Like most people in the Church, my
recollections of growing up Catholic consist of vivid images and
pictures, vibrant scenes and fond sentiments. My warmest memories are
about people... lively, animated, loving people. These people were "my
parish." Parish life was so central to us as children that, when asked
where we lived, we were as likely to name a parish as we were a street
or neighborhood. For most Catholics of my era, the parish was the center
of our lives and Church life was parish life.
Although the parish is not the
only setting in which people experience the Church, it is a touchstone
for all the other ecclesial experiences. It supports and sustains the
domestic Church. It is home to countless groups and gatherings of
people. It unites its parishioners with the Diocese and the universal
Church. I see parish life as so central to our diocesan well-being that
I would say, "as the parish goes, so goes the faith of the
people."
Therefore, as we conclude
our Jubilee observance, I want to present my convictions about parish
life and how we can best sustain this great gift through collaboration
among our parishes. I am not seeking to re-create the past nor am I able
to predict the future, but I intend to share my vision, my values and my
hopes. Jesus defines the purpose of His mission when He says, "I
came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly" (John
10:10). My hope is that we will do all that is possible to sustain and
enhance the vibrant parish life to which Jesus calls us.
These are not my first words
regarding the future of parish ministry in our Diocese. Rather, this
reflection summarizes my thoughts about a conversation that has been
going on for years. This conversation developed against the backdrop of
many positive developments as well as serious challenges that evolved
over the last thirty years. These years have witnessed the positive
growth brought about by the Second Vatican Council, the renewal of our
liturgical life, the expansion of ministries and the renewal of our
proclamation of the Good News in an effort to evangelize the modern
world. These advances have been accompanied by some challenges. Of
particular concern here are issues resulting from the reality of
suburban sprawl and its demand for parish growth, the decline of the
urban core and its threat to city and ethnic parish ministry, and the
very real issue of fewer priests and religious being available today
than in the past.
This conversation is also
influenced by the diversity and richness of our Diocese and the
increasing variety of needs. Our eight-county Diocese is urban,
suburban, and rural; manufacturing and agricultural; wealthy and poor;
east, west, and south; and includes diverse races, languages and ethnic
groups. With this richness also comes a full array of needs, all of
which are important and legitimate concerns of the Church. These needs
are as numerous and varied as the persons who possess them. These needs
continue to challenge the Church’s efforts and means of responding.
While our Church is blessed with impressive gifts and resources, the
circumstances and challenges of today demand that we seek renewed ways
of nurturing parish life.
As I look to the future I see our
challenge to be finding a balance between these very real needs, and the
gifts and resources available to meet them. Finding such a balance
requires discernment. Discernment is a gift given to the Church so that
God’s will might be discovered in the midst of concrete, daily reality.
Under the influence of the Holy Spirit we are charged to find new
opportunities for the mission of Jesus to be accomplished in and through
us. Discernment is needed today for us to faithfully meet the present
challenges as we plan for the future of parish life. If the Church is to
flourish in the 21st century, we must offer, maintain, and
support a vibrant parish life for every Catholic.
Vision
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The characteristics of a
"viable and vibrant parish life" are discernible from many sources.
During the 1990's, our Diocese has used Our Vision and
Goals, and its five areas of mission: Celebrating,
Evangelizing, Caring, Teaching and Participating. I offer my
further reflections on vibrant parish life.
We are a Eucharistic Church. As
Catholics, we are formed into a faith community by the Holy Spirit by
being gathered around Christ at the table of the Word and Eucharist. We
see ourselves as called by Christ to be His Church, to become His Body.
We know that we are a sacramental Church. We have come to appreciate the
Word of God as proclaimed in the assembly and broken open for us in the
homily. We believe that Word and Sacrament belong together. We know that
we must gather to celebrate the Liturgy of the Eucharist, doing as
Christ commanded us to do in memory of His life and ministry, His
suffering, death and resurrection, and His sending of the Holy Spirit.
We are most true to our Catholic identity when we uphold the importance
of Word and Sacrament, celebrated in common.
For most Catholics in our Diocese,
the parish is our Eucharistic community. People seek a vibrant community
where we can celebrate the Liturgy in a dignified and prayerful way,
where, with others of our faith, we encounter Christ, and from which we
can take that presence of the Risen Lord to our families, neighborhoods
and workplaces. Catholics have always turned to the parish when seeking
reconciliation, to marry, have their children baptized, or bury loved
ones. It is no wonder that people sense the need for a priest, deacon or
parish minister for these sacramental, educational and pastoral
needs. We understand the important Catholic tradition of grace and
sacrament in the most significant moments of our lives. We value a
Christian community that is spiritually alive. We want our parishes to
grow through evangelization and the Rites of Christian
Initiation.
