Catholic Theological Union (CTU) seeks a five-year grant for its Thriving in Ministry Initiative project, an effort to provide programs and resources for vowed religious and lay ecclesial ministers so that they will be proficient and confident leaders in the church.  Through this project, CTU will conduct critically needed research to determine the needs and challenges faced by vowed religious and lay ecclesial ministers currently working in many ministries in the Roman Catholic parishes in the United States.  This research will enable CTU to design and implement workshops and programming and to create resources that target the needs and challenges of today’s ministers.  The workshops will help participants develop plans to deepen their theological education and strengthen their leadership skills.  In addition, an annual symposium on priesthood will bring together professors of theology and researchers at Catholic graduate schools and seminaries to discuss the education and formation of religious priests in the United States.  To sustain this project, CTU will integrate the workshops and symposium into its ongoing operating budget.