Adult & Ministerial 

Formation

The Office of Adult and Ministerial Formation assists and supports parishes/Pastoral Care Areas (PCAs) and Vicariates in meeting the need for ongoing formation and accompaniment of adults and provides education and training to lay adult Catholics to prepare them to share the Gospel as lay ministers and deacons through the Formation for Ministry program. 

The Formation for Ministry program provides education, ministerial training, field experience, and spiritual preparation for adult Catholics, leading to certification and commissioning by the diocesan bishop in a specialized area of ministry. The program prepares candidates to assist pastors in serving the needs of a parish or pastoral care area. It also serves as the first two years of deacon formation.

Formation for Ministry also offers learning opportunities for adult Catholics who seek to learn more about their faith for their own personal enrichment.

MINISTERING TO THE MINISTER: CARING FOR THOSE WHO CARE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026

Time: 9 AM to 3 PM

Location: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Baldwinsville

Through Catholic teaching, practical psychological insights, and meaningful reflection, participants will learn to recognize burnout, explore healthy responses to stress, cultivate healthy boundaries, rediscover the joy and purpose of their vocation, and gain practical strategies and spiritual encouragement to continue their mission with joy and balance. 

This workshop is open to all who care for others both in and outside the walls of the Church. Whether your ministry is in the parish, the workplace, the home, or the community, if you spend your time caring for the spiritual, emotional, or physical needs of others, this workshop is for you!

Monsignor Neal Quartier, PhD
Rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Syracuse

Ordained in 1976, Msgr. Quartier was the associate pastor at St. John’s in New Hartford, and then at Christ the King in Bayberry (Liverpool). From 1982 to 1986, he was the Chaplain at Upstate Medical Center, then earned his MSW from Syracuse University, after which he began working at the Personal Resource Center as a psychotherapist. In 1987, he began his PhD in psychology, completed his clinical training at the Institute of Living in Hartford, CT, and earned his degree at the University of Southern California. He then became the Director of the Personal Resource Center. He assisted on weekends in Central Square, then St. Joseph’s Oswego, followed by Immaculate Conception in Fayetteville.  In 1999, he became the Administrator of St. John the Evangelist in Syracuse, merging with the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. At that point, he became Rector of the Cathedral.

Father Zach currently serves as pastor of the Linked Parishes of Christ the King and Pope John XXIII in Liverpool, New York. He also serves as an on-call chaplain to Crouse and Upstate Hospitals and as chaplain to the Central New York Chiefs of Police Association. Previously, he served as parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Parish in Fayetteville. Prior to entering the seminary, Fr. Zach served in the New York Army National Guard and volunteered with Vestal EMS. As a priest, he has continued to volunteer with the Fayetteville Fire Department and other agencies in Central New York. He has also developed a background in working with individuals experiencing PTSD, particularly members of the military and first responders.

Debra Douthit, MA, LMFT

Debra is a Clinical Fellow of the AAMFT and has been in practice serving individuals, couples, and families in Central New York for 39 years. For 20 years, as an Instructor, Evaluator, and Consultant, she’s been blessed to have served various aspects of the Diocese of Syracuse, including the Priest Personnel Committee, Human Resources, Pastoral Leadership, Formation for Ministry, Deacon Selection Committee, and Deacon Training. Serving the Institute for Pastoral Growth, Debra co-led workshops for merging parishes in conflict. Debra created and taught Use of Self, a unique training process in interpersonal dynamics for church leaders. Trained in behavior profiling, interrogation, and threat detection, Debra is also certified to teach Situational Awareness. Hailing from a proud military and law enforcement family, she especially enjoys serving those who serve.