THE INSTITUTE
for diocesan vocation personnel

“3-DAY BOOTCAMP FOR NOVICES”

Morning Prayer: IPF

In collaboration with Catholic seminaries and dioceses, The Institute of Priestly Formation forms seminarians, priests, and bishops in holiness and accompanies them in their ongoing spiritual growth, so they can more effectively lead others to Christ.

Rev. Jeff Eirvin

Rev. Jeff Eirvin was born in St. Louis, Missouri and relocated to Portland, Oregon in 1999 with his family. He graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in graphic design and worked in advertising prior to entering Mount Angel Seminary in 2005. In 2007 he began his theological studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome where he received a Bachelor’s of Sacred Theology from the Angelicum and a License of Sacred Theology from the Gregorianum. Fr. Eirvin was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Portland on June 9, 2012 and was named Director of Vocations in 2014. Since 2014, Fr. Eirvin has served in leadership positions for the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors and is currently serving as NCDVD President.

Rev. Edwin Leonard

Ordained in 2012 by Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell for the Diocese of Dallas, in Texas. Rev. Edwin Leonard served his first two years of priesthood as the Parochial Vicar at St. Rita Catholic Church. In July 2014 he was assigned as the Director of Vocations. The past 5 years and under Fr. Leonard’s direction the diocese has accepted over 80 new seminarians. In addition to Vocation work he was appointed in 2018 as Chaplain of Bishop Lynch Catholic High School and currently serves on the Executive Board for the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors as Vice-President. His work with the National Evangelization Team (NET) from 2003-2005 helped develop his ability to promote the Gospel with devotion. Fr. Leonard is a graduate of Franciscan University.

Fr. Victor Ingalls

Fr. Victor Ingalls grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. He attended Furman University in Greenville, SC.  Upon graduation, Fr. Victor entered seminary for the Archdiocese of Mobile. He spent two years in Philadelphia at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and then four years at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.  Fr. Victor was ordained on June 2, 2012 in Mobile and has served as the Associate Pastor for two years at both St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Auburn and then Christ the King Parish in Daphne. In August of 2016, he began as the full time Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Mobile. This has included being the Vocations Promoter as well as the Director of Seminarians. Fr. Victor has also served in NCDVD leadership roles as a Regional Coordinator and a Member-At-Large on the Executive Board

Religious Immigration Services at CLINIC

Embracing the Gospel value of welcoming the stranger, CLINIC promotes the dignity and protects the rights of immigrants in partnership with a dedicated network of Catholic and community legal immigration programs.

The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., has been on the cutting edge of training nonprofit immigration legal service providers to provide affordable, quality legal representation to immigrants since its founding in 1988. Today the network includes more than 380 nonprofit organizations in 47 states.

The network includes faith-based institutions, farmworker programs, domestic violence shelters, ethnic community-focused organizations, libraries and other entities that serve immigrants. Agencies in the network employ about 2,300 accredited representatives and attorneys who, in turn, serve hundreds of thousands of low-income immigrants each year. CLINIC and its affiliate agencies represent low-income immigrants without regard for their race, religion, gender, ethnic group or other distinguishing characteristics.

As it has throughout its history, CLINIC continues to react adeptly to rapid changes in the world of immigration law and policy. With a robust response to recent threats to vulnerable populations, CLINIC prepares its members to meet growing demands for legal screening, protection from deportation, adjustments of status and naturalization as citizens.

CLINIC’s staff is based in our national office in Silver Spring, Maryland, with another dozen field offices across the United States. CLINIC’s work focuses on five core areas: advocacy, capacity building, national partnerships, religious immigration services, and training and legal support.

Mrs. Rosemary Sullivan

Mrs. Rosemary Sullivan is the Executive Director of the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors and has over 18 years of experience in the ministry of vocations for diocesan priesthood.  Rosemary’s work in this ministry began in 2002 as the Vocation Program Coordinator for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, including overseeing of seminary candidate admissions. This led to her being hired as the Events Coordinator for the NCDVD in 2006, and subsequently their Executive Director in 2009. Since 2009, Rosemary has also served as a consultant to the USCCB committee for Clergy, Consecrated Life & Vocations. In addition to her work in vocations, in 2012 Rose was appointed by Timothy Cardinal Dolan to serve as Program Director for the newly established Sacred Heart Institute for the ongoing formation of Clergy, part of the St. Charles Borromeo Tri-Diocesan Partnership.  Rosemary is a member of the Board of Directors for the Foundation of Priestly vocations. A graduate of St. John’s University with degrees in Business and Communications, Rose has been married to her husband Gary for over 33 years; they have two daughters and two sons.  One son is a recently ordained priest for the Diocese of Rockville Centre. 

Rev. David Songy, O.F.M. Cap., S.T.D., Psy.D.

President and CEO – Saint Luke Institute

Father David Songy is a priest of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America and a clinical psychologist. Prior to coming to Saint Luke Institute, he was the spiritual director and prefect of studies at Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary in Denver, Colorado. He also was director of counseling services at the Pontifical North American College in Rome and held several positions at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. Fr. Songy holds a doctorate in psychology from the University of Denver and a doctorate in sacred theology from the Teresianum, the Pontifical Institute of Spirituality in Rome. He holds a master’s degree in pastoral counseling from Loyola College and theology degrees from Aquinas Institute. Fr. Songy speaks Italian, Spanish and Tok Pisin, the language of Papua New Guinea. He is an international speaker on topics such as priestly spirituality, formation in priestly celibacy, and healthy sexual integration and affective maturity. 

Rev. Luke Ballman

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Rev. Luke Ballman, STL, a priest of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, is the Executive Director of the Secretariat of Clergy Consecrated Life and Vocations at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  Fr. Ballman formerly served as the Director of Apostolic Formation at the Pontifical North American College, a position he held for five years.  Ordained in July of 2001, Fr. Ballman’s priestly ministry has also included service as a parochial vicar, pastor, vocation director, and vicar for clergy in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. A Graduate of the Pontifical North American College, with a STL in Spiritual Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, University of Dayton (1987), Cum Laude. Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.