H
HagiaSophia
Guest
Any of those reading who have read “The Changing Face of the Priesthood” will be familiar with the thesis already - but another priest comments here on how some of that works out in “real life”.
"Hampering healthy parish life, according to Msgr. Joyce, is the current polarization found in churches today. “From my early days as a priest and pastor, there is far more anger and mistrust than is at all healthy.” This polarization, including tension between post-Vatican II conservatives and liberals, “colors parish life on every side,” said Joyce.
Besides polarized churches, there is the ongoing priest shortage and the issue of aging clergy. Msgr. Joyce noted that the average congregation over the last 40 years has grown from 2,500 to 3,300 parishioners, reflecting the sizable 65.3 million Catholic population nationwide. Whereas, in the '60s, there was one priest per 775 Catholics, currently there is one priest per 1,427 Catholics and this figure increases to 2,200 Catholics for each priest ministering in a parish.
“This raises questions about staffing, about merging, about the role and place of non-ordained parish leaders,” said Msgr. Joyce. Regarding pastors (including non-priest pastors such as deacons, religious and lay leaders who currently head 3 percent of all parishes in the U.S.), **Msgr. Joyce said there has been a shift since before Vatican II in a pastor’s five roles of spiritual leader, community builder, administrator, teacher and pastoral care provider. **
They include:
—Spiritual leader: shift from administering sacraments and promoting devotions to functioning as a leader of communal worship and promoter of a renewed spirituality.
—Builder of community: shift from care of individual faithful to formation of genuine community.
—Administrator: shift from straightforward and limited administrator to multiple and complex responsibilities.
—Teacher: shift from homily to adult dialogue, Vatican II documents, recruiting, training and supervising.
—Pastoral Care: shift from hands on exclusive ministry to recruiter, enabler and overseer.
the-tidings.com/2005/0930/staffing.htm
"Hampering healthy parish life, according to Msgr. Joyce, is the current polarization found in churches today. “From my early days as a priest and pastor, there is far more anger and mistrust than is at all healthy.” This polarization, including tension between post-Vatican II conservatives and liberals, “colors parish life on every side,” said Joyce.
Besides polarized churches, there is the ongoing priest shortage and the issue of aging clergy. Msgr. Joyce noted that the average congregation over the last 40 years has grown from 2,500 to 3,300 parishioners, reflecting the sizable 65.3 million Catholic population nationwide. Whereas, in the '60s, there was one priest per 775 Catholics, currently there is one priest per 1,427 Catholics and this figure increases to 2,200 Catholics for each priest ministering in a parish.
“This raises questions about staffing, about merging, about the role and place of non-ordained parish leaders,” said Msgr. Joyce. Regarding pastors (including non-priest pastors such as deacons, religious and lay leaders who currently head 3 percent of all parishes in the U.S.), **Msgr. Joyce said there has been a shift since before Vatican II in a pastor’s five roles of spiritual leader, community builder, administrator, teacher and pastoral care provider. **
They include:
—Spiritual leader: shift from administering sacraments and promoting devotions to functioning as a leader of communal worship and promoter of a renewed spirituality.
—Builder of community: shift from care of individual faithful to formation of genuine community.
—Administrator: shift from straightforward and limited administrator to multiple and complex responsibilities.
—Teacher: shift from homily to adult dialogue, Vatican II documents, recruiting, training and supervising.
—Pastoral Care: shift from hands on exclusive ministry to recruiter, enabler and overseer.
the-tidings.com/2005/0930/staffing.htm