by Bishop Raymond A. Lucker
Diocese of New Ulm

A remarkable series of events in recent weeks has set me thinking about our response to people and the desperate needs of the human community. By "our" I mean church leaders - bishops, priests, parish leaders, including leaders in the church in the United States and in Vatican offices themselves. I mean also leaders of the civic community.

The sudden and tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, brought out her concern for the poor, the homeless, and the lepers. Her gift was being able to respond to people. Ordinary people not only in Britain but across the world were touched by her death. She lead an international campaign against landmines; helping millions to realize the devastating effects of these damnable weapons on innocent civilians. Some news reporters noted the lack of response from the royal family - no word was heard from the palace. While millions of people put bouquets of flowers at the entrances to the castles, the royal family was stuffy and aloof. They just didn't seem to get it.

During the same week, Mother Teresa of Calcutta died. A living saint among us. Her life and her work had a worldwide impact on people. She felt a personal call by God to reach out to the poorest of the poor. She picked up the dying in the streets and helped them die with dignity. She gathered in orphans, the disabled, people with leprosy and those suffering with AIDS. She was an outspoken opponent of abortion and contraception. She had a special gift and was admired by all. She said the greatest illness is not being loved and demonstrated every day of her life her response to Jesus' call to love one another as he did.

She was criticized by some with the ridiculous charge that in serving the poor she was not doing anything to change the unjust structures of society. It would be like criticizing a world class painter for not composing music. They didn't understand. Many of us do not see the needs of suffering people either. We pass by the homeless and fail to reach out to migrants in our own towns or to respond to pressing needs of the poor in the world. So often we just don't get it.

One million young people celebrated World Youth Day with the Holy Father in Paris. They were touched in much the same way as our young people were when they went to Denver for the World Youth Day 1993. The Holy Father has a special charism for touching the hearts of youth and teaching them the central message of the gospel. He challenges them they respond.

Yet, so often in our parishes and communities young people feel left out. No one seems to listen to them. They need to be invited, listened to, spoken to in their language. Church services, pastoral statements, bishops' plans appear to them to be boring and full of church jargon. We just don't get it.

They are ready and they are open if given an opportunity and a challenge. They respond in parish retreats, during A-TEC weekends, to invitations to actually serve the poor in soup kitchens, to work against drunk driving, to volunteer in the missions, to clean up the river, to fight to save their towns in the flood.

Last week there was a new TV program called "Nothing Sacred". Some Catholics immediately responded very critically and negatively to the program. It strikes me that the program is dealing with many serious issues that face the church and society today. Certainly some church practices and teachings were and will be inaccurately presented. Still, we should look at it as a wonderful opportunity to dialogue and speak to the issues brought up in the media which touch millions of people. In my opinion, some of us just don't get it.

Let me give one further example. Last week I read in an article that a particular parish in Latin America was visited by a priest only once a year. This has been going on there for over one hundred years. It certainly is not normal for a church community to be without the Holy Eucharist for so long a period of time. As a church we just don't seem to be able to get to that question.

Many parishes in Central America have mature catechists who are leaders of their communities, who spend years and years studying and preparing for these positions, often at great risk to their own lives. It strikes me that some of these men who have been tested and proven could be ordained to the priesthood, even if they are married. We have to look for solutions that will meet the people of our day. We can be aloof to those questions and think they can only be solved by the answers of a by-gone age.

Let me also give one example where people in this diocese have responded in a very generous way to a great need. We are just coming to the end of our Capital Campaign to raise funds for our priests in retirement. As a diocese and as a people we have a duty in justice to support our retired priests. Once that need was made known and the people of the diocese were given a chance, they very generously responded. At this moment the cash and pledges for the campaign offered by people of the Diocese of New Ulm amount to over $3 million. Everyone was given a chance to participate. What a wonderful example of how we do respond to a need. We do get it!

October 1997