National Directory for the Formation, Ministry and Life of Permanent ...

128 Chapter 8it unity and direction. He makes provision for the individual spiritualdirection of each aspirant and candidate. He also may serve as aspiritual director for an aspirant and/or candidate. He provides anorientation to the spiritual dimension in aspirant and candidate formationto other priest spiritual directors, who have been chosen bythe aspirants or candidates with the approval of the bishop. 12 Thedirector of spiritual formation provides for the liturgical life andprayer of the aspirant and candidate communities, making appropriateprovision for the celebration of the Eucharist, the Liturgy of theHours, and opportunities for celebration of the sacrament ofpenance in formation gatherings. He is also responsible for retreatsand days of recollection, assuring that they are well planned andcarefully executed. The director of spiritual formation, who must bea priest, 13 is nominated by the director of formation and approvedand appointed by the bishop.Qualifications ofthe director ofspiritual formationResponsibilities of thecoordinator of pastoralfield education274. The director of spiritual formation must be dedicated to theChurch’s diakonia and particularly knowledgeable of the diaconateand its mission within the Church. He should possess formal trainingin spirituality and related areas, including ascetical and spiritualtheology, pastoral counseling, and referral skills.Coordinator of Pastoral Field Education275. An integral formation must relate the human, spiritual, andintellectual dimensions to pastoral practice. “The whole formationimparted [to aspirants and candidates for the diaconate] . . . aimsat preparing them to enter into communion with the charity ofChrist. . . . Hence their formation in its different aspects must havea fundamentally pastoral character.” 14 To ensure that all pastoralfield education experiences are closely integrated with the human,spiritual, and intellectual dimensions of formation, the coordinatorof pastoral field education assists the director of formation in theapostolic formation of aspirants and candidates. He systematicallyintroduces the aspirants and candidates into suitable pastoral experiences,equipping them with practical skills for pastoral and, eventual,diaconal ministry. The coordinator for pastoral field formation,who must be either a priest or a deacon, is nominated by the directorof formation and is approved and appointed by the bishop. Thecoordinator for pastoral field formation corresponds to the office ofthe “pastor (or other minister)” required by the Basic Norms for the