By Joanna King
JACKSON – A new diocesan initiative focused on strengthening lay leadership and faith formation across the Diocese of Jackson is taking shape through the newly established Bishop William R. Houck Center for Lay Formation, an effort church leaders say grew directly out of listening sessions held during the diocesan Pastoral Reimagining process.
Led by the diocesan Office of Faith Formation under the direction of Fran Lavelle, the center is designed to provide accessible formation and ministry training opportunities for parish and school leaders, catechists, youth ministers and other lay leaders throughout the diocese.
“The absolute best part of my ministry is working with people,” Lavelle said. “The second-best part of my job is looking at ways to better serve our parishes and schools, especially concerning faith formation.”
Lavelle said the idea for the center emerged after parish and deanery listening sessions identified the need for stronger lay leadership formation.
“Better formation for lay leaders was one of the clarion calls from both individual parishes and the deaneries,” she said. “When you ask people how the Church can better serve them, it is important to act on what you hear.”
An advisory committee formed in late 2024 began reimagining how the diocese could support lay ministry and leadership development. That process ultimately led to the creation of the Bishop William R. Houck Center for Lay Formation.
The center is named in honor of former Bishop William R. Houck, who served the Diocese of Jackson from 1984 to 2003 and was widely recognized for his commitment to Catholic education, evangelization and lay ministry. During his tenure, Houck served as chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Evangelization, which published the landmark 1992 document, Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States. The document, still used today, continues to encourage Catholics to embrace the mission of discipleship.
“Bishop Houck was an esteemed educator and a devoted advocate for lay ministry,” Lavelle said. “His vision and voice laid the foundation for lay leadership training in the Diocese. It is our hope to expand his vision to provide high-quality formation and training at every parish, mission and school.”
According to the center’s website, its mission is “to provide lay leaders in the Diocese of Jackson training and formation with emphasis in catechetical, pastoral and ecclesial applications.”
The initiative is built around three foundational pillars: education, evangelization and the development of well-formed lay leaders. The website notes that ongoing formation in Scripture and Catholic teaching helps disciples live out their call, while strong parish communities depend on prepared leaders who can serve with “knowledge, confidence and compassion.”
Unlike a traditional diocesan institute, the Houck Center is not housed in a physical building. Instead, it operates as an online resource hub hosted through the diocesan website. Participants can access diocesan workshops, online courses, ministry resources and leadership development opportunities in a variety of ministry areas.
“We really wanted something accessible to people no matter where they live in the diocese,” Lavelle said. “This is about meeting parish leaders where they are and helping them continue to grow in confidence and faith.”
Current areas of formation include campus ministry, catechist training, family ministry, intercultural ministry, liturgy, OCIA, prison ministry, youth ministry and young adult ministry, along with leadership training opportunities for pastoral councils and parish ministry teams.
One of the center’s first major initiatives is a redesigned Pastoral Ministries Workshop, a longtime diocesan leadership program that has now been restructured to better accommodate busy parish volunteers and ministry leaders. Previously offered as a four-year program requiring participants to attend a weeklong summer session each year, the workshop has been reformatted into a more flexible intensive weekend model.
“The length of time to complete the old program, along with the difficulty many volunteers had getting away for an entire week, made us realize we needed a more accessible format,” Lavelle said. “We wanted to preserve the richness of the formation while making it realistic for people serving in parish ministry.”
The new two-year program consists of six four-hour sessions focused on prayer, theology, pastoral leadership and practical ministry skills. Courses will be offered concurrently in English and Spanish, reflecting the diversity of the diocese and the center’s emphasis on broad accessibility.
This year’s workshop topics include the foundations of Catholic pastoral ministry, pastoral identity and spirituality, and communication and relationship-building in ministry. Participants will explore themes such as servant leadership, intercultural communication, conflict transformation and spiritual practices that sustain ministry.
Lavelle said the workshop is intended not only for new ministers and catechists, but also for experienced parish leaders seeking renewed formation and support.
“Our primary goal is to provide a foundation in Catholic pastoral ministry through prayer, theology, practical skills and reflection,” she said.
This year’s workshop will be held July 31-Aug. 2 at Eagle Ridge Conference Center in Raymond. Registration is open through July 10. More information about the Bishop William R. Houck Center for Lay Formation can be found at jacksondiocese.org/bishop-houck-center-for-lay-formation.
(For questions on the Center or the upcoming Pastoral Ministries Workshop, contact fran.lavelle@jacksondiocese.org.)
