Assistant pastors learn while on the (parish) job

With 43 different ministries, including Pre-Cana, Marriage Encounter, and visiting hospital patients, nursing home residents and shut-ins, and with 1,960 registered households in the parish, Father Flannery is gaining experience in various types of pastoral work that are helping him become a better priest.

"It's a very busy parish. Being an associate pastor, I get to have all the joys of the priesthood without any of the responsibilities of administration," he said. "I'm getting to relish my priesthood before I have to move on to bigger responsibilities."

He is one of just a few associate pastors in the Albany Diocese. According to the 1999 diocesan directory, about 25 parishes still have associate pastors. Some of them recently shared their thoughts about parish work, living with a pastor and preparing for the day when they might become pastors themselves.

Busy life

Two days later, a bus broke down during a trip for altar servers to Great Escape, and Father Ligato had to keep an eye on youths he didn't know as they waited along the Northway for help to arrive.

When he returned to the parish, he faced a month without Rev. John Bradley, pastor, who took a trip to Ireland. A lightning storm that damaged the church sound system and bells also presented a challenge to the newly ordained associate pastor.

Fitting in

"You're worried about doing everything right and trying to acclimate yourself to this new parish and getting to know everybody," he said. "Your own insecurities come out. You have to get to know these people, and they have to learn to trust you."

As pastor, Father Bradley was excited to have another priest in the parish and looked forward to helping Father Ligato grow in his ministry.

"I was looking forward to his coming. It wasn't the first time I'd had a newly ordained priest come," he said. "I'm always anxious to have them come, and I always hope they're going to be a part of the parish and enjoy it. They've all been different but wonderful, and they've enriched my life and the life of the parish."

Working together

elementary school, religious education program, visits to shut-ins and nursing homes, RCIA program, and social outreach. Father Ligato has been able to get involved because Father Bradley has allowed him to grow and learn.

"He's so kind and lets you try to find your own direction," Father Ligato explained. "If you are a self-starter and self-motivated, it's a great opportunity to do the things you want to do, and he encourages that."

Parishioners have responded well to their associate pastor, who displays his many skills all the time, Father Bradley noted. "The people enjoy his being here, and we're very delighted," he said. "He's very caring, enthusiastic liturgically and faithful to his responsibilities."

Commonalities

think before he reacts and to handle situations in a low-key manner.

The two priests share some qualities in common: Both are very family-oriented, both went to Siena College in Loudonville, and they enjoy discussing the local business climate at the breakfast table.

Having been at Blessed Sacrament for four years, Father Ligato knows that he someday will move to another parish and become a pastor. It's a change that would take him from the parish he loves, but he welcomes such a position, whenever it comes his way.

"To have that opportunity to fully share what your vision is is exciting. It's always in the back of your mind. You're always prepared for what you don't know," he said.

Moving on

His ministry there included everything from campus ministry at the State University of New York at Oneonta and Hartwick College to dealing with issues involving the parish cemetery. Rev. Paul Roman, pastor, gave his associate pastor an opportunity to use his gifts and see the many different aspects of a parish.

"He made it a point to make sure I had a chance to try a little of everything," Father Raiche said. "There was good leadership, and it was a good training ground."

Briefly at home

"Brian knew everybody because he had been here a whole year and was instrumental in putting a lot of programs we have in place," Father Butler said. "We've always been very much friends. I've learned a lot from him, and he's learned a lot from me. I think that's one of the great advantages of having an associate."

While there, Father Raiche became a campus minister at the University at Albany and also learned about fund-raising as the parish continued with its building project. Having him at Christ the King as both a seminarian and a young associate pastor was ideal for several reasons, said Father Butler.

"It's good to have a different perspective on ministry and hear what they're teaching [in the seminary]," he said. "It's certainly helpful to have somebody else and divvy up responsibilities, and to deal with them in a comprehensive way is very nice."

Learning experience

Father Butler sees in Father Raiche a priest who's "interested in liturgy and all aspects of celebration, a people-person who is very good at home visitation," he said.

Six months wasn't a long time for Father Raiche to be at Christ the King before becoming pastor of St. Henry's, but "you really don't know how long you're going to be in a place anymore because of the needs of the Diocese," he said.

Father Butler believes that the experience Father Raiche gained as an associate pastor prepared him well for his first pastorate. "I think it certainly gives you a flavor for what's going on, and then you move on and see a different community," he explained. "That's what we're trained for, to be the leaders of the community. We were ordained to be pastors, we weren't ordained to be associates."

Lessons

Father Daley has been at St. Thomas since 1970, when there were three associate pastors, a live-in priest and a retired priest at the parish. Now, there are only two priests, but there is more lay involvement in youth ministry, religious education and other ministry.

Learning how to celebrate liturgy has been one of the most important lessons Father Walsh has learned as an associate pastor, and Father Daley also learns from him and the other associate pastors who have ministered at St. Thomas. "They keep me current theologically and spiritually. It's a two-way street," he said.

Wisdom observed

"I've always enjoyed listening to people older than myself because I'm a big believer that experience is the greatest teacher," Father Walsh said. "I'm very perceptive in terms of observing what he does, how he handles certain situations."

His work as a member of the diocesan Vocations Team takes Father Walsh away from the parish a lot, but he tries not to neglect his role as associate pastor. "I want to do the very best I can, no matter what the assignment," he said.

Experience gained

"It's always been a two-man parish because of its size," said Rev. Thomas Connery, pastor. "It gives an associate pastor good experience -- and a lot of it. What that does is broaden a priest's perspective and allow him to be open to the variety of worship styles that are out there. We share almost everything here."

Father Flannery's experience has been very satisfying, and Father Connery makes him feel important and self-assured in his ministry.

"He is a wonderful pastor for a first assignment because he's very respectful of me and isn't always looking over my shoulder. He gives me a lot of freedom," said Father Flannery. "On the other hand, he isn't absent. He's very approachable if I need advice or to learn how to do something. When I first started here, he was away for the week and let me dive right into the priesthood. He had that much trust."

Nurturing positives

"He has a strong spirituality because of the discipline of the seminary, and he brings a fresh, new spirituality to the parish because he's newly ordained," Father Connery said. "He's growing here very well. He likes his priesthood and his ministry, and he enjoys it here. He has enough pastoral experience to be a pastor in one of our one-man parishes."

Father Flannery is realistic about his chances of moving on and leaving Father Connery behind to begin serving as a pastor, but he continues to minister to parishioners of Immaculate Conception as an eager associate pastor.

"I can be uprooted at any time, and that is always in the back of my mind. He's the pastor, the stable factor here. I have to be careful about anything I initiate because I may not be here to see it through," he said. "With the shortage, everybody's going to become a pastor sooner rather than later. I feel very comfortable and confident in everything I've done so far, and I don't worry about the future. I just take it day by day."

(05-27-99) [[In-content Ad]]