The final pre-synod issue I want to offer some comments on for the discussions to be facilitated by the expanded synod committee is the issue of a template for parish.

This issue was placed on the synod agenda during a meeting of the Presbyterate and Parish Administrators, but, due to time restraints, it has not yet received specific attention.

It is to be noted that a template for parish could also be used, at least in part, as a template to consider the life of a diocese. In my view, the pre-synod and synod discussions dating back to 2002 have begun to develop a template for both levels of the Archdiocese.

Pre-notes

I want to offer four pre-notes for the consideration of the reader:

1) Regarding the concept of a template.

For the computer literate, the term ‘template’ is a familiar term. For others, the same familiarity cannot be assumed. So let us consider a descriptive definition.

A template is a pattern or model that is used as a guide for preparing to identify criteria, to study data and to format information for analysis and discussion e.g. a spreadsheet in accounting or a pre-designed format for developing a website. 

Once the template is established, all that has to be done is to add appropriate data to the blanks in the format. (Interestingly, the Internet reports that at present there are thousands of templates on file for various professions throughout the world including the Catholic Church e.g. templates for Vatican reports and for preparing reports on parish/ archdiocesan finances.)

2) Church history

The history of the Church teaches us that other than the Church itself only two institutions have survived the centuries without interruption: the Diocese and the Parish.

There have been structural changes in each, but the institution as such has survived. On the other hand, monasteries, religious institutes and ministries specific to particular periods of history have ceased to be.

There is a lesson in that important point of history. As we work together to shape the future of the Archdiocese, we cannot assume that everything that presently exists will continue to exist, at least in its present form.

3) Transitions

We all know that in too many cases the pastoral direction of a parish changes with the appointment of a new parish priest/parish administrator.  In some cases, the change of direction can be significant for the parish.

In developing a template for the parish (and possibly for the Archdiocese), we begin to objectify the criteria for a parish based on the mind of the Church. The process of objectification, with due attention to local circumstances, can help us to clarify what are the reasonable expectations of people about their parishes.

4) Theological/canonical change

As I stated in my column last week on the “Mission of the Church”, it is better, in my opinion, to consider the Church’s self-understanding of whatever we are studying based on its official documentation before we begin to list what we as individuals may think about the matter.

This recommendation is not disrespectful to the creativity of any person(s), it is simply a reflection of our identity. We are not just members of “a Church”, we are members of the Catholic Church which has had much to say about parishes over the centuries.

It is important to note that authoritative canonical sources do not change until the theological base on which the legislation rests changes. Secondly, the process of dialogue between theology and law is unending.

The outcome of the dialogue affects the interrelationship between stability and change in the Church. At Vatican Council II, (1962-1965) the theological base for parts of the canonical tradition on parishes and pastoral care changed. In time, the law also changed (1983).

As a result of the new law, laypersons were introduced into ministry, collaboration became the “in” term for pastoral planning and, for more and more particular Churches (dioceses) around the world, laypersons became certified professionals in administration and pastoral ministry. In many cases, the professional training of priests and religious, the traditional source of personnel for governance and pastoral care, did not keep pace.    

Criteria for a parish

Let us look at some of the criteria of the Church on the understanding of a parish. As I did in last week’s column, I want to identify my sources.

I shall use the documents of theSecond Vatican Council: Constitution on the Church, The Decree on the Bishops’ Pastoral Office in the Church, The Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, The Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity, the Code of Canon Law (Canons 515-552) and the commentaries of experts on each of those sources.

1) A parish is defined as a community of God’s People. It is a multi-levelled series of relationships that makes present the threefold office of Jesus to teach, sanctify and shepherd. As some have observed, a parish is not a “spiritual gas station” where people come periodically to fill up.

2) Every parish should be responsive to the call of Vatican Council II for dialogue, collaboration and mutual support in planning and implementation for the pastoral care of the people.

3) Parish Priests/Administrators are:
3.1 – To take care that the Eucharist is the centre of parish life and to ensure that the people are nourished by the sacraments, in particular, the Eucharist and Penance;
3.2 –To lead the people in prayer and take an active role in the Liturgy;
3.3 – To ensure that the people are catechised and formed in the Faith;
3.4 –To be present to the people, to know them, to visit them, especially the sick and dying, to conduct their funerals and to share in their anxieties and sorrows;
3.5 – To promote the role of the laity in the mission of the Church and to collaborate with collaborative structures e.g. the parish council.

Conclusion

The points I have shared to contribute to the development of a template for parish are certainly not exhaustive.

However, they provide a framework to begin the process. We must accept the facts that the priest shortage cannot be resolved quickly nor can the new appreciation of the theology of Baptism and Confirmation be reversed.

The involvement of laypersons in the ministry of the Church is not just a pragmatic adjustment to a vocation shortage.  It flows from the self-understanding of the Church.

The Solidarity Policy and its implications for parochial, inter-parochial and intra-vicariate collaboration have made it possible to provide regular pastoral care for many parishes which lack resident priests.

The pre-synod discussions about a template for parishes will guide the process for making additional adjustments for parishes, the formation of new parishes and the clustering of present parishes. It is an important issue and should be a very interesting discussion.