Sister's role takes Church into future

Every month, Sister Mary Lou Liptak, RSM, drives another 2,000 miles into the future.

That's about how many miles she racks up driving between St. Lucy's Church in Altamont and its mission, St. Bernadette's in Berne, in her new position as parish life director.

Sister Mary Lou, only the third woman religious in the Albany Diocese to head a parish, is the first one named since the Diocese instituted a new system of titles for parish staff members. "Parish life director" has replaced titles like "pastoral administrator" that formerly described persons other than priests who led a parish community.

Future is now

Along with her fellow parish life directors -- Sister Mary Kenan McGowan, RSM, of St. John Francis Regis parish in Grafton, and Sister Joan Curley, CSJ, of St. Joseph's in Schoharie -- Sister Mary Lou's appointment marks a step toward a future when clergy, religious and laity will share responsibility for leading parishes.

The new parish life director has a background in psychology and pastoral ministry, which she calls good preparation for her work. And after 16 years as pastoral associate for St. Bernadette's, Sister Mary Lou is taking her new responsibilities in stride.

At St. Bernadette's, "I'm a one-person show: I'm the religious ed director, the secretary, the janitor," she explained. Taking over St. Lucy's was "a natural step, just multiplying by two."

Natural move

Helping out at St. Lucy's was nothing new for her. After its pastor, Rev. Charles Lockwood, became ill with cancer, she routinely traveled to Altamont to help with administration there. After his death in March, Sister Mary Lou simply continued working with both communities.

She said that her new duties are made easier by St. Lucy's staff, which includes a pastoral associate for administration and a religious education coordinator as well as a sacramental minister, Rev. Paul Smith, who provides for the sacramental needs of the parish.

Rev. Geoffrey Burke, diocesan chancellor for personnel and public information, also serves as the parish's canonical pastor, helping with legal issues.

Teamwork

Sister Mary Lou plans a team approach to her ministry, using the talents of parish staff and scores of active parishioners to administer the two churches. Still, she added, "This is a first. No other parish life director has two communities."

So far, she has adopted a rigorous schedule. A Berne resident, she spends mornings at 200-family St. Bernadette's and afternoons at 600-family St. Lucy's. Sunday and Monday evenings are reserved for meetings at St. Bernadette's; Wednesdays and Thursdays, at St. Lucy's.

The stress has had one drawback: "I'm getting a little forgetful," the director admitted with a laugh. "I locked the keys inside the church the other day! I'm glad this is happening in the summer; summer is a slower time."

E pluribus unum

To make things more efficient, Sister Mary Lou hopes to consolidate some parish committee meetings, including those of the prayer and worship committee, and the Christian service committees.

"I want to continue to celebrate the diversity of the communities, but also that we're one parish," she stated. "We haven't done a lot of that, but now's the time in light of clustering and the whole pastoral plan."

Other challenges are in store. At the moment, Sister Mary Lou is working on a daunting project: moving St. Bernadette's rectory, where she will live, to a new site near the church. Parishioners have volunteered to do plumbing, moving, masonry, carpentry and excavating, but the project is expected to take several months. Afterward, she plans to look at using a parish building to provide aid to battered women or another needy group.

'Right direction'

In the meantime, Sister Mary Lou called her work "a challenge, but a step in the right direction for the whole Church."

To those who object to a woman religious rather than a priest leading a parish, she remarked: "What difference does it make, as long as the people are being served? The people of St. Bernadette's have experienced a priestless church for 16 years, and we are a thriving community."

There are several pluses to women religious leading parishes, she added: "People see us as one of them. I'm a really down-to-earth person. I don't have a family, so I'm free to be on call 24 hours a day."

A lover of rural life, she told The Evangelist: "I'm an introvert. I need that solitude. This is my spiritual community. I gain my strength from this worshipping community. I'll leave here when I think I'm finished, but I have a strong sense of wanting to lead them into another era. This is exciting for the whole Church. The future is here."

(06-19-97) [[In-content Ad]]