Laity hearing and responding to a call

"The faithful who by Baptism are incorporated into Christ," said the document, "in their own way share the priestly, prophetic and kingly office of Christ, and to the best of their ability carry on the mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and the world."

In recent years, some observers have attributed the phenomenon of lay people taking on a variety of Church ministries as a stopgap measure necessitated by the shortage of clergy and vowed religious. When traditional vocations rise, say such observers, the need for lay involvement will decrease. But as the Vatican Council document makes clear, laity have a constant, baptismal call to serve the Church, regardless of how many priests, deacons, sisters and brothers there are.

In our pull-out section this week (pages 13-16), we introduce you to four people in the Albany Diocese who minister in a hospital, a jail and a parish. They are typical of the thousands of lay Catholics in the Diocese who have heard a call to serve God not only through their families and work but also through specific ministries.

It is important to note that such lay ministers are not just do-gooders (who are also valuable assets) but individuals who bring to their work the training and education available through such programs as Formation for Ministry and St. Bernard's Institute.

After you read their stories, listen for your own call to ministry.

(05-04-00)