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Equipping the Saints - A Pastoral Letter
EAST SIDE PCA
PROPOSED PASTORAL PLAN
NOVEMBER 2006
Prepared by and behalf of the Parishioners of:.
St. Patrick’s, Chittenango
St. James, Cazenovia
Immaculate Conception, Fayetteville
St. Ann’s, ManliusEast Side PCA Mission Statement
Guided by the Spirit, we, the faith communities of Immaculate Conception, St. Ann’s, St. James, and St. Patrick’s, cooperatively seek to foster healthy communication and ensure vibrant sacramental life, within and among the individual parishes. We, as an advisory body, commit ourselves to best serve the needs of our people – spiritually, pastorally, and administratively.
BACKGROUND
In June 2006, the Syracuse Diocese sent a letter to pastors in the diocese mandating that each Pastoral Care Area (PCA) committee develop a plan to reconfigure itself to function with 50% fewer priests as early as July 2007. This sacramental plan was developed by the members of the East Side PCA, comprised of the faith communities of St. Ann’s, St. Patrick’s, St. James and Immaculate Conception.
Planning for future pastoral responsibilities in the East Side PCA began in 2003, and in February 2004, the PCA developed a plan for altered sacramental scheduling in our PCA for short periods of time—for one less priest within the PCA over a weekend, for a 1-3 month period, and for up to 1 year. This initial plan (“Original Plan”) was developed by the PCA at a joint planning session and retreat, and was approved by all members.
Additional planning to support sacramental responsibilities began in September 2006, with the mandate that the PCA develop a plan for 50% fewer priests within the PCA as early as July 2007. This new plan covers sacramental responsibilities in the PCA for longer periods of time (permanent losses), and provides a sacramental schedule for two situations—one where the current PCA, with four priests, operates with three priests; and another where the current PCA operates with two priests.
Planning Assumptions
At our September 2006 meeting, the East Side PCA developed the following operating assumptions for our plans:
- As we invite people to join us by sharing their faith, talents, and energy, they must know that, as co-heirs to God’s kingdom, their ideas and efforts will be heard, recognized and valued.
- Recognizing the issues that brought the Diocese to this point, we believe that this plan will allow each of the parishes in this PCA to remain open; each is a vibrant and growing faith community. While acknowledging membership in the larger Roman Catholic Church, and on a smaller scale, the Syracuse Diocese, most people view their community of faith as comprised of the congregation of the parish where they live or attend mass. Building on that faith, we believe that they will be more likely to answer the call for help if they can do so in their own parish community. For that reason, it appears essential that individual parishes maintain a sense of individuality, identity, and relative autonomy while operating within a larger multi-parish framework.
- The churches of the Syracuse Diocese need to be organized differently from the structures of the past. It is up to the laity, in conjunction with the priesthood, to fill the void left by the vocation shortage, and to assume leadership roles as the community of faith moves into the future.
- We assume that Parish Life Directors will be hired as needed by the local faith community/parish, rather than by the PCA or the diocese. Control of the hiring decision will be local, and shall include the pastors of the PCA on the screening committee.
- We assume that the cost of hiring any Parish Life Directors will be borne jointly among the four parishes of our PCA.
- We assume that when we hire a Parish Life Director, we will have to offer a competitive salary and benefits package.
- As “the Eucharist is at the heart of our tradition, essential to our identity as Roman Catholics” (Equipping the Saints 2001 p.4), we affirm the primacy of the Eucharist among our choices for sacramental celebrations on the weekend. “Appropriate stress will be placed on the centrality of the full celebration of the Sunday Eucharist.”(Equipping the Saints 2001 p.8). While the celebration of the Eucharist is primary, we assume that the PCA may offer a Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest (hereinafter referred to as “SCAP”) as a last alternative for weekend services.
- It is hoped that parishioners will choose to attend a celebration of the Sunday Eucharist at a parish where it is being offered. However, a SCAP will be included in these plans for those parishioners who, for reasons including, but not limited to, inclement weather, age, infirmity, space limitations, or other personal reasons, are unable to travel to a neighboring parish offering a mass.
- In light of the above, every effort will be made by the East Side PCA and future parish administrators to ensure that an adequate pool of ministers exists within the PCA parishes, fully empowered to preside at the SCAP. This will require efforts to acknowledge that the pool of ministers needs to be expanded beyond the male, celibate priesthood, since “the Church clearly allows and encourages deacons and some non-ordained ministers to be presiders in its sacramental life.”(Equipping the Saints 2001 p. 5) We assume these presiders will include deacons, and those sisters and other members of the faithful in celebrations that are authorized in a “Directory” issued from the Vatican by the Congregation for Divine Worship in June 1988 (Equipping the Saints 2001 p. 5).
We are unified in our commitment to each other as members of the East Side PCA and to our individual faith communities. We are committed to easing the transition in our member parishes as we move into the future with fewer priests.
Sacramental Schedule Assumptions
A number of governing assumptions guide the East Side PCA sacramental plan:
- First, travel time is an important consideration in the plan, particularly during the winter months. It was assumed that 45 minutes was required between liturgies in the PCA.
- Second, we assumed that liturgy times at each of the different parishes in the PCA would need to change in order to accommodate travel schedules.
- We assumed that all parishes’ liturgy schedules would change in this plan—i.e., no parish would retain its current Mass schedule. This assumption was consistent with an operating assumption the PCA adopted early in its planning, that we would bear the change together, and would work together to reduce the burden among us.
- The plan assumes that SCAP are provided at least once a weekend in each parish in the PCA.
- Two plans were developed—one plan required considerably more travel for the priests (outside of their home parish); one plan required considerably less travel. Both plans are presented in this document.
