Priest looks at future and sees change coming

Is the traditional definition of "parish" breaking down?

Rev. David Mickiewicz believes that it may be -- and it's affecting both priests and parishioners.

In certain ways, the current institutional Church structure "is not going to work anymore," he said, and "we're defining new ways to gather God's people. We need to find ways to minister to them, and, in turn, for them to do service for the world."

Father Mickiewicz is administrator for three parishes in Amsterdam: St. Casimir, St. John the Baptist and St. Stanislaus. He is also chair of the Priestly Life & Ministry Council of the Albany Diocese.

Changing times

When Father Mickiewicz was ordained, two or three priests used to live in a single rectory, with one always home to answer the phone or the door. Parishioners relied heavily on a geographic or cultural identity.

In the new millennium, one priest often functions as pastor for two or three different parishes, and parishioners expect more convenience from parish functions.

Those two major changes pose challenges for priests and people in planning for the future, he said.

Stress on clergy

In the seminary, prospective priests are instructed to "take care of yourself spiritually, psychologically, and physically," Father Mickiewicz said. They are told to eat well, exercise on a daily basis and engage in daily prayer.

Unfortunately, he continued, a priest's daily life can sometimes be "diametrically opposed to that. [Priests] feel, in many instances, pressured not to take their day off, not to go on vacation."

A hectic multi-parish schedule can take its toll in other ways, too. "I eat terribly because I'm eating on the run all the while," he explained. "It's a constant struggle, and you could say the same thing about parents trying to balance work and marriage."

Balance needed

One way to bring back balance, the priest believes, is for priests to pursue healthy interests that take them outside of the church walls. For example, he participates in theater and curates art exhibits for the Visions Gallery at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Albany.

While celebrating Mass and preaching the Gospel remain major parts of his life, extracurriculars "give me material and strength to continue preaching, and I might be able to do something healthy for myself that will be healthy for the community," he said.

Other options for priests include sports, music, gardening and other things that "get you away from ministering, so you can go back to it," he said.

McChurch?

Congregations, too, need to learn how navigate the new parish landscape, Father Mickiewicz said, both for their own spiritual health and for the health of their priest.

Sometimes, he wonders if America's tendencies towards convenience have transferred to the parish -- if, at times, Church is "more about what I get out of it versus what we bring to it," he said.

"Are parishes going to be treated like a McDonald's franchise," he asked, with parishioners "no longer having a connection to a particular group of people that they pray with regularly? [Is the attitude,] 'I come when I need something?'

"All of us need to be looking at [these questions]: 'Where are our commitments? Is it to the people of God, and Jesus present in the people of God?'"

New styles

Father Mickiewicz said that certain parish administrative aspects and ministries could be entrusted to laypeople, which benefits the parish and helps parishioners feel an ownership of the place.

He advises laypeople concerned with the health of a particular parish to step forward and become proactive members in ministries that appeal to them -- as well as starting to come to Mass more often and creating community.

"People complain about the liturgy being boring," he noted. "My question is, 'What is your attitude when you come? Do you sing with gusto? Do you respond to the spoken parts of the Mass? Have you put yourself forward to be a minister?'"

Called to be Church

The priest recommends that planning teams during Called to be Church discuss "out-of-the-box" solutions that -- while they may redefine the traditional idea of "parish" -- can preserve the link between priest and community, while raising up the role of laity in the parish.

"The presence of the priest in the Catholic mind is really important," he explained, "and a part of our lifeblood is the community. We need to find other ways of doing it with some imagination and panache and excitement."

(6/14/07)