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New Pastors Program

November 10-14, 2025

The Center’s most popular program returns.

A Five-Day Workshop Designed Exclusively for New Pastors

The Program: 2025

The 2025 New Pastors Program will be held November 10-14, 2025 at the Center for Continuing Formation on St. Mary’s Campus. This conference is for newly minted pastors or for priests who will soon be appointed to the pastorate. “Becoming a Pastor” is not just a change in title or role, but a time to acquire new skills.

The five-day program includes sessions on:

  • pastoral leadership
  • administration
  • financial/personnel management
  • spirituality
  • and more.

Plan for 2025! New Pastors Program will be held November 10-14, 2025.

Cost: $1,550.00 (room and board included)

Registration Deadline: October 27, 2025
(Note: this program has historically sold-out before the deadline date).
 

Priest-Director

Rev. Msgr. Roger E. McGrath, Ph.D.
Rev. Msgr. Roger E. McGrath, Ph.D.

Rev. Msgr. Roger E. McGrath, Ph.D.
Diocese of Camden

Msgr. Roger McGrath, of the Diocese of Camden, was ordained in 1971 and has served in parish ministry, seminary formation and diocesan administration. He received his doctorate in systematic theology from Notre Dame. In Camden, he served as Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Religious Education and directed the offices of pastoral planning, communications, evangelization and development. He taught systematic theology and was vice rector at St. Mary’s Seminary and University. After serving as vice rector at Theological College, he returned to Camden as pastor of Our Lady of Grace in Somerdale, NJ, served as vicar general and moderator of the curia and, finally as pastor of Saints Peter and Paul in Turnersville, NJ until his retirement in 2019.

Msgr. McGrath celebrated his 50th anniversary as a priest in 2021.

Participating Dioceses

Past participants and current registrants include:

  • Archdiocese of Baltimore
  • Archdiocese of Chicago
  • Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
  • Diocese of Camden
  • Diocese of Colorado Springs
  • Diocese of Lexington
  • Diocese of Metuchen
  • Diocese of Phoenix
  • Diocese of Pittsburgh
  • Diocese of Portland-in-Maine
  • Diocese of Providence
  • Diocese of Richmond
  • Diocese of Sacramento
  • Diocese of Scranton
  • Diocese of Trenton
  • Diocese of Wilmington
  • Diocese of Worcester

Printable Flyer with Schedule

View/Download a flyer with the full schedule.

2025 Schedule

monday
november 10, 2025
8:30 am Arrival and check-in (Gathering Room)
12:15 pm Lunch (Forum Café)
1:30 pm Welcome, Prayer, and Introductions
Spirituality of the Pastor  (Forum)
2:45 pm Break
3:00 pm Stress (Physical and Spiritual Self-Care) (Forum)
4:15 pm Break
4:30 pm Evening Prayer (St. Charles Chapel)
5:30 pm Social (Sun Room)
6:00 pm Dinner (Forum Café)
7:00 pm Canonical Role of the Pastor (Forum)
8:30 pm Social (Sun Room)
     
tuesday
november 11, 2025
7:50 am Mass with Morning Prayer (St. Charles Chapel)
8:35 am Breakfast (Forum Café)
9:30 am Budget and Finance I (Forum)
11:00 am Break
11:15 am Budget and Finance II (Forum)
12:15 pm Lunch (Forum Café)
1:30 pm Pastoring More Than One Parish (Forum)
2:45 pm Break
3:00 pm Physical Plant Audit and Responsibilities (Forum)
4:30 pm Evening Prayer (St. Charles Chapel)
5:30 pm Social (Sun Room)
6:00 pm Dinner (Forum Café)
7:00 pm Balancing Pastoral and Administrative Responsibilities (Forum)
8:00 pm Adoration (St. Charles Chapel)
8:30 pm Social (optional) (Sun Room)
     
