Pastoral planning process continues in Diocese

Pastoral planning isn't over. It's an ongoing process of preparing for the future of the Church in the Albany Diocese. As such, the Diocese is about to hold five regional meetings to talk about where parishes are today -- and what's to come.

Sister Kathleen Turley, RSM, diocesan chancellor for planning, said that "it's time to review" the plans parishes made in the original 1994-'97 planning process and to ascertain any gaps in those plans.

"Four years ago, we had 57 [parish] clusters," she stated. While that list technically hasn't changed, mergers and consolidations of parishes mean that the numbers are no longer literally true.

Changing models

In addition, parish staffing models have changed. Today, even more priests lead more than one parish, and more parishes have lay or religious parish life directors instead of full-time priests. In the Diocese's "North Country," one ministry team leads several parishes.

Those leadership styles are succeeding, said Sister Kathleen, but the decreasing number of priests means that even more laypeople have to be trained to head parishes. The Diocese has to determine what kind of training to provide in order to make sure future parish life directors have all the skills they need to run parishes.

"In 1994," Sister Kathleen added, "we were doing this [pastoral planning process] to be pro-active. But a lot of change has happened. The numbers of priests and religious are decreasing; people see that now."

Information sessions

However, Sister Kathleen noted, in some parishes Catholics still don't understand the Church's staffing struggles. She attributed that to information not being shared by parish leaders with the people in the pews. The upcoming meetings, she hopes, will resolve that problem.

For example, Sister Kathleen and diocesan stewardship director John Manning gave the following statistics:

* the Albany Diocese currently has 181 parishes;

* between now and 2006, 20 pastors will retire at age 75 and another 19 may retire at age 70; and

* only one or two new priests will be ordained each year.

The pair noted that while pastoral planning has nothing to do with the abuse crisis in the Church, the Diocese did lose several priests as a result of it. However, "that's not impeding us as we move forward," said Sister Kathleen.

Changes ahead

One of the "new realities" the chancellor said the regional meetings will address is changing the number of liturgies in parishes. She gave the example of one Albany County parish where just 50 people regularly attend each of two Masses in a church that could seat 350. Parishes, she said, need to develop criteria for the minimum number of attendees that make a second Mass feasible.

Another reality the Church in the Albany Diocese has to deal with is parish closures.

"We have in the past and will have to in the future close some parishes -- and we don't do that lightly," Sister Kathleen stated. "People want to preserve the status quo. We can't do that, but how can we handle it in the best way? There will be change and [parishes] are going to help fashion that change."

For example, she said, even more parishes will have to share resources and work together, particularly in cities, where population moves to the suburbs mean fewer resources.

Times change

Mr. Manning pointed out that many older parishes were founded so long ago that people walked or rode horses to church, but traveling by car means it's possible to attend -- or lead -- a parish that's farther from home.

"We have to expand the concept of `parish community,'" he said.

The pair stressed that ongoing meetings and consultations with parish leaders will give the Diocese more input in deciding the future of parishes.

While lack of space at the meeting sites means that only parish leaders (four or five people from each parish) are being invited to the regional sessions, Sister Kathleen hopes the information will "filter to the people in the pews each Sunday."

Assumptions

The Diocese begins any planning for the future with seven basic assumptions it has identified:

1. The Eucharist is at the heart and center of parish life.
2. The parish/community is the center of the Church's life.
3. Shared responsibility is the foundation to advance the mission and ministry of Jesus.
4. Vital and viable parishes/communities should be maintained and supported.
5. Jesus Christ will be proclaimed throughout the Diocese of Albany.
6. Justice will be the guiding principle in decision-making with a special concern for the poor.
7. People will be pastored by well-formed and qualified leaders.

[The regional pastoral planning meetings will be held from 7-9 p.m. on the following dates and locations: Jan. 28, St. Michael's, Troy (contact Kathleen Doody, 283-6110); Jan. 29, Annunciation, Queensbury (Ann McCoy, 793-9677); Feb. 19, St. Mary's, Hudson (Rev. Winston Bath, 828-1334); Feb. 24, Our Lady of Fatima, Schenectady (Nancy Dwyer, 370-3136); Feb. 25, St. James, Fort Plain (Rev. Kenneth Swain, 993-5523); and Feb. 26, St. Mary's, Oneonta (Rev. Paul Roman, 607-432-3920.]

(01-23-03) [[In-content Ad]]