Priests explore ways to meet future needs

Note: This piece was published in the October 8, 2004 edition of the Pittsburgh Catholic

At the opening of the triennial clergy convocation at the Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, W.Va., Sept. 27, Bishop Donald Wuerl addressed the challenges of serving the faithful as the number of priests declines.

The diocesan church, he said, must “re-dimension” the ministerial responsibilities of the priest in response to the circumstances of the present day.

“Re-dimensioning,” he said, will not involve radical change but rethinking the priest’s role in parishes based on church teaching, pastoral experience, the wisdom of the faithful and a deep devotion to the Eucharist.

Priests have always had to juggle expectations from parishioners, society and even themselves, Bishop Wuerl said. The current challenge for priests in Pittsburgh is finding new ways to balance those expectations while respecting the needs of priests during a time of change.

“We need to minister to our people, but we also have to care for one another,” he said. “We love our ministry, and we must recognize how we may best carry out our ministry while respecting our own human needs.”

The diocese has projected that only 240 of priests currently serving in the diocese will be in service in 2009. In 2010, there will be as many diocesan priests as the diocese has parishes.

The condition is unlikely to improve. Though four men were ordained in 2004 and 22 are in various stages of seminary formation, the ratio of priests to parishioners will continue to expand dramatically, increasing the pressure and stress on priests to meet ministerial needs.

As he urged continued prayer for vocations to the priesthood, Bishop Wuerl said the practical matter is meeting the needs of the faithful, which exist regardless of the number of priests. “Fewer priests,” he has emphasized, “does not mean less ministry.”

The diocese’s priests agree. Basic pastoral needs — like Masses and hospital visitations — are at the top of their priorities. The question is how those needs will be met, priests say, and this is where expectations may need to change.

One area of change is in priest assignments. The era of parishes with plenty of priests to go around is over, and priests in Pittsburgh are currently spread thin. In the diocese’s 215 parishes, 152 priests are solo pastors, with six priests assigned as administrators of multiple parishes. Of the remaining parishes, 47 have a pastor and parochial vicar, and only nine have a pastor and two parochial vicars.

Having fewer priests in parishes requires new expectations for priests and parishioners. Priests are incredibly busy, and parishioners have to recognize this fact. But priests also need to be free to move to where the need is greatest.

This past summer, the Priest Council recommended to Bishop Wuerl that no policy be enforced regarding how long a priest needs to be ordained as a requirement for becoming a pastor. Current policy states that a priest should be ordained at least eight years before receiving a pastorate. Changing that policy will give Bishop Wuerl more flexibility in determining when a priest is ready to become a pastor.

In a pastoral message in August, Bishop Wuerl said these changes mean priests may have to change assignments frequently, sometimes with little notice.

A larger area of change lies in meeting pastoral needs. In his address to the Sept. 27-30 clergy convocation, Bishop Wuerl said priests will need to transition from a purely pastoral into a more supervisory capacity.

Instead of handling ministry needs directly, he said, priests in the future could delegate pastoral responsibilities to an expanded pool of people. Laity, through the Institute for Ministries and other diocesan offices, could be equipped to take on more of the organizational and pastoral functions of parish life, as they have already done in catechetical, educational and youth ministries.

In the future, he said, parishes could also work together more, finding ways to share resources, hire personnel or coordinate Mass and confession schedules to ease the burden on priests.

Another source of help will be the permanent diaconate. Once the Vatican promulgates the new norms on the permanent diaconate, Bishop Wuerl said, the diocese will begin to call another class of deacons to share pastoral responsibilities with priests.

In his pastoral letter, “Envisioning Ministry for the Future,” published Sept. 17 in the Pittsburgh Catholic, Bishop Wuerl announced that through early 2005 parishes and deaneries throughout the diocese will be asked to recommend ways to meet pastoral needs with fewer priests.

Parishes and parish clusters will most likely use a combination of approaches depending on their unique ministry needs. They will need time to decide the direction they will take.

In addition, forming and training lay leadership takes time, and the ordination of a new class of deacons is still years away.

The diocesan-wide consultation will emphasize finding ways for priests, religious and laity to work together.

Though Bishop Wuerl emphasized the purpose and value of the priesthood in teaching and leading the church and in celebrating the sacraments, he also has been clear that religious women and men and laity will also have vital roles to play and vocations to discern.

Following the consultation, Bishop Wuerl intends to publish a pastoral letter providing direction for the future. In the meantime, the diocese will continue to communicate with the faithful through bulletin announcements and regular articles in the Pittsburgh Catholic.

Though the bishop does not dismiss the diocese’s challenges, his message is one of hope.

“This is our moment. In every age in the life of the church it has fallen to the faithful and clergy of that specific time to respond to the issues and circumstances of the hour,” he wrote in his September pastoral letter.

“Out of this will come, with God’s grace, a fruitful development that will only enrich this diocesan church and those whom we serve now and in the future.”