V
Diaconate Year
Fr Aniceto Pereira (Co-ordinator)
Course description
At St Pius College, seminarians in their Fourth Year of studies in Theology are ordained Deacons in mid September and Priests about mid April depending on the schedule of the Archbishop. The Program designed for them has two parts. From June till October, they have scheduled revision sessions with the Staff and on their own to prepare themselves for the ‘Ad Audiendas’ and
‘Comprehensives’ examination. They also make a retreat research and write a “Scientific Paper’ to fulfill the requirement for the B.Th. degree. The second part consist of a month of intensive courses such as on Pastoral Leadership, and Pastoral procedure in preparation for Marriage, Care of the sick and dying, assistance to the Chemically Dependent, Counselling of Youth, Married and single persons etc. They then have fulltime Diaconate ministry in a parish.
IV YEAR THEOLOGY & DIACONATE PROGRAMME
Fr Aniceto Pereira et al
The fourth year of theology begins with an 8-day guided retreat. Following this the students have about a month to prepare for the Confession exams (ad audiendas). Once this is over they follow regular courses in scripture, systematic theology and Latin. The diaconate ordinations in the archdiocese of Bombay are normally held on the second Sunday of August. After this the students begin their preparations for the Comprehensive exams in scripture, systematic, moral theology and canon law which are usually held around the first week of October. During this time the students also work on a scientific paper in one of the theological streams (scripture, systematic theology, moral theology) under the guidance of a professor. The paper is submitted at the end of the first term (mid-October).
Courses done in the Fourth Year
Catholic Epistles
(15 lectures)
Fr Pravin D’Souza
The course comprises a general introduction to the ‘Catholic’ letters and an exegetical study of the letters of James, 1-2 Peter & Jude. (The Letters of John are studied in a separate course on the Johannine Corpus).
Theology of the Local Church
(15 lectures)
Fr Julian Saldanha SJ
This course studies the role of the local church within the Indian context in the light of New Testament data, tradition and the ecclesiology of Vatican II, as well as post-Vatican and FABC documents. Key elements studied within this overarching perspective are: the significance of the parish, parish pastoral councils, individual churches, the communion of local churches, catholicity, as well as the role of episcopal conferences and synods.
Elementary Church Latin
(30 lectures)
Fr Andrew Aranha
The course begins with a brief introduction to the Latin language: its impact on world culture, its origins, history and evolution. Students are given a general idea of the different types of Latin and the different historical periods in which they emerged and developed. We then cover the Latin alphabet, pronunciation (Church Latin), and a few basic elements of Latin grammar: parts of speech, cases and declensions, conjugations, and elementary syntax.
PAStoral COurses
During the second part of the diaconate programme the deacons reside and exercise their ministry in the respective parishes to which they have been assigned. Towards the end of the academic year they return to the seminary for a month of pastoral courses. These courses help them to reflect theologically on their pastoral experience as deacons. The courses covered include the following:
Principles of Pastoral Management
(15 lectures)
Bp Percival Fernandez
Pastoral Ministry to Chemically Dependent Persons
(6 lectures)
Fr Joseph H Pereira & KRIPA Team
Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying
(5 lectures)
Fr Denis D’Souza
Pastoral Liturgies: Baptisms, Marriages & Funerals
(6 lectures)
Fr Anthony L Fernandes
Sacraments: Canonical and Pastoral Aspects, with special focus on the Sacrament of Marriage
(8 lectures)
Bp Dominic Savio Fernandes
Ministry to Youth, Adults and Married Couples: Pastoral Guidance and Counselling
(30 lectures)
Dr Yolande Pereira
Theological and Liturgical Perspectives on the ‘Prayer of the Church’
(3 lectures)
Fr Anthony L Fernandes
Spiritual Direction
(3 lectures)
Fr J M Feliu SJ
Responding to the Challenge of New Religious Movements
(6 lectures)
Bp Agnelo Gracias
Basic Accounting Practices
(4 lectures)
Fr Avin Franklin
Reflection on Celibacy
(3 lectures)
Bp Agnelo Gracias