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Vatican II Institute of St. Patrick's Seminary Father Jim Myers has been drawn to the Vatican II Institute several times in his 25 years as a priest. He made a sabbatical there in 1989 and served as Assistant Director two years later. Now he is the Director. And he couldn't be happier. As a seminarian at the University of Notre Dame in the 1970's, Fr. Myers knew he was called to the diocesan priesthood. He was encouraged to pursue doctoral studies before his ordination, but was eager to begin his pastoral ministry. He was ordained for the Diocese of Peoria in 1980 and served there for eleven years. During his ninth year, he used a sabbatical at the Institute to reflect on his priesthood and his ministerial options and discern where the Holy Spirit was leading him. Sulpician Father Gene Koncel was Director of the Institute at that time. He invited Fr. Myers to join the Sulpicians and work toward his doctorate. "I want to remain a Diocesan priest," said Fr. Myers. "Well, we ARE Diocesan priests!" replied Fr. Koncel. Fr. Myers joined the Sulpicians in 1991 and served as Assistant Director of the Vatican II Institute for two years before becoming pastor of St. John the Evangelist parish in San Francisco. This return to his pastoral roots allowed him to discover his place within the Sulpician mission of priestly formation. "Some express it in an intellectual form, teaching and training other priests," he says, "but I knew that mine was a pastoral call and I had found my niche."
"Nonetheless, Fr. Myers is addressing new needs at the Institute. Working with the Sulpicians, the Archdiocese of San Francisco and other California dioceses, the Institute is responding to the "Basic Plan for the Ongoing Formation of Priests", a document issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. "The four areas of formation where we are putting our focus are the enculturation of international priests, the first five years after ordination, the preparation of new pastors, and formation for leadership," explains Fr. Myers. "We are working to support the needs of the priests in this region," says Fr. Myers, "but the model we are developing may ultimately serve the national and international needs of priests. "In the future, Fr. Myers sees a great need for formation programs for laity, deacons and other religious, including those who serve as Parish Life Directors in the absence of a priest. "It is the shared mission of the Sulpician Fathers and the Church at large to strengthen ongoing formation," he says. This extends to opening a dialogue with the director of Fuller Seminary, a Protestant Evangelical house of studies, to explore "Formation for Ecumenism" and possible areas of collaboration. "Twenty five years of priestly service in diocesan ministry have taught me a great deal about the challenges priest face today and about the vital importance of their witness and ministry in our world," says Fr. Myers. "The Vatican II Institute plays a critically important role for the church by offering programs of renewal and enrichment for our priests. I am pleased to be entrusted with the opportunity to provide service and encouragement to priests in deepening their spiritual lives and in enhancing the quality of their ministry among the people they serve."
Who We Are
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After nine years at St. John's, Fr. Myers took another sabbatical and emerged
in 2004 as the Director of the Institute. "I was fortunate to inherit a
strong, effective sabbatical program for priests that supports the clergy and
runs well, thanks to my Sulpician predecessors," he says. "But the
reality is that there are fewer priests attending the program. Many cannot take
sabbaticals because there are no replacements for them or their diocese does
not have the budget to allow them to leave.