In addition to the opportunities
for worship and reception of all the sacraments, a vibrant parish, alone
or in collaboration with other parishes, must be able to offer religious
education on all levels. We have always prized our Catholic schools. We
deeply care about quality religious education programs such as our
Parish Schools of Religion and youth ministries. These are the places
where so many of us have learned how our faith relates to all aspects of
life and how the values of our faith must be integrated into our daily
decisions. Adult religious education and formation opportunities,
programs for strengthening family life, young adult programs...all these
must also be regularly available and strengthened.
A vibrant parish reaches out to
the world around it and genuinely cares about the needs of the poor and
those who are less fortunate. We are a missionary Church. Acts of
charity, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, were characteristic of
the first Christian community of Jerusalem. All gave of their
possessions so that no one was in need. We in our day, must seek to
imitate the zeal of that early community. A vibrant parish must inspire
in its parishioners a care for its members and its neighbors. We know
that the ‘neighbors’ of any parish include the surrounding community
with its many different people, the Diocese, the nation, our universal
Church and the whole of the society in which we live. We must be a
sharing community to bear the name Catholic. The Church in the
City initiative has further defined this call to serve the
common good of our cities and region.
It is also clear to us that as
Church, and especially as individual members and local communities in
the Church, we must be involved in forming a just society. We must
strengthen family bonds in Church and society. We must guard the
sacredness of life in all its stages. We must be concerned about the
poor and the disadvantaged, and the societal systems that affect their
lives. We must pursue justice and peace. Moreover, we must do this in
collaboration with the ecumenical and interfaith communities.
A vibrant parish is a caring and
welcoming community of faith, a place to which we come willingly, where
we feel at home, where we know we can grow in our faith, where we can
find God and be reconciled when we feel lost, where the emphasis is on
the individual worth and dignity of every person. A parish should be,
above all else, a good place in which to grow spiritually — a supportive
and caring community to be proud of.
What will our parishes need in
order to realize this vision of vibrant parish life in the next decades?
Let me share my reflections.
To be the center of good worship,
qualified and trained liturgists and musicians are needed to make sure
that what is done is in the best of the Catholic tradition. The faithful
should be formed to understand the meaning of our communal prayers and
rituals, and appreciate them as special and distinct from their daily
routine and chores. Liturgy should be an experience in which the
faithful encounter the presence of God and are inspired to seek a deeper
holiness in their lives.
Parishes in the next decades,
either alone or in collaboration with their neighbors, should have
effective programs of education in our faith at all levels. Qualified
personnel are needed to administer and facilitate all of these
programs.
Parishes will need to have
coordinated outreach ministries, again with qualified personnel. The
extent of poverty and the need for such outreach cannot be
overestimated.
Parishes will need to collaborate
in providing different services and support groups to assist and aid all
kinds of parishioners with their individual needs, e.g., family programs
to help those preparing for marriage; care for the sick and elderly;
programs for those seeking parenting skills; support groups for the
widowed and divorced, for the chemically dependent, and for those with
difficult life situations. While no single parish can afford an
individual minister for each of these needs, parishes can cooperate to
assure that someone coordinates them, knows how to evaluate the best of
such groups and where they are available, and can assess the religious
values that ground them.
All of these opportunities require
much collaboration. They demand good stewardship and the willingness to
share with others -- the poor with the rich, the rich with the poor, one
cultural group with another. Collaboration includes sharing in the same
district or neighborhood, and goes beyond to invite partnerships between
parishes with different cultural roots.
As I look to the future, I also
recognize that each parish has its own history, one that gives birth to
its particular characteristics. We certainly do not want to lose these
unique qualities. Many parishes were founded with strong ethnic roots
that were and continue to be important in sustaining people’s faith. Our
European, Asian, African-American and Hispanic parishes are a vital
witness in our Diocese and we are proud of them. Moreover, our rural
parishes will not be the same as our urban or suburban ones. Our
richness and diversity are a treasure to be preserved. Vibrant parish
life is the best way for us to manifest the presence of Christ and to
inspire others to embrace Christ more profoundly. This quality of parish
life is a reality in many places. If all Catholics are to experience
vibrant parish life, we will need to sustain and expand the vital
ministries we now have, while discerning new and creative means of
providing ministry in the future. We also need catechesis in order for
our people to understand and support this vision of vibrant parish
life.
