Veritatis Splendor Institute

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Veritatis Splendor Institute

The Veritatis Splendor Institute (VSI) was founded in the Diocese of Rapid City in 2013 under the patronage of St. John Paul II. It is within his legacy and luminous Magisterium that we seek to ground the holistic formation which the Institute imparts: formation that is human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral.

The goal of the Institute is the mission of the Church: “to proclaim the Gospel to all men” (Ad Gentes 1). As all are called to this mission, VSI strives to form disciples, lay ministers, volunteers, and catechists who are engaged in the Church’s ministry: DREs, youth ministers, catechists, Catholic school teachers, volunteers, liturgists, musicians, pastoral ministers, and others who want to grow as evangelists and teachers of the Faith.

There are multiple programs that fall under the Veritatis Splendor Institute, each of which will be detailed in the following pages:

  • Basic Certification (1 year)
  • Masters Certification (2 years beyond Basic certification)
  • Cor ad Cor Spirituality Year (1 year)
  • Certified Lay Ecclesial Ministers (3 years total)

These programs include doctrinal and liturgical education, instruction in evangelistic and catechetical methodology, formation in the moral life, discipleship, spiritual life, prayer, community life and mission, Catholic worldview, and more. Most years also include an annual retreat.

Certified Lay Ecclesial Minister

A lay ecclesial minister is someone who is authorized by the hierarchy to serve publicly in the local Church; who has leadership in a particular area of the Church; who has close mutual collaboration with the pastoral ministry of bishops, priests and deacons; who has preparation and formation appropriate the level of responsibilities assigned to them. The roles of a lay ecclesial minister are many and varied, but ultimately it implies a distinct service in the ministry of the Church.

Learn more and Register!

Basics and Masters Certification

Students in the Basic and Master certification program meet once a month at Terra Sancta Retreat Center for 10 months of the year: September through June. The Basic certification program is a one year program, while the Master certification is two additional years beyond Basic. Students receive instruction from qualified instructors on various theological courses, detailed below. The program also includes an annual retreat and monthly formation groups.

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Cor ad Cor Small Groups

The Cor ad Cor Spirituality Year is a weekly small group gathering of all men or all women to learn more about the spiritual life, to grow in relationship and conversation with the Lord, and to share faith and the work of the Lord with others.

Essentially, Cor ad Cor is a retreat, which begins with the Oremus program from Ascension Press (8 weeks), and then moves into the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola according to the 19th annotation (additional 22 weeks). Small groups of about six people meet weekly with a trained leader for these 30 weeks.

Learn more and Register!