Growing Our IMpact

Toldo Research

In June of 2023, the Toldo Foundation awarded St. Peter’s Seminary a five-year research grant to further the mission of F.i.R.M. This is a grant to fund a teaching chair, promote research and provide full-time in-house counselling to internal clients – seminarians, permanent deacons and future lay ministers in formation, seminary faculty as well as external clients such as ordained priests in parish ministry. Learn about the work we are doing with this grant here.

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Who is the lead researcher?

Angela Townend. M.S.W., R.S.W.

Assistant Professor and the Toldo Research Chair

Angela Townend, MSW, RSW is an Assistant Professor and the Toldo Research Chair for the Advancement of Human Formation at St. Peter’s Seminary. A social worker by profession, her background includes over three decades of experience in the area of mental health, family counselling, group therapy, trauma counselling and interpersonal effectiveness. Her duties at the seminary including counselling, research and teaching as well as support in these areas to the faculty and formators at St. Peter’s.

The Research Chair position was officially installed August 1, 2023 and includes applied research, yearly conferences and ongoing integration of the F.i.R.M. resources into the human formation dimension of discernment for the priesthood as well as lay ministries.

F.i.R.M. has quickly caught the eye of bishops, vocation directors and priests across North America.

It is proving to be transformative, forward-thinking and a most urgent response to the contemporary needs of the Catholic church. Our motto for F.i.R.M. echoes the sentiments of Archbishop Patrón Wong; intellectual formation is not enough. Priests must first be good pastors!

Angela Townend, MSW, RSW Toldo Research Chair for the Advancement of Human Formation.

ABOUT

What is F.i.R.M?

Formation in Relational Maturity

F.i.R.M. is a platform for enriching the relational self of our seminarians, as well as Permanent Deacons, Pastoral Ministers and lay students.

F.i.R.M. uses a cross-curricular/cross-formational design to strengthen the human formation dimension of discernment for ministry. It has quickly become an integrated and essential part of seminary culture at St. Peter’s.

The F.i.R.M. Modules

Affective Maturity
Intimacy
Sexual Self-Knowledge and Integration
Relationships with Women in Ministry
Intentional Celibacy
Clericalism and the Power of Relational Humility
Interpersonal Management: Priest as Pastor
Ethical Relational Leadership in Ministry

The Mission of F.i.R.M.

At St. Peter’s, human formation is at the centre of formation for ministry, and F.i.R.M. embeds into the formation programs reliable, data-driven practices that foster growth in the characteristics and virtues essential to authentically encounter others. Engaging in Catholic ministry is more challenging today than ever before. We are increasingly faced with many of the following: a lack of vocations, divisiveness in the church, fewer young adults attending, secular forces and pressures, poor leadership and so on.

The mission of F.i.R.M. is to better equip today’s pastors and lay ministers with the interpersonal and “pastoral” skills and knowledge to effectively reach, teach, lead and serve their congregations in an ever changing culture and church.

Graduate Experience

Recent Graduate of St. Peter’s Seminary, Father Marc Gaudet, speaks about the benefits of F.i.R.M.

FIRESIDE CHAT SEPTEMBER 2025

Fireside Chat: An Evening of Reflection and Inspiration on Leadership

On Sept 15^th, St. Peter’s Seminary hosted its first Fireside Chat—an inspiring evening of reflection and dialogue on character formation for leadership. Attendees included seminarians, faculty, clergy, academics, and lay persons, with Bishop Fabbro joining us for this special event. Our distinguished guests, Dr. Lauretta Frederking and Mr. Peter Devlin, captivated the audience with their stories and wisdom on the essential role of character in effective leadership. Their insights sparked meaningful conversation and renewed commitment to forming leaders of integrity and compassion. We look forward to hosting more Fireside Chats as part of our ongoing efforts to enrich the character formation dimension of preparation for the diocesan priesthood.

Lilly Endowment Grant

What is A.F.i.R.M?

Advancing Formation in Relational Maturity

In April 2023, upon receiving a 2^nd Lilly Endowment Grant, the A.F.i.R.M. (Advancing Formation in Relational Maturity) initiative began. This work involves customizing the original F.i.R.M. resources for those in formation for the permanent diaconate and lay pastoral ministry programs here at St. Peter’s.

Who Funded this research?

Toldo Foundation

Five Year F.i.R.M Research Grant Awarded

Anthony P. Toldo established the Toldo Foundation in 1996 and it is known for its generous financial support for a number of organizations throughout Southwestern Ontario. Details here

In June of 2023, the Toldo Foundation awarded St. Peter’s Seminary a five-year research grant to further the mission of F.i.R.M. The Toldo Foundation is well known for its previous support of St. Peter’s during it’s time of restoration and renovation of the seminary through the “Rekindling the Gift” Campaign.

Study Area

A study area in St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario.

Who Funded this research?

Lilly Endowment Inc.

Two Lilly Endowment Grants

In March 2021, the seminary was awarded a grant, administered through ATS (Association of Theological Schools) to initiate the F.i.R.M. research and development of the eight modules.

In May 2023, the seminary was successful in being granted a second Lilly Endowment Grant and the official launch of the A.F.i.R.M. initiative began with a focus on enriching the formation programs for permanent deacons and lay pastoral ministers through customizing the current F.i.R.M. modules.”