I am afraid, however, that such
vibrancy is being threatened by the effects of growth in some areas,
decline in others, fewer priests and religious, and the increasing
inability to hire lay ecclesial ministers in the places where they are
needed and wanted. For the future of Church life in our Diocese, I am
convinced that vibrant parish life, as we have come to define it, must
be available to all areas of our eight counties.
Let us consider for a moment
the consequences if we do not take action now to ensure vibrant parish
life throughout our Diocese. If we simply continue the status
quo, we may see the day when we will be a Church in decline because our
parishes and our ministries have become weakened by fewer staff and
diminished resources. This would be a great loss for our people. I do
not want to see the health of our priests, deacons, religious and lay
ecclesial ministers threatened by asking them to do more than they can.
I also do not want priests to be so overburdened with administrative
responsibilities that they have too little time for the sacramental and
interpersonal ministry which they see as central to their priestly
work. I can foresee these as real possibilities on the
not-too-distant horizon if we fail to act now. Failing to act now may
mean that the evolving reality will impose more difficult situations
upon us; circumstances may take the choice out of our hands. Right now,
we have options. Engaging in a process of renewal can lead to a fuller,
vibrant parish life for those who participate. Failing to act will lead
inevitably to diminished parish life.
I realize that parishes grow and
change. They are affected in ways beyond their control by changes in the
region or neighborhood where they are located. I recognize that it is
very difficult for the people of a parish to see their community in
decline and in need of support, facing deficit budgeting and an
uncertain future. They may be unable to adequately serve the needs of
parishioners with the ministries necessary for a vibrant faith
community. It may well be advisable for a small parish facing these
circumstances to unite with another parish or parishes to ensure a more
stable neighborhood presence and improve the quality of ministry that
can be provided to its people. It takes great courage for a parish to
see that it is no longer viable, and that for the good of the future
parishioners, a merger with another parish or closing is needed. I offer
the people of any parish in difficulty my prayerful support and my
guidance in coming to a wise decision about the steps that need to be
taken. I understand that closing a parish without the consultation and
support of its members can lead to lasting hurt and alienation from the
Church.
We must never abandon hope in the
working of the Holy Spirit among us, nor in God’s love and providence in
our lives. Building on the good solid traditions of the past and on the
willingness of our priests and parishioners of today to look at their
situations in a realistic but hopeful way, we can indeed face the future
boldly and with confidence and trust.
Four Convictions
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I offer here my heartfelt
convictions and core values in order to assist the diocesan Church in
the process of discernment for the future. These convictions come from
my reflection upon the Gospel, my study of Church history, consultation
with the ministers and faithful of our Diocese and my reading of the
signs of the times over the past forty years. These thoughts drive my
pastoral ministry as bishop regarding the future of our parish life and
I believe they must guide us as we consider the future of our Diocese in
the New Millennium.
My first conviction is that our
chosen method for achieving vibrant parish life for all of our people
must be an experience of "communion" – growing together in Christ. I
want the process that we use for developing ways of better sharing our
resources and personnel to have the same qualities as the goal we are
seeking to achieve. St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians presents us with
a model of how the Church should face and resolve the issues of its
life: "Living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into Him
who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body . . . brings about the
body's growth and builds itself up in love" (4:15-16). Therefore, I
believe that our efforts to respond to the realities of growth
and decline must be guided by a process that itself is vibrant, one that
"builds up" the experience of parish life for the people and the
ministers. It is my hope that this process, for those who enter it
sincerely, will not discourage people or communities. Instead, any
process we use to deal with the future of parish ministry must encourage
the faith life of the persons most directly affected. This standard
which I am setting will be challenging to uphold. It demands the love of
Christ, a charity beyond all telling, a willingness for compromise and
sacrifice, and a fidelity to the Gospel and the Church.
My second conviction is one of
deep respect for, and reliance upon, the leadership of those closest to
each situation. I hold in inestimable value the local community, its
gifts, traditions, ethnicity and needs. This respect mandates that any
process involve initiative at the local community level. I do not
believe that true parish life can be imposed from an outside authority.
Rather, I am convinced that it must be discerned in faith and be
embraced voluntarily with the heart. While I will admit that this
conviction is a personal approach, I must assure you that it is an
intentional and, I believe, an authentic act of Christian leadership. I
suggest that its validity lies in my understanding of true conversion,
and its attraction for me lies in my esteem for each member of the
Christian faithful. Admittedly, it is a challenging style of leadership,
because it depends upon the commitment and responsive fidelity of
courageous members of our parishes and communities if it is to be
effective. It is risky and deeply Christian, because it is an attitude
of leadership that requires no compulsory participation, threatens no
consequences for non-compliance, and demands hard work and perseverance.
For those who accept the call to cooperate, I can promise you a powerful
experience of the Spirit and an opportunity for true Christian
discipleship and authentic Church life. I invite the cooperation of all
the faithful in the Diocese. My personal spirituality and style of
episcopal leadership dictate that I rely upon the leaders and members of
each local community to participate in the formulation of a plan for the
future and to willingly open their hearts to new life and to a renewed
Church.
My conversations on the subject of
parish staffing have shown me that most people do have some idea of what
they think might "fix things." I find many of these "fixes" unacceptable
because they are typically solutions aimed at some "other" people,
"someone else’s" parish, one of those "cumbersome" institutions, or some
"unfamiliar" effort. Our solutions cannot deal with the Church’s
people and institutions by using impersonal or hurtful strategies. My
resistance to formulating an aggressive and sweeping plan for parish
consolidations or closings is that, rather than "fixing" a fundamental
problem or strengthening the faith of the people, the actual result is
that people experience tremendous pain and alienation. I do not believe
that building vibrant parish life can be legislated. It must involve
initiative at the local community level and be embraced willingly with
the heart by those most affected. This demands local
leadership.
My third conviction is
that the priests, deacons, religious and lay ecclesial ministers serving
the parishes of our Diocese must be respected and that their faithful
cooperation is essential. The mission of Christ in this Diocese
cannot be accomplished, nor can the challenges of growth and decline be
remedied, without the initiative and cooperation of these men and women
in leadership. I rely very much upon their insights, their gifts, and
their generosity to build up parish life. Our parish leaders are as
prepared, gifted, committed, and generous as any in the Church. I take
very seriously my responsibility of appointing and distributing our
ordained ministers in an effective and just fashion, considering the
overall needs of the entire Diocese.
However, I am very concerned about
the increased burden upon fewer priests, the effect on priestly morale
of being "over-stretched", the burden upon lay ecclesial ministers
having insufficient priestly and sacramental support, and the burden
upon our institutions to recruit, train, and maintain lay ecclesial
ministers with just compensation. These aspects of our present dilemma
bring urgency to the discussion. We need to move more quickly in
planning for the future in order to honor, encourage and preserve the
treasure we have in our parish ministers because these challenges strike
them most significantly every day.
The value I place upon
the ministers of our Church obliges me to state firmly that solutions to
the issues of growth and decline must safeguard the role of the ordained
ministers. I look for solutions that are respectful of the proper role
of all in ministry. They must include encouragement, training, and the
just compensation of lay ecclesial ministers. The best solutions will be
those that strive to create collaborative leadership groups that employ
the full complement of all the Church’s ministries.
If local communities are going
to experience vibrant parish life, it will be at the hands and to the
credit of Spirit-inspired parish leaders. My hope is that every parish
leader will hear the call of this present situation and join with me in
enthusiastically moving into the future.
My fourth and final conviction
is that vibrant parish life is best achieved through the collaborative
efforts of several ministries and communities in an area, and that these
ministries will often permeate parish boundaries. Such collaboration
will utilize and preserve the different gifts of each parish; it will
relieve the burdens of some; and it will promote the faith and the life
of all the Christian faithful. In my experience, there are wonderful
examples of collaboration that have increased the vibrancy of parish
life for all concerned. Several which come to mind are: programs which
are done jointly or regionally such as RCIA, youth ministries, Pre-Cana
Days, Separated and Divorced ministry, elementary schools, adult
education/speaker series, and community outreach - programs and
ministries that a single parish might find difficult or impossible to do
alone or whose quality is greatly improved when done collaboratively;
one or more parishes sharing a pastoral minister (which neither parish
could support by itself); and coordinated Mass schedules in an area
(which eliminates duplicate times and liturgies). Many of our parishes
have been enriched through The Church in the City
partnerships in which worship, social, educational and outreach
experiences are shared. These partnerships are marked by a mutual giving
and receiving, and by intentional and inclusive relationships which
impact both the parish community and individual lives. In all of these
cases, parish life has become more vibrant because resources were shared
and coordinated, and the burden on each one was lightened. Traditional
parish boundaries can be respected without serving as an obstacle to
shared parish life throughout every area of the Diocese.
Growth and decline situations are
not an urban, ethnic or administrative problem alone, but they involve
the whole Diocese. As St. Paul reminds us, we need each other, as each
part of the body needs every other part. "If they were all one part,
where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one
body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I do not need you,’ nor again the
head to the feet, ‘I do not need you.’ Indeed, the parts of the body
that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary." (1 Cor.
12:19-22). Ours is a family challenge that demands the prayer,
cooperation, and creativity of the entire family. I invite all parishes
in our Diocese to respond to this call of renewing our mission. The
solution I envision will depend upon every parish reconsidering its
responsibilities for "parish life" in an area wider than its boundaries.
I realize that some people may feel that their parish has everything it
needs, so why bother with this process. I want to emphasize that we are
called to give witness to a "Catholic vision" of parish life and unity,
and not simply a "congregational perspective." Each parish has something
to give, and each has something to receive.
I ask that each pastor, staff and
pastoral council begin to consider the needs of an area broader and
wider than the traditional territory of the parish. Likewise, these
parish leaders must consider the gifts that their individual parish can
offer to that same surrounding area. The goal of this re-visioning will
be the collaborative use of resources and personnel, the combining of
gifts and creativity, and the building up of and just distribution of
parish life so that all peoples are exposed to the fullest expression of
Church life and ministry.
These are my most firmly held
convictions regarding the future of parish life in the Diocese of
Cleveland. To restate them:
1) Any process that we use for
sharing our resources and personnel must be an experience of
"communion" – growing together in Christ.
2) Any solutions we develop must
come from and be embraced willingly with the heart by the local
communities involved.
3) The initiative and
cooperation of the men and women currently in leadership in every
parish are essential.
4) The result of our discernment
will be a collaborative effort, involving the networking of several
ministries and communities in each area of the Diocese, permeating yet
respecting the boundaries of existing parishes.
These convictions are
interdependent. It seems difficult to imagine a healthy solution for our
Diocese that omits any of these or exaggerates one. Having stated these
convictions plainly, I now invite you to join me in the next step of
this journey. We are crossing the threshold into a new century, an
amazing Third Christian Millennium. Amidst the uniqueness and the grace
of the Jubilee, we find ourselves at a perfect time to gather our
collective will in order to assess and renew our Church life and to make
things the way they ought to be. The challenges of growth and decline
that I have addressed in this statement are only one important aspect
among many inviting us to renewal in this new time. We must be a
reconciled community, one family of faith, sharing a common calling and
recognizing a common goal. We are Christ’s Body empowered for this
mission. St. Paul, writing to the Church in Rome, provides the direction
by which our common goal can be attained: "Let us then pursue what leads
to peace and to building up one another" (Romans 14:19). If we
value the peace among us and strive to build up the life we share, our
mission is secure. Indeed, prayer and dedication are needed for such a
mission. My forty years of ministry in this Diocese have convinced me
that neither is lacking here. Let us join our hearts and lives as we
work to build up an ever more vibrant parish life for everyone in our
Diocese.
Laying the
Groundwork
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The goals and convictions I have
stated above will come alive on an area-by-area basis. Before I can
encourage local parish communities to begin such a renewal, I believe a
comprehensive preparation is essential.
A Diocesan Task Force will be
appointed in February of 2001 to coordinate the preparation and
implementation of a collaborative process. This group will develop and
refine resources and instruments, building upon work we have already
done in the Diocese. To assist the work of the Task Force, I invite
further discussion in the Spring of 2001 within our parish staffs and
parish pastoral councils, districts and consultative groups in order to
suggest the practical means for implementing this initiative. It is
essential that we provide steps and resources that will be genuinely
helpful and relevant to every part of our Diocese. I hope to present the
recommended implementation steps and resources to be developed by the
Task Force at meetings of our priests and parish leaders by the
beginning of 2002.
My charge to every pastor,
pastoral staff and parish pastoral council in every parish of the entire
Diocese will then be to initiate a two-step process over a twenty-four
month period, beginning in the Spring of 2002.
As a first step, I ask that each
parish, using the resources to be developed, assess its vitality and
vibrancy as a manifestation of "parish life" which the universal Church
and our Diocese have envisioned. Discover and proclaim what most gives
life in your parish. Identify your best resources and your greatest
examples of vibrancy. Discern those areas where you hope to enhance
parish vitality. During this time of review and assessment, adequate
catechesis will be essential to help our people to understand the vision
of parish life that is at the heart of ‘why’ we are undertaking this
process.
Second, when the self-study
and catechetical steps are complete, I ask you to turn to at least one
parish, ideally one that touches your parish boundaries. Enter into
study and dialogue with them. Look at your various ministries and share
the results of your self-studies. Recall the history and founding of
each parish. Examine the rich ethnic, racial, liturgical and spiritual
variety. Identify the similarities, the duplications and even the
contradictions that exist between the parishes. The goal of this shared
consultation is for each parish to identify the parishes (typically no
more than three) with whom they can cooperate most naturally and begin
to develop collaborative initiatives. In some cases, these clusters will
simply build upon existing relationships and successful collaboration
already in place. In other cases, new relationships will be formed. It
will be helpful to discuss the formation and ongoing development of
clusters within each district.
Parishes now engaged in The
Church in the City partnerships with non-adjacent parishes are
asked to participate in this clustering process in ways that can sustain
the present partnership and build new opportunities with neighboring
parishes. I would like this two-step process to be completed by the
Spring of 2004.
I hope you recognize my stated
convictions in this preparatory call for clustering. I envision this
self-selected clustering effort as the beginning phase of a larger
discernment process that will renew parish life in every area of our
Diocese. We each must do our part to plant the seeds and lay the
foundation for collaboration and unity that will deepen with time. If
the future of ministry is to be vibrant and viable into the next
Millennium, it will take a stated vision, a thoughtful and prayerful
discernment, a conversion of hearts and minds, and most especially
courageous and cooperative parish leaders. I am confident that the
Spirit is moving among us and will renew our local Church.
To address the challenges which we
will continue to face, I believe that the initiatives coming forth from
parish clusters will need to respond to the following
criteria:
- Enhance vibrancy and more effective
ministry in all of the cluster parishes.
- Better serve important needs and more
people than would otherwise be served by separate parish
activities.
- Use parish staff personnel and material
resources more collaboratively, creatively and effectively, and reduce
the overall staffing burden for priests and other parish ministers
that was previously necessitated by separate efforts.
- Increase shared leadership, collaboration
and the fullest use of gifts among laity as well as clergy and
religious.
I also recognize that the diocesan
administration will need to take action not only to provide resources
and staffing support for this process, but also to respond to the issues
that are most appropriately addressed on a diocesan level. For example,
in the future assignment of priests, we will continue to carefully
assess the sacramental and priestly responsibilities needed within a
parish and cluster area, and consider different alternatives, based upon
both pastoral needs and the gifts and readiness of priests to be
assigned. These alternatives may include shared assignments that include
parish ministry as well other ministries (e.g. chaplaincy, diocesan
ministry); assigning a pastor or priest to more than one parish;
placement of a deacon, religious or lay person to serve as Parish Life
Coordinator; or the assignment of a pastoral team (priests, deacons,
religious, lay persons) for two or more parishes. I welcome proposals
from parishes and parish clusters regarding new and creative ways of
addressing parish staffing configurations in your area, within the
present discipline of the Church.
Recognizing that vibrant parish
life is facilitated by vibrant ministerial life, I also believe that we
need continued dialogue within the Diocese with our priests, deacons,
religious and lay ecclesial ministers regarding diocesan policies,
practices and related expectations that make an impact upon ministerial
life. This dialogue will need to explore areas that we need to sustain,
change or initiate in order to support greater vibrancy in the life of
the parish minister.
In addition to working with the
Diocesan Task Force to support the implementation process, the Diocesan
Pastoral Planning Office will coordinate this effort in collaboration
with members of the Secretariats for Parish Life and Development, Clergy
and Religious, and Education, and the Delegate for Future Parish
Staffing. These offices will be available to assist you in this process.
Their insights and experiences will serve the Church well as we undergo
this re-visioning of vibrant parish life with renewed unity and
collaboration.
More
Information on Vibrant Parish Life
Conclusion
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This statement is intended to
offer a vision and a call for the renewal of parish life through our
unity and collaboration. I ask our parish leaders, and especially my
brother priests, to give me your support in leading this endeavor. We
must love the Church and help our people to participate fully in its
life. Our discernment and dialogue need to be rooted in love – the love
of God, love for each other, love for the Church. We must recognize and
embrace the unifying power the Church has for all of us. I look forward
to continuing our conversations within the Church as we discern the path
to which the Spirit calls us.