NADD - New Directors' Institute

New Directors' Institute
An Institute for those who form deacons

A nearly year-long experience for deacon directors including six-days of classroom with four-days of immersion at the Pontifical College Josephinum, a national seminary in Columbus, OH. The dates of the next Institute will be:

April 22, 2009 (NADD Convention 2009 – Chicago, IL)
June 14-19, 2009 (Pontifical College Josephinum – Columbus, OH)
April 14, 2010 (NADD Convention 2010 – Spokane, WA)

See below for more information.

A resource every diocese needs...
What the 2007 Institute Committee members said...

The Institute Will Address:

How to select aspirants
Discernment of vocation
Canonical issues in formation and after ordination
Practical procedures for assignments, ministry agreements, mentoring, community, and distance education
How to develop, implement and monitor a 3-year post-ordination formation program
How to work with pastors, mentors, spiritual directors and supervisors
How to address the unique contributions and concerns of wives and families within formation and after ordination
Moving from the National Directory to the program

Why you should attend the Institute?

Preparation for implementing the new National Directory
Practical solutions to real-world problems
Interaction with experienced directors
Faculty devoted to the improvement of the diaconate in the U.S.
Certificate of Completion signed by the three collaborators. Graduate credit available through PCJ for qualified participants who complete a project as required by PCJ
Addresses the integration of the four dimensions (Human, Spiritual, Intellectual and Pastoral) at each of the stages of formation (Inquiry and Aspirancy, Candidacy, Post-Ordination and continuing education in Life and Ministry)

Who Should Attend the Institute?

New or aspiring diaconate directors
Coordinators/directors of personnel, life and ministry or other diocesan office staff
All members of NADD including experienced directors needing to update their program to be compliant with the National Directory

Format of the Institute

A year-long process beginning and ending with back-to-back pre-NADD convention Institute days, including a distance learning component between sessions
Communal prayer and daily Mass
Presentations on theological foundations at each stage
Hands-on practica
Realistic case studies
Examples of Directories from large, small and rural dioceses; samples and templates of letters, formal applications, etc. provided
Ample time for discussion, both formal and informal
Samples of curricula
Q & A with instructors
Panel presentations

Institute Schedule (subject to change without notice)

Day One (NADD Convention Chicago - April 22, 2009)
- Spiritual Profile of the Deacon Director
- What is the National Directory: What Kind of Person Ought I Be?
- From Directory to the National Plan by Faculty Panel
- Who are Deacons?
- How Do Dimensions Fit Together?
Days Two through Five (Pontifical College Josephinum - June 14-19, 2009)
- Selection/Inquiry: Presentation, Practicum, and Case Studies
- Aspirancy: Presentation, Practicum, and Case Studies
- Candidacy: Presentation, Practicum, and Case Studies
- Post-Ordination Formation: Presentation, Practicum, and Case Studies
July, 2009 to March, 2010 (Office or Home)
- Complete assigned project, communicate with faculty via email, bulletin board & distance learning, meet with assigned mentor
Day Six (NADD Convention Spokane - April 14, 2010)
- Closing integration seminar, Participants present projects
- Synthesis by faculty, Challenges ahead, Presentation of certificates, Reception

Institute Tuition

New Directors’ Institute - $2,100 (budgetary-not to exceed estimate)
(includes all class fees, materials, room (in local motel), and meals in Columbus (days two through five)). It is also expected that students will attend days one and six of the Institute, which will be held just prior to the 2009 and 2010 NADD conventions respectively. Normal convention registration fees apply.

Registration

Applications for the 2009/2010 New Directors' Institute will be accepted beginning now and will be limited to the first 35 qualified applicants. If you would like to reserve your place, please call the NADD office and put your name on the advance registration list. You do not need to be a member of NADD to attend, however, preference will be given to those applying from member dioceses. We encourage you to register early to ensure your place at the table. If you would like to apply, download an application here (MS Word).

What the 2007 Institute Committee members said... (Back to top)
New Directors' Institute Ready to Roll...

Graduate credit, a Director’s Certificate, a world class faculty, a pontifical college, on-site and distance learning, mentoring, and a rich curriculum that balances theoretical and the practical s are just a few of the features of the institute for directors which will be launched on April 18, 2007 at the NADD Convention in Los Angeles.

“The Director’s Institute is a year long journey that will begin during our annual convention of 2007 and will conclude at our annual convention of 2008. But the heart of the Institute is the immersion week the participants will spend at Pontifical College Josephinum (PCJ)” according to steering committee member Joe Michalak.

“I am really excited about the institute” said Deacon Ken Piechowski, another committee member and Deacon Director for the Diocese of Cleveland. According to Deacon Ken, “This is one of the finest and most significant initiatives NADD has ever undertaken.”

Deacon Michael Ross, Academic Dean at PCJ confirmed that participants may apply for graduate credit since the faculty meets accreditation standards. In addition, all participants who satisfy the requirements of the institute will be granted a Director’s Institute Certificate issued jointly by NADD, PCJ, the Secretariat for the Diaconate, USCCB.

“The National Directory of the Formation, Ministry and Life of the Permanent Deacon” will be the BIBLE for the Institute,” according to Deacon Dan Peterson, chair of the committee. “The directory was written by and for bishops, and deacon directors are the individuals charged with putting into practice. This means the directory will provide the foundation of the curriculum and instruction of the institute.” Deacon Dan added.

“The institute needs to be practical and hands-on.” According to Deacon Bill Ditewig, Executive Director of the Secretariat for the Bishop's Committee on the Diaconate of the USCCB. In consultation with graduate faculty, scholars, directors of formation, and directors of deacon personnel, the committee has planned a curriculum which has an integrated practicum and case study method which focuses on application and a “how to” methodology. In addition, the curriculum will be organized around the stages of formation beginning with aspirancy through candidacy to post-ordination.

If you have questions that are not answered on this web site, call the NADD office at 815-965-2100.