Who Funded this research?

Serra Canada

Global Lay Apostolate

Serra International (“Serra”) is formally recognized by the Holy See as the global lay apostolate for vocations in the Catholic Church. Today, there are more than 1109 Serra clubs in 46 countries with a total membership of more than 19,000 men, women and permanent deacons on six continents. Serrans are lay Catholics – men and women of all ages and from all walks of life.

St. Peter’s is grateful for the ongoing financial and spiritual support of Serra Clubs in recognition of their investment in the human formation of its seminarians and lay ministry students.

SERRA SUPPORTS ST PETER'S SEMINARY

Most Rev. R.P. Fabbro, CSB Bishop of London & President of St. Peter’s Seminary, Father Denis Grecco and Angela Townend, MSW, RSW Toldo Research Chair for the Advancement of Human Formation thank the Serra Clubs of Canada.

What's going on

Toldo Research Events & Insights

Find out more about events, the latest research, books and research we are reading, new funding or new St. Peter’s Seminary initiatives.

Bishops Dinner

The annual Bishop’s dinner for Windsor took place October 17, 2023.

Second Chance Ministry Bishop Dinner Article

ATS Biennial Conference Workshop Presentation:

June 18, 2024-ATS Biennial Conference Workshop Presentation:

Relational Maturity: Human Formation for Pastoral Ministry

In June, Angela travelled to Atlanta, Georiga as an invited speaker at the Association of Theological Schools Biennial Conference. This workshop reported on a Lilly Endowment funded initiative created in 2021 at St. Peter’s Seminary in Canada to develop an evidence-based approach to human formation. It explored how human formation in theological education combined with principles of behavioral science can successfully address the interpersonal challenges and realities faced by today’s pastors in the complex and evolving landscape of the church. Practical skills of critical self-knowledge and interpersonal competencies were presented for building healthy, mature relationships in ministry.

ATS Biennial Conference Workshop Presentation

The A.T.S. presentation on F.i.R.M. in Atlanta was a great success. Attendees were particularly interested in the initiative’s model of cross-formational integration. We emphasized the importance of joint accountability by all formators and faculty in adopting the content of F.i.R.M. into their roles and responsibilities at the seminary and integrating it whenever possible. The opportunities to seamlessly accomplish this work are endless. Attendees were also given a handout highlighting the numerous points of integration from the past semester to illustrate the ease with which this can be accomplished and the great added value to their own contribution to human formation at St. Peter’s.

Library Speaker Series

This fall, Angela spoke at the 12th Annual A.P. Mahoney Library Lecture on Wednesday, October 9th, 2024. The library lecture occurs annually in October to mark Theological Libraries Month. The lecture was well attended by various academics, priests, lay persons and those serving in various parish ministries.

This year’s topic was, “Are You Listening? A Theology of Encounter in a Wounded World”.

Watch the lecture from the link below:

12th Annual A.P. Mahoney Library Lecture on Wednesday, October 9th, 2024

Coming in 2025

St. Peter’s will be hosting a conference with special guest speakers to address human formation.

Stay tuned for further details in early 2025.

Research (updated monthly, focus each month, influential pieces of work or other research that is part of our original research)

During the period 2023-2028, St. Peter’s will be conducting ongoing research into the area of a co-responsible model of leadership in the church. Updates and related resources over these next five years can be found here.

The communal blending of the baptized unique charisms, gift by the Holy Spirit, joined in a single body which is made up of both ordained and lay people who, in distinct but complementary ways, continue in the Church the saving mission of Christ for the world in order to evangelize all people through a joint collaborative effort between bishops, priest, deacons, religious, and laity aimed at renewing and building up the Church.

From https://www.catholicapostolatecenter.org/co-responsibility.html

More To Learn

Relevant Supports

Free Resources

F.i.R.M. Modules Binder from 2021

A.F.i.R.M. Modules Binder from 2024

Articles & Research

Chris Lowney/Ignatian Leadership

Pope Francis. Why He Leads the Way He Leads. (2013)

Heroic Leadership. Best Practices from a 450-Year-Old Company that Changed the World. (2003)

Jesuit Resource Keynotes Chris Lowney

A Closer Look at the Four Pillars of Heroic Leadership by Chris Lowney

Edwin Friedman

High Point Journey. Failure-of-Nerve

Edwin-Friedman-Tables-from-a-Failure-of-Nerve

Jim Collins

Jim Collins Concepts Level-Five Leadership

Pope Francis

Mission Identity Programs

Enterprisers Project

Alexandre Havard

Virtuous Leadership. An Agenda for Personal Excellence. (2007)

10 Virtuous Leadership Principles

Jean-Francois Orsini

Virtue Based Management. (2017)

7. Susan Ashford

Ashford, S. J. The power of flexing : how to use small daily experiments to create big life-changing growth (First edition.). Harper Business, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. (2021)

8. Aaron Perry

Perry, A. Biblical theology for ethical leadership : leaders from beginning to end. Palgrave Macmillan. (2018)

9. James Martin, SJ

Becoming Who You Are. Insights on the True Self from Thomas Merton, and Other Saints. (2006)

Links

Official Synod Site

Diocese of London YouTube

Diocese of Hamilton YouTube

The Vatican

Official Vatican Website

Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario (ACBO)

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB)