Sacred Heart Major Seminary continues to celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope with this year’s Lay Ecclesial Minister (LEM) Series on November 7. The event will focus on the theme, “Crossing Thresholds with the Pilgrims of Hope: Lay Ecclesial Ministers and the Jubilee Year,” and will feature special guest speaker Msgr. James Patrick Shea.
Msgr. Shea has served as the president of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, since 2009. He has given talks at the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress at SEEK, the annual young adult conference given by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS).
The speaker series, In the Heart of the Church, takes place annually and provides ongoing formation to those serving in ministry in the Archdiocese of Detroit. Past speakers have included Fr. Mike Schmitz, Dr. Theresa Farnan, Dr. Timothy O’Malley and Fr. Donald Calloway, among others.
“We are immensely honored to be hosting Msgr. Shea for this year's In the Heart of the Church speaker series. He has an important message about hope for our lay ecclesial ministers,” said Dr. Kevin Clarke, Dean of the Institute for Lay Ministry at Sacred Heart. “Taking into consideration the reality that one cannot give what one does not have, it is especially important for the coworkers in the vineyard to be refreshed for the labor ahead.”
As stated in the event’s description online, Msgr. Shea “will explore the significance of hope as a theological virtue while also inviting lay ecclesial ministers to rediscover the beauty of their vocation to ministry in the light of Christ, the conqueror of sin and death, by whom we are ‘saved in hope.’”
Pope Francis designated this year as the Jubilee Year of Hope for good reason, says Msgr. Shea.
“The world around us is desperately in need of hope. I think about the war in Ukraine, the conflict in Israel and Gaza, and the unrest in our own country,” Msgr. Shea shared with Mosaic. “Hope, as the Catechism defines it, is the recognition of eternal life as our happiness. It points us not to the vicissitudes and challenges of this current life, but to the horizon of time and eternity. It reminds us that we’re not living simply for this life, but for the next, and that God desires for us to be with Him for all eternity.”
For lay ecclesial ministers, hope can seem elusive at times.
“I would venture to say that the primary source of discouragement for lay ecclesial ministers is not found in the ambient culture or even in difficulties with evangelization. Often times, ministers find difficulty within their work at parishes because human dynamics are difficult, and the Church itself can be imperfect. That discouragement can be one of the occupational hazards of working for the Church. While you find that in any job, when you find it in the Church, you feel as though there’s nowhere to turn. That means the constant exercise of hope is necessary.”
As president of a university, Msgr. Shea works to create an environment in which young adults can step away from the anxieties and pressures of the world, knowing that amidst the troubles of life, one can still have hope.
“We try to say, ‘While you’re here, focus on your studies and don’t worry as much about all the things out there. Instead, invest in relationships with each other and prepare well for your life,’” Msgr. Shea said. “We know from the book of Ecclesiastes that everything that happens has happened before, and so it’s important to become wise. That wisdom equips a young person with the capacity to navigate the world.”
Msgr. Shea looks forward to his visit to Sacred Heart. He prays he’ll be a source of encouragement for both the church ministers who attend as well as lay faithful who need encouragement in their domestic Church.
“We’re meant to serve the Church with energy and joy. We can’t artificially manufacture that – it has to be given to us by God. But we can put ourselves in the right frame of mind to receive God’s consolation, His grace and His mercy, so that the temptations that are all around us don’t have a hold over us,” said Msgr. Shea. “I’d like to help people receive more of that grace, consolation and strength from the Lord, and for them to turn away from the untruths about themselves and about the Church that can bog them down.”
To Register
The 2025 LEM Speaker Series will take place on Friday, November 7 from 12 noon to 3 p.m. Cost is $10 per person with lunch included. Register at https://explore.shms.edu/speakerseries. Lay ecclesial ministers are encouraged to attend; all lay faithful are also welcome.
