required Formation Program, 3) Offering Financial Assistance.

This requirement is instituted as a service to the local church and as a gift to future ministry students. For parishes, the program helps assure ministers who are formed in the faith of the Apostles. For individual candidates, the program answers the question: In whose name do I serve? When participants of the program serve in parishes, they will know that their ministry is exercised not only on their own initiative, but also as a publicly recognized and authorized action within this local ecclesial community.