On September 4, 2008 Sister Francis Raftery, president of the College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE), and Camden Diocese Bishop Joseph Galante signed a partnership agreement inviting the College to provide theological education courses in its Ministry Certificate program for lay leadership throughout the Diocese.

(l - r) CSE President Sr. Francis Raftery and Camden Diocese Bishop Joseph Galante. (Photo by Carl Peters of the Catholic Star Herald) 

Beginning in the Spring 2009 semester, the 25-credit undergraduate Lay Ministry certificate program will be offered in three off-site locations throughout the Diocese.  Courses will be offered both in English and Spanish as there are more than 100,000 Hispanic Catholics among the 500,000 Catholics served by the Diocese. For more information about the Lay Ministry certificate program, call (973) 290-4354.

“What a privilege and joy it is to pledge the resources of the College to our joint work in preparing well-formed leadership for the Church of the 21st century,” said Dr. Linda Baratte, CSE director of the Center for Theological and Spiritual Development, who administers the program. “I applaud the Diocese’s vision and strong commitment for formation and training of this generation of leadership which honors laypersons’ baptismal call and their zeal for service.”

According to Dr. Baratte, the agreement is part of a reconfiguration plan announced in April 2008 that will reduce the number of parishes in the diocese by almost 50 percent.  The plan, designed to bring new vitality to parish life, will allow the newly configured parishes to better serve the needs of the people with the addition of new professional leadership and staffing.