Clergy Support

Vicar for the Clergy - The mission of the Office of the Vicar for the Clergy is to provide an ongoing source of support to priests, deacons, and seminarians, and to assist them in their ministry to the people of this Archdiocese. The Vicar for Clergy oversees the work of the Priest Personnel Board, the Retirement Board and the Ongoing Formation of Priests Board, and works with the Director of Vocations, the Director of Ongoing Formation of Priests, the Director of Diaconate Formation, the Director of Permanent Diaconate, the Vicar for Spanish-speaking, and the Vicar for the Filipino Community. The Annual Appeal assists in this work by providing the funding for clergy formation and ongoing studies, clergy retreats and days of recollection, clergy sabbaticals, and supplemental retirement needs.

Vicar for the Religious - Serves as a liaison between the Archbishop and Consecrated men and women Religious of the Archdiocese, and between Consecrated Religious and both the clergy and the Faithful. In consultation with the Archbishop, this Office provides information to/from the Consecrated Religious and represents the Archbishop at meetings or functions of congregations. The Office also disseminates information from Rome to Consecrated Persons within the Archdiocese, visits religious houses, officiates congregation elections, presides at Professions of Vows, and evaluates and provides guidance to new religious communities. The Vicar for Religious handles concerns of/about Consecrated persons and arranges Indults with Dispensations with Rome as needed.

Vocations - The Office of Vocations provides vocations awareness by developing and conducting education programs for use throughout the Archdiocese. Special emphasis is placed on the establishment of a Vocations committee in every parish to enable identification and referral of potential candidates for Diocesan priesthood and religious life, to administer a resource center with a variety of tools to help those in pastoral ministry to promote vocations and to aid in the formation of candidates for Diocesan priesthood by collaborating with seminaries, college and theology seminary faculties.

Permanent Diaconate - The Office of Permanent Diaconate supports the ministry and lives of the deacons and their wives who serve the Archdiocese. This Office addresses concerns relating to the ministry assignments and the on-going education of deacons giving attention to the spiritual, financial and health concerns of the deacons & their families. It arranges annual retreats and social events, supports 20 parishes in San Francisco with 30 deacons, 24 parishes in San Mateo with 41 deacons and 8 parishes in Marin with 11 deacons. This Office also assists with screening and admission of candidates for the five-year program of formation of new deacons.