Crisis. One only needs to read anything the Church has ever written about the relation between the priest and the Eucharist, and the relation between the Eucharist and the life of the Church (and consequently, each parish).Priestless parishes: a “Crisis” or an “Emerging Parish Leadership Paradigm.”
I am worried about the use of the word “Emerging”, simply because it makes me think of the “emerging/emergent church” movement. Also, a misconceived notion of “parish leadership” is only a couple of misguided steps to “liturgy presider-ship”.(My diocesan newspaper uses the latter apellation.)
It can be called both. It is a crisis with the low numbers but it is also a time of reflection to critically examine the leadership paradigms and see how relevant they are to modern society. Does something need to be changed? Are there other untapped spiritual resources that have not been explored as the Church moves into the future? The opportunity of Church self-examination can be an powerful thing.Priestless parishes: a “Crisis” or an “Emerging Parish Leadership Paradigm.”
(My diocesan newspaper uses the latter apellation.)
How do you view it?
I agree. It can be both.It can be called both. It is a crisis with the low numbers but it is also a time of reflection to critically examine the leadership paradigms and see how relevant they are to modern society. Does something need to be changed? Are there other untapped spiritual resources that have not been explored as the Church moves into the future? The opportunity of Church self-examination can be an powerful thing.
Taken to its logical conclusion, yes.To me, “Emerging Parish Leadership Paradigm” sounds like a way of saying, “allowing those who are not priests, including women, to do things that only priests have the authority to do.”
I agree that the faithful should be able to assist and advise a priest in matters that, for one reason or another, they have more competency and ability, but the leadership of the parish always rests in the hands of the pastor.But it is also my opinion that the interest of the laity in Canon Law, Liturgical law, theology, and practical Catholicism, (as is evidenced by these fora), is a direct result of the growth of lay leadership.
I admire your desire to serve.I agree that the faithful should be able to assist and advise a priest in matters that, for one reason or another, they have more competency and ability, but the leadership of the parish always rests in the hands of the pastor.
For example, I would desire greatly to be a liturgical resource for my parish. We have only one priest, our pastor, and it would be very hard for him to take the time to review all the liturgical matters (and documents!) which would help us celebrate the liturgy more reverently and faithfully to the prescriptions of the Church.
So, it is your position, that the laity should be “liturgical advisors” to our clergy?For example, I would desire greatly to be a liturgical resource for my parish. We have only one priest, our pastor, and it would be very hard for him to take the time to review all the liturgical matters (and documents!) which would help us celebrate the liturgy more reverently and faithfully to the prescriptions of the Church.
Not in general; but a lay person who has studied the liturgy sufficiently (I don’t know if I have) could be a valuable resource to a priest who cannot keep up with all those things. Pastors of one-priest parishes especially could use this sort of assistance.So, it is your position, that the laity should be “liturgical advisors” to our clergy?
I believe the way you do. That this “Paradigm” will be the crack to allow those not qualified to be priests to act and perform priests’ duties. This scares me for those that don’t know what Holy Mother Church actually teaches.Please forgive me if this comment sounds foolish, and keep in mind that I am a fairly new Catholic.
To me, “Emerging Parish Leadership Paradigm” sounds like a way of saying, “allowing those who are not priests, including women, to do things that only priests have the authority to do.”
Am I kind of in the ball park here? Or am I way out in the parking lot?
Right, which is why I expect my pastor (or even my bishop) would put me through some process by which they could be assured that I was competent for the task and knew what my resources are.I admire your desire to serve. But I don’t think that anyone in the Church should take on any task without the authority to do the task.
Certainly.I hope I am making myself clear. While in Protestant churches, people will just “step up” and take on a ministry, this shouldn’t be allowed in the Catholic Church. The people in ministry should be somehow “vested” and given permission and authority to do their ministry.
Amen. It would seem presumptious to me, to assert that my pastor would need or welcome my oversight with regard to liturgical matters.I believe the way you do. That this “Paradigm” will be the crack to allow those not qualified to be priests to act and perform priests’ duties. This scares me for those that don’t know what Holy Mother Church actually teaches.
You’d be surprised at how little priests are taught about Liturgy at the seminary. When I was taking courses through a school of theology priests and seminarians were taking the same courses because they weren’t getting/hadn’t received this stuff in the seminary. My pastor at the time was very pleasantly surprised that so many members of our Liturgy committee AT THAT TIME had so much knowledge. We’d used our own holiday time to get the training.Amen. It would seem presumptious to me, to assert that my pastor would need or welcome my oversight with regard to liturgical matters.
Perhaps it would be more appropriate for the laity to assist in the more secular matters of the parish…for example, heading up a stewardship committee, or facilities maintenance committee to promote volunteer work around the parish, thus relieving the pastor of those “non-pastoral” chores.
Putting the laity in a position of “providing guidance” to the pastor with regard to liturgical matters is a dangerous precedence, especially when those offering such guidance may have an agenda of their own.
Do YOU?Do you know how many priests never read a document, encyclical, etc?
We have had lay people imployed as the liturgist in our parish who have been educated in liturgical matters and they are loyal to the church and the magisterium. Their work was very much appreciated by the pastors who also wanted things to be done correctly. So the desire by japhy to be a liturgist and to do it the right way is commendable. His/her service is very much needed especially in large parishes that only have one priest.Amen. It would seem presumptious to me, to assert that my pastor would need or welcome my oversight with regard to liturgical matters.
Perhaps it would be more appropriate for the laity to assist in the more secular matters of the parish…for example, heading up a stewardship committee, or facilities maintenance committee to promote volunteer work around the parish, thus relieving the pastor of those “non-pastoral” chores.
Putting the laity in a position of “providing guidance” to the pastor with regard to liturgical matters is a dangerous precedence, especially when those offering such guidance may have an agenda of their own.
My “agenda” is a purely Catholic one: I desire our parish to celebrate the liturgy to the best of our ability, and to adhere to the liturgical norms and regulations which the Church has, in her wisdom, set before us.Putting the laity in a position of “providing guidance” to the pastor with regard to liturgical matters is a dangerous precedence, especially when those offering such guidance may have an agenda of their own.
Someone needs to remind these priests that they are in charge, not the liturgical committee.Our Liturgical Committee was comprised of people who’d never heard of the GIRM, Church documents or the like, but wanted the Mass they wanted and worked to that end: kids reading who couldn’t read: **EMHCs distributing while two priests sat because we have to have women involved and woe betide me if I didn’t schedule equal numbers of men and women at every Mass. ** At the moment the ‘committee’ consists of one woman who has had training in pastoral liturgy and knows her stuff but the diocese had nothing to do with that.