wednesday
november 12, 2025
8:15 am Mass with Morning Prayer (St. Charles Chapel)
9:00 am Breakfast (Forum Café)
9:45 am Pastoral and Finance Councils & Conflict Resolution (Forum)
10:45 am Break
11:00 am Stewardship and Fundraising (Forum)
12:15 pm Lunch (Forum Café)
1:30 pm Documentary Responsibilities (Forum)
2:30 pm Break
2:45 pm Parish Staffs and Personnel Management (Forum)
4:00 pm Evening Prayer (St. Charles Chapel)
Free Evening
     
thursday
november 13, 2025
7:50 am Mass with Morning Prayer (St. Charles Chapel)
8:35 am Breakfast (Forum Café)
9:30 am Pastoring with a School (Forum)
10:45 am Break
11:00 am Male and Female He Created Them 
12:15 pm Lunch (Forum Café)
1:30 pm Civil Law and Pastoral Administration (Forum)
2:45 pm Break
3:00 pm Parish Communications: Website, Bulletin, Members, Parents, Social Media (Forum)
4:30 pm Evening Prayer (St. Charles Chapel)
5:30 pm Social (Sun Room)
6:00 pm Dinner (Forum Café)
7:00 pm Open Forum (Forum)
8:30 pm Social (optional) (Sun Room)
     
friday
november 14, 2025
7:50 am Mass with Morning Prayer (St. Charles Chapel)
8:35 am Breakfast (Forum Café)
9:30 am Transition into the Parish (Forum)
10:00 am Peter: A Transformed Shepherd (Forum)
11:00 am Departure

 

Team of Presenters

Will be posted in mid-late September.

Diane L. Barr, J.D., J.C.D., Ph.D.
Chancellor
Archdiocese of Baltimore

presenting:
Documentary Responsibilities

Rev. Phillip J. Brown, J.D., J.C.D.
President-Rector
St. Mary’s Seminary & University

Welcoming

Rev. Msgr. Richard Bozzelli, J.D.
Pastor
St. Bernadine Church (Archdiocese of Baltimore)

presenting:
Civil Law and Pastoral Administration

Rev. Patrick M. Carrion
Pastor
St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Baltimore MD (Archdiocese of Baltimore)

presenting:
Budget and Finance I / II

Rev. Gerard Francik
Pastor
Sacred Heart Parish, Glyndon MD (Archdiocese of Baltimore)

presenting:
Pastoral and Finance Councils and Staff / Stewardship and Fundraising

Pat Fossarelli, M.D., D.Min.
Adjunct Instructor of Pastoral Theology
St. Mary’s Seminary & University

presenting:
Stress (Physical and Spiritual Self-Care) / Pastor’s Role in Catechesis / Male and Female Created

Rev. Msgr. Fredrik Hansen, J.C.L.
Dean of Seminarians, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Studies
St. Mary’s Seminary & University

presenting:
Canonical Role of the Pastor

Rev. Edward S. Hendricks
Pastor
Divine Mercy Parish, Frostburg MD (Archdiocese of Baltimore)

presenting:
Pastoring More Than One Parish I / II

Rev. Thomas R. Hurst, P.S.S., Ph.D.
Adjunct Faculty, Sacred Scripture
St. Mary’s Seminary & University

presenting:
Peter: A Transformed Shepherd / Reflection on the Great Commission and Sending Forth Prayer

Mr. Nolan McCoy
Director, Facilities Management & Real Estate
Archdiocese of Baltimore

presenting:
Physical Plant Audit and Responsibilities

Ms. Margaret M. Myers
Director of Mission
Divine Mercy Parish, Frostburg MD (Archdiocese of Baltimore)

presenting:
Pastoring More Than One Parish I / II

Mrs. Elizabeth Visconage, B.S.
Senior Vice President of Administration and Advancement
St. Mary’s Seminary & University

presenting:
Parish Staffs and Personnel Management

From the 2022 New Pastors Program...

For more information, contact:

Center for Continuing Formation
St. Mary’s Seminary and University
5400 Roland Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21210
410-864-4102

center (at) stmarys.edu