Studies toward Ordination at Saint Bede’s Anglican Catholic Theological College requires a period of preparation consisting of theological study, spiritual formation, and training in liturgy and pastoral ministry. This preparation is an opportunity for the Candidate to discern God’s will for his life and to undertake an intensive period of study and spiritual examination. A vocation to the ministerial priesthood is neither a job nor a career path, but a calling to a life of service through the indelible sacrament of Holy Orders. It is also a vocation unmatched by any other this world affords; one which draws the person into the very vocation of God’s own Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the great High Priest and Shepherd of our souls.
Saint Bede's Anglican Catholic Theological College provides candidates for ordination in the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada (Traditional Anglican Communion) the necessary theological study, spiritual formation and pastoral training for ordination to the Sacred Orders of Deacon and Priest in the Church of God. The curriculum is offered through distance education programmes and periodic intensive tutorial weeks. Upon successful completion of the prescribed program of theological studies and ministry preparation, the candidate is granted a degree in theology by the Board of Regents and is recommended for ordination to the candidate’s Diocesan Bishop.
The preparation and training for ordination is divided into three components: spiritual formation, academic study, and ministry training. In this way, the candidate for ordination is exposed not only to the study of theology, but also to the spiritual, liturgical, and pastoral dimensions of the ordained ministry.
Spiritual formation is an extremely important element in the overall training and development of the candidate for Holy Orders. Subject to the requirements and direction of the candidate’s Diocesan Bishop, each candidate for ordination will be required to submit a written Rule of Life to his Spiritual Director (with a copy to the Dean of the College) and answer for it to his Spiritual Director throughout the year. This Rule of Life must specifically include the following topics: (a) daily personal prayer, a schedule of directed spiritual reading and meditation; (b) the recitation of the Daily Office; (c) a schedule of attendance and assistance at Mass; (d) the observation of the Church’s rules of feasting and fasting; (e) a minimum monthly sacramental confession to the candidate's regular confessor; and, (f) the absolute observance of chastity in the state to which the candidate is called.
A candidate’s academic studies will encompass a programme of theological courses and directed readings designed to expose him to the fundamentals of Christian theology and prepare him for ordination and parish ministry. The first component of theological studies will prepare the candidate for ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacon, while the second component will prepare him for ordination to the Sacred Order of Priests.
Candidates will undertake their course of studies by means of one or more of the following methods: tutorials, lectures, directed readings, video lectures, submission of papers, and periodic examinations. The instructors will outline the expectations and requirements for successful completion of each course based upon the curriculum and criteria established by the Board of Regents and administered by the Academic Dean of the College. The length (number of hours of lecture, tutorials, study, etc.) will vary depending upon the nature and scope of each course; the sequence and timing of the courses will be determined in consultation with the candidate, faculty, Academic Dean, and the candidate’s Diocesan Bishop.
Each candidate will be responsible for setting his own schedule (subject to the instructors’ requirements and the course schedules), for completing the directed readings, viewing the videos, attending the tutorials, submitting the papers, and meeting the deadlines assigned by the instructor(s). From time to time the candidate will be asked to make a progress report to the Academic Dean of the College.
A formal evaluation will be held in each course to determine whether the candidate has successfully completed the course requirements.
As part of the training for the ordained ministry, and as a component of his Rule of Life, each candidate for ordination will be required to take an active part in the worship and pastoral activities of his local parish. This will include attendance and assistance at Mass, and exposure to various pastoral duties.
Toward the end of each year’s course of studies, the candidate will be expected to participate in supervised liturgical and pastoral training in the ministries of Deacon and Priest (i.e., PR-100 & PR-200 – Liturgical and Pastoral Ministry of a Deacon/Priest).
Last Updated June 19, 2009