Future of parishes weighed at meeting

The process will focus on two issues: leadership and organizational structures.

The PPAC is an 18-member group of clergy, religious and laity who have met nine times since last fall to look at the future of parishes. Their presentation was made to a Diocese-wide meeting held May 1 at St. Edward the Confessor Church in Clifton Park.

Leadership

* the Albany Diocese is planning to work on training lay leaders for parishes as the number of priests declines,

* another committee is looking at compensation for both clergy and other parish leaders, from a "fair and just wage" to benefits;

* on the issue of placement, a committee is examining which parishes will get parish life directors and which will have priest pastors, who will make those decisions, and how parish leaders will be evaluated.

Regarding organizational structures, the Diocese is looking at three areas: clusters, special ministries and diocesan services.

The PPAC hope to learn how diocesan offices can best serve parishes and how specialized ministries (prison ministry, campus ministry etc.) can best serve their recipients. The Diocese will also review the current structure of parish clusters.

Bishop's comments

However, he continued, change has become the norm today, and the Church must emulate heroes -- from Abraham and Mary to St. Isaac Jogues and Pope John XXIII -- who successfully dealt with change.

"We are blessed to be in a Diocese that does not shrink from the challenges of planning," he added.

Four keys

1. that shared responsibility is the foundation for the Church's efforts to advance Jesus' ministry in the world,

2. that the parish community is the center of the Church's life,

3. that "vital and viable" parish communities should be maintained and

4. that the Eucharist is the center of parish life.

Even if the Diocese had a wealth of priests, the Bishop said, there would still be a need to revitalize parishes. He told the group that there will always be a need for parishes as "tangible structures" where people can gather in community.

Past and future

"I have approximately 12 years to serve as your bishop, health permitting and impeachment failing," Bishop Hubbard joked before adding: "Every generation of the Church must go through its own Passover from death to life in order to prepare the Church for the next generation."

While the vitality of parishes will still be the Diocese's highest priority, he stated, "that vitality may well look different."

Feedback

That feedback and more from evaluation forms filled out after the meeting will be examined by the PPAC as it moves forward with its work.

Sister Kathleen Turley, RSM, diocesan chancellor for planning and pastoral services, told the group that there will be more meetings on parish leadership in the future. She called the meeting that was concluding "very worthwhile."

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