Several additional assumptions govern the Sacramental Plan for two priests in the East Side PCA:
- Saturday liturgies would be two Eucharistic services and two Sunday Celebrations in the absence of a Priest.
- Sunday liturgies would have at least one Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest, and sometimes two.
- The two priests in the PCA would ‘twin’ with one another to cover the Masses—for instance, Priest A might cover St. Pat’s, and Priest B might cover St. James.
PROPOSED RESCHEDULE
Original Plan : (2003 Emergency Plan for the Temporary Loss of One Priest)
Three Priests: St. Ann’s; Immaculate Conception; St. James
(Parentheses indicate new Mass times)
St. Ann ’s .........St. James .............St. Patrick’s ......Immaculate Conception
This original plan was devised in 2003 as a temporary solution to the short-term absence of one priest. Our thinking has evolved since that time, and for that reason, the following two plans are now proposed by the East Side PCA.
Plan #1 Three Priests – Three Week Rotation
Assuming Priests at IC, St. Ann’s and St. James
Week 1
St. Ann ’s .........St. James .............St. Patrick’s ......Immaculate Conception
Week 2
St. Ann ’s .........St. James .............St. Patrick’s ......Immaculate Conception
* SCAP denotes a Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest
Week 3
St. Ann ’s .........St. James .............St. Patrick’s ......Immaculate Conception
Plan #2 Two Priests – Two Week Rotation
Assuming Priests at St. Ann’s (Priest B) & IC (Priest A)
Week 1
St. Ann ’s .........St. James .............St. Patrick’s ......Immaculate Conception
Week 2
St. Ann ’s .........St. James .............St. Patrick’s ......Immaculate Conception
*SCAP denotes a Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest
We assume in the two-priest scenario that the two priests in the PCA will be assigned to IC & St. Ann’s. Above, Priest A (A) denotes the priest assigned to IC; Priest B (B) denotes the priest assigned to St. Ann’s.
QUESTIONS POSED BY FR. LANG
The East Side PCA, having reviewed the nine specific questions posed by Fr. James Lang in his June 2006 letter to our Pastors, believes that the issues raised therein are addressed summarily in the PCA plan as submitted. An open feeling of trust and cooperation exists in our PCA. We do not fear the future; we trust the Holy Spirit to guide us.
ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN
Whereas the four parishes in the East Side PCA have four distinct, vibrant, and productive faith-filled communities, we have committed ourselves to providing pastoral services “on-site” in the future. While having a shared Catholic faith perspective, we believe we are four separate viable entities (suburban, village, rural) who will serve their different types of communities best by providing all we can in and through our local parish staff and parishioner ministries.
The four parishes have agreed that whatever number of priests we will have in the future, we will share the priests as they can reasonably fulfill the sacramental needs of all parishioners.
To this end, we propose that each parish put in place a “Parish Life Director” (hereinafter referred to as “PLD”) who would be the onsite point person and liaison with the priests who will provide the sacramental ministry. This person would be answerable to the official pastor(s) of that particular parish.
The primary function of a PLD will be to provide leadership in coordinating the sacramental and other needs of the parish. The PLD performs many of the day-to-day parish administrative activities and relies on the Priest Sacramental Minister (canonically appointed) and other ordained clergy to implement the sacramental ministry reserved to the clergy.
What absolutely has to be done by a priest?
- Mass, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick
- Confessions biweekly or monthly (depending on time of Vigil.)
- Group anointing periodically at each parish
Who can do the rest?
- Deacons can: baptize, preside at funerals, and preach.
- Trained Laity can do everything else, including: share a “scriptural reflection” (preach), preside at funerals when no priest or deacon is available, all sacramental preparation, all pastoral ministry.
More on “Trained Laity”
- All parishes have parishioners who are very active in different ministries, many of whom have gone through Formation for Ministry.
Parish Life Director
- This person needs to be educated in theology, pastoral ministry, business management, and in volunteer management. This person would be ultimately responsible for everything in the parish except for providing the above-mentioned sacraments.
We will continue to grow in these changing times, responding to shifting challenges as we evolve.
COMMUNICATION PLAN
The overriding theme of the East Side PCA Communication Plan is transparency. It is our intention to keep open the lines of communication with the members of our faith communities who will be affected by the changes that will eventually be implemented. In addition to what has already been done (and which will continue), pulpit talks, bulletin inserts, home mailings, and open access to PCA members, the East Side PCA will hold “town hall meetings” at the parish level to invite parishioners to openly share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns with respect to our future.
The East Side PCA has integrated the use of available technology by setting up a PCA website to post important documents, dates, and notices, disseminate and receive information, and foster a general sense of cooperation and unity among the PCA parishes. The PCA website (www.eastsidepca.org) can further be used as a centralized data base/resource center for interacting with each member parish, the Diocese, as well as other PCA’s and parishes.
The short term plan has already begun. The next phase of our process is to expand the PCA planning to include more of the church – the people in the pews.
In early November, we did “pulpit announcements” at the end of every mass in every parish talking about the planning process we are currently undergoing. As we move forward, regular updates shall be included in Parish Bulletins informing parishioners every step of the way. Listening sessions will be held in each parish to review the plan submitted for feedback and prayerful suggestions.
We are in the process of reviewing how to more actively involve the parish staffs, ministers (in addition to the already active DRE’s), Parish Councils, and finance committees in becoming a more locally centered, commonly administered, family of Churches in the Eastside PCA.
RESERVATION OF RIGHTS
The East Side PCA hereby reserves the right to supplement, amend, revise, modify, or otherwise change the aforementioned plan pending a full review of the plan by the members of the faith communities to be affected by its implementation.
CONCLUSION
Our planning process has begun. We look forward to creating our future together, prayerfully.
Respectfully submitted,
________________________
** The East Side PCA **
November 24, 2006
