The planning for an Alumni Association of the Lay Leadership Formation for Ministry Program began in November 2004 with a gathering of graduates of the formation program who responded to the Pastoral Institute's letter of interest in such an association.
Subsequent meetings in 2005 saw the formation of a steering committee and the creation of five sub-committees, each with chairpersons and co-workers, to get the Alumni Association started on ways to bring the graduates together. The five sub-committees are Promotion/Public Relations, Member Support/ Networking, Spirituality, On-Going Education, and Special Events.
The first planned event of the fledging Alumni Association was a Retreat Day on Sunday, April 10, 2005 at the Bishop Molloy Retreat House in Jamaica, NY. Part of this day was devoted to a brain storming session about the future of the Alumni Association. The input from this gathering was used by the steering committee for future planning.
In the Fall of 2005, the first issue of the Lay Leadership Formation for Ministry Program Alumni Association Newsletter was sent to all alumni as well as the participants of the Class of 2006. This four-page Newsletter introduced the steering committee members and their work so far, noteworthy alumni accomplishments, upcoming workshops, retreat information, and other future events of interest to graduates.
A priority of the steering committee at this time is to set in place a roster of officers who will carry the Alumni Association forward and to draw on the expertise of a wider spectrum of our graduates. To this end, the steering committee members continue to meet to plan events and other ways of encouraging communication among the graduates, especially for networking and sharing of experiences in ministry.
For further information on how you can be involved in the Alumni Association, please contact the Pastoral Institute.
