And miles to go

by Bishop John C. Nienstedt

I have now completed listening sessions in each of the six regions of the Diocese. The purpose of these meetings was to hear the response on our latest draft, Hope for Years to Come, in which I and the Committee on Parishes outlined a new approach for using present available resources in responding to the spiritual and temporal needs of our parishes. Pastoral leaders brought with them the comments of their Parish Councils, Finance Councils and, where appropriate, their staffs along with their own thoughts and reflections. I was very impressed with the seriousness and depth of the concerns and suggestions expressed.

Because so much of our future plan revolves around the question of available priests, I wasn’t surprised that some comments suggested finding other sources for priesthood candidates such as women, married men and foreign-born missionaries. The problem is that due to serious theological concerns the ordination of women is not possible. The ordination of married men, while perhaps possible, is not our decision to make. I have included articles on these two points elsewhere in today’s Prairie Catholic and I ask you to study them prayerfully for the truth that they offer. Again, the recruitment of foreign-born missionaries is an option and we are grateful for those foreign-born priests who are with us, but I believe they would agree that there are stressful difficulties for them in adapting to the American culture.

So the question now revolves around what do we do with the resources that we do have? Some of the questions raised about Area Parishes or an Area Parish concerned the Area Parish Council: who is represented, what authority do they carry, do larger parishes get more votes? There is the perennial question of finances: How are assessments determined? How will Finance Councils relate to Area Parish Councils? Where do parish envelopes go if there is no Sunday Mass at my home parish?

There were also questions about the rationale behind determining criteria for a "Mission" or an "Oratory": What are the criteria for each? What determines the number of families/ parishioners? Why maintain a church where there is no Sunday Mass celebrated?

It was pointed out that there is some ambiguity in the draft concerning whether Sunday Mass would or would not be celebrated in a "mission" parish. I believe that needs to be clarified. Specifically, I think that the difference between a "mission" and an "oratory" ought to be this point of Sunday liturgy: a "mission" should normally have a scheduled liturgy, an oratory would not. Further, the oratory would be financially maintained by a Finance Council and be administrated by the closest, assigned Area Parish(es). It would be available for funerals, weddings and annual feasts. All programs of Religious Education, Christian Service and Worship would take place at the Area Parish(es). The people of the oratory could decide at some point that the oratory was no longer feasible to maintain and recommend to me that the building be closed.

After hearing these comments from the regions and in order to proceed more realistically with the present Draft, I believe that it is appropriate in light of revised criteria to designate some of our parishes as "proposed future oratories." This designation would not go into effect immediately, but would be projected some time between now and the year 2007. The Diocese will work with those faith communities to ensure a gradual and successful transition. All designations will be announced in April, after which another series of regional meetings will occur.

Another important point raised in the regional discussions was that of evangelization. Many of our Catholic people are not coming to Sunday Mass. Some have been alienated from the Church, but many have just drifted away. As part of our future planning, we need to include provision for going out and inviting these brothers and sisters back into a regular practice of their faith.

No one wants to see the activity of a parish faith community decrease. However, there is a point of "critical mass" after which the quality of parish activity (i.e. Religious Education, Christian Service and Worship) is no longer present simply because of the decrease in numbers. By combining resources, everyone wins. It is the "Catholic" way to go. As the Gospel of St. John tells us, Jesus came to bring us the fullness of life - that’s what this Plan is all about, that’s what this local Church is striving to ensure.

God bless you!

March, 2003

Falta Mucho por Recorrer

Por el obispo John C. Nienstedt

Ahora he terminado de escuchar las sesiones de consulta en cada uno de las seis regiones de la diócesis. El propósito de estas sesiones fue para escuchar respuestas de la reciente copia preliminar, Hope for Years to Come (Esperanza para los Años Venideros), en la cual en conjunto con el Comité para Parroquias se ha desarrollado una nueva estrategia para usar recursos disponibles para responder a las necesidades temporales y espirituales de nuestras parroquias. Lideres Pastorales compartieron sus ideas y reflexiones, también trajeron comentarios de su Consejo Pastoral de las Parroquias, Consejo de Finanzas, y Equipo Pastoral de las Parroquias. Estuve muy impresionado por la seriedad de su preocupación y las sugerencias expresadas.

Ya que los planes venideros se basan mucho en la disponibilidad de sacerdotes, no me sorprendí que algunos comentarios sugieren buscar candidatos al sacerdocio en otras fuentes como por ejemplo: mujeres, hombres casados y misioneros extranjeros. El problema es que debido a las serias preocupaciones teológicas, la ordenación de mujeres no es posible. La ordenación de hombres casados, aunque podría ser posible, no esta en nuestras manos para tomar esa decisión. Anteriormente, he incluido artículos acerca de estos dos puntos en el Prairie Catholic, les pido que estudien esos artículos con espíritu abierto por la verdad que estos ofrecen. Una vez más, el reclutamiento de misioneros extranjeros es una opción y estamos agradecidos por aquellos sacerdotes extranjeros que hoy se encuentran con nosotros, pero yo creo, y ellos estarían de acuerdo conmigo, que es dificil y estresante adaptarse a la cultura americana.

La evangelización fue otro punto importante que se tomó en cuenta en los debates regionales. Muchos católicos no vienen a la misa dominical. Muchos se han alejado de la Iglesia. Como parte de nuestros planes venideros, necesitamos incluir formas para invitar a esos hermanos y hermanas a que se reincorporen y vuelvan a practicar su fe regularmente.

Nadie quisiera ver que la actividad parroquial religiosa disminuya. Sin embargo, hay un punto critico despues de que la calidad de la actividad parroquial (ejemplo: educación religiosa, servicio cristiano y liturgia) ya no exista, simplemente por la declinación del número de feligreses. Al combinar recursos, todos salen ganando. Es la forma que los "católicos" deben proseguir. Como el evangelio de San Juan nos dice, Jesús vino a traernos la plenitud de la vida — Eso es lo que este plan intenta hacer, eso es lo que esta Iglesia local esta intentando alcanzar.

¡Que Dios los bendiga!

March, 2003