Dr. DelMonico will be participating in the annual conference of AGPIM, representing the Office of Certification for Ecclesial Ministry and Service of the USCCB. AGPIM is an organization of educators, theologians and administrators representing Roman Catholic institutions that offer graduate programs in ministry which prepare students for various areas of service to the Church including parish and family life, pastoral care, and religious education. My work with the USCCB was recognized in an essay in Transforming Ministry Formation, a 2021 book published by Paulist Press, featuring essays on the contributions of the leaders and programs of AGPIM to the preparation and training of lay ministers in the Catholic Church.

The theme of this year’s gathering is “Trauma-Informed Ministry.” I will be presenting on the work of the USCCB Subcommittee on Certification for Ecclesial Ministry and Service in their work promoting and consulting on the development of lay ministry formation and certification standards at the national and diocesan level. These standards are also used by the graduate programs in AGPIM to develop their minister preparation programs for those pursuing graduate degrees in theology and ministry related fields.