Built on Rock

David DeLambo is a Pastoral Planner, for the Diocese of Cleveland, OH.  He presented a paper some months ago on the complexities and ministries in parishes today.  Some of his findings are not really a surprise.  He mentions that stewardship is found to be vital in parishes that are pastoral.  Larger parishes can respond to the needs of a great many people, but it includes a complex system of shared ministry.  The larger the parish the more that collaboration  must be part of that equation.

DeLambo's analysis of parish ministry is similar to other like reports.  He has also observed while there is a tendency for dioceses to have fewer parishes, closures and consolidations have brought down the number of parishes, those parishes that remain tend to be larger.  A difficulty in this can be that the Pastor becomes very much like a CEO.  He could very easily spend his time with personnel, physical plant, and financial matters, while rarely performing 'priestly functions.'  For myself this is why I love going to the hospitals every week.  It gets me away from my desk and ministering to people.

But more so, in parishes today there is really a necessity for ongoing formation and catechesis.  Today's Gospel  bluntly states the importance of having a sturdy faith foundation.  Eight years of religious education, or even catholic grade school, cannot prepare us for the rigors of an adult moral life.  Just when our young people are becoming old enough to understand the nuances of chastity, social justice, and moral decision making, we confirm them and they are never seen again.  Ministry needs to be tailored for the various needs of the various peoples.  The aim though should be to provide a firm understanding of the teachings of the Church as well as an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

As we were talking about the new Missal translation the other night, I tried to convey how the use of our language says something about our theology.  If Jesus remains just a nice guy who did some really neat things, then we have missed the entire theology of salvation.  In a large community it is easy to become lost.  In the the midst of moral confusion and religious apathy, it is important to know and understand the hows and whys of our  profession of faith.

While our Church evolves and changes around us, the one constant is the Paschal Mystery and its effects in our lives.  We firmly place ourselves within the person of Christ, and become part of that mystical body.