The priest is central to the life of a Church. He celebrates the liturgy together with the parish, gathers people together for prayer and helps them to discover the roots of their tradition. The priest offers care and spiritual counselling to people at times of need and crisis in their lives, and he represents the Church to the wider community. He conducts baptisms, weddings and funerals. Through his preaching the priest proclaims the gospel and through his lifestyle he encourages holiness.
On the pedagogical track of the Pastoral-Pedagogical Program, our participants receive a thorough understanding of the Church’s theological and biblical tradition as well as tools which will allow them to communicate their knowledge to others. Our participants learn how to create a safe and stimulating learning environment within a Church congregation and how to encourage participation in the life of the Church by lay members.
The training includes subjects such as practical liturgics, pastoral theology and Church languages, and all the participants on the program take the bachelor’s degree program in theology with a focus on Eastern Christian Studies at Stockholm School of Theology (University College Stockholm).
You can find more information about the program here.
