The Diocesan Pastor and Organizational Leadership: A Phenomenological Study on Leadership Preparedness in Catholic Seminaries

Seminary education is based on the four pillars of Catholic seminary formation: human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. While these pillars have been a staple for seminary education, it does not take into account the unique role of a Diocesan pastor. The role of Diocesan pastor is multifaceted and highly nuanced. It requires a specific set of organizational skills along with spiritual and theological education. Pastors are responsible for a large congregation and must manage the operations of the parish along with the spiritual needs of the community. Turnover and burnout are at an all-time high. This qualitative phenomenological study sought to analyze Diocesan pastors’ perception of leadership as it related to their seminary education. The study consisted of 12 Diocesan pastors within the Diocese of San Diego. The data that was collected was coded and then broken-down into themes using thematic analysis. The data resulted in five major themes and one sub-theme encompassing the pastors’ journey pre-seminary, seminary, and post-seminary. The themes included prior leadership experience, seminary experience, time spent as an associate pastor, the parish community, and the Diocese and bishop as a critical role model for pastor support. The findings offer five key insights that relate to the overall lack of preparedness in seminary felt by Diocesan pastors in areas of organizational leadership. Recommendations for seminary education include a six-week summer program that incorporates practical, managerial, and organizational aspects of the role of a Diocesan pastor. This will help support seminarians on their journey toward becoming a pastor, and ultimately mitigate burnout and high turnover. Keywords: Organizational Leadership, Leadership, Diocesan Pastor, Parish, Seminary

Grantor dc:publisher

Creighton University

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Lococo, Amanda Fox

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Stine-Cheyne, Kelleen

• Diocesan Pastor
• Organizational Leadership
• Pastor

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright is retained by the Author. A non-exclusive distribution right is granted to Creighton University and to ProQuest following the publishing model selected above.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://cdr.creighton.edu/handle/10504/153995

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:cdr.creighton.edu:10504/153995