Catholics tackle ministry together

Catholics across the Albany Diocese gathered this month to discuss ministry and how it relates to parish life.

The discussions were part two of the preparation for "Called to be Church," the two-year pastoral planning process that begins in January. At parish town meetings in October, Catholics talked about mission (go to www.evangelist.org and click on "Called to be Church" to read past articles).

At the November meetings, participants discussed essential ministries, current and future ministries, how to increase and expand successful ministries, and how ministries may change in coming years.

Summit of dialogue

At St. Anna's parish in Summit, people debated ministry as it pertains to their Schoharie County church, one of the smallest in the Diocese.

The consensus, according to meeting facilitator Ann Lape, was that size can be a benefit when it comes to living out Jesus' mission.

"We cover a very large area," Ms. Lape noted. "Even though [we live in] three towns, St. Anna's has brought us together. We care for each other. It's a plus for us to be small."

Caring community

Since parishioners more easily learn about deaths, sicknesses and other wants in the community, they go out of their way to care for people and families, Ms. Lape explained.

It did not surprise her that the parishioners said one of their most essential ministries was to "support one another" -- with "praying, preaching, works of mercy, education and inspiring more vocations" coming in as close seconds.

Mrs. Lape recruited a five-person planning team from volunteers at the meeting to work on the Called to be Church process.

"I'll look forward to seeing how this process plays out," she said. "Here's another thing that was said: [It] may be the Holy Spirit's plan that we get to this point."

Missing voices

At St. Teresa's parish in Albany, facilitator Laura Leeds was concerned that very few people at the meeting were young adults.

"Part of our discussion was about how many voices aren't present at those meetings," she noted. "What we have is a lot of people who are the future of our parish not involved in the discussion. We're trying to figure out how to hear those voices."

Those who did attend talked about how older parishioners keep the parish "robust" by being Eucharistic ministers, trustees, youth ministers and other volunteers.

Ms. Leeds said that the participants had a little trouble winnowing through the many ministries in the parish to name which ones were the most essential.

"It's outreach; it's word and sacrament; it's liturgy; it's evangelization -- it's everything we do; it's the whole ball of wax," she said. "What we're trying to do is get people more critically thinking about what it is 'being Church' and whose responsibility it is."

Education

Many parishioners were concerned that, if the Church relies more heavily on lay ministers in the future, they "need more support and education" to be leaders, according to Ms. Leeds. They also hoped that, if this happens, the Church "comes up with a better use of ordained ministers."

Parishioners also wished to plumb deeper into the role of the Catholic school in the modern Church, as well as the roles of faith formation programs.

Parishioners feel the parish school "could play a larger role in the education of the next generation of Catholics," she said.

Newcomers

Shelby Harrison, meeting facilitator at St. Mary's Church in Clinton Heights, said that "people were surprised about what ministries people were involved with."

St. Mary's parishioners are proud of their well-trained lectors, and believe their welcoming ministries are assets in encouraging involvement and expansion of ministry.

One of the largest concerns of parishioners seemed to be "getting the youth involved in ministry," she said.

Mission/ministry

Rev. Charles Gaffigan, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Corinth, reminded parishioners at the meeting that "if the mission of Jesus is not our mission, then the ministry of Jesus is not our ministry, and we are not Church."

Parishioners identified two areas as essential for their ministries: outreach to non-practicing Catholics, and faith formation for children and adults.

"If we keep our focus on handing on the faith, then how we hand it on will be incidental," the pastor explained. "Years ago, it was done differently. The important thing is that we do it."

(11/30/06) [[In-content Ad]]