Pittsburgh Catholic Newspaper - News and Features

News & Features

Parish life collaborators to aid future church life
archived from: 2007-05-14
by: Chuck Moody

The Diocese of Pittsburgh plans to initiate a pilot program for parish life collaborators in July, said Franciscan Sister Pat Rogan, delegate for religious and director of the diocesan Institute for Ministries, who is overseeing the parish life collaborator program.

“Our local church has been experiencing a steady decline in the number of active priests available for parish ministry,” Sister Pat said. “The ministry of the parish life collaborator enables the diocesan bishop to provide pastoral care for all the faithful.”

The diocese last year established the position of parish life collaborator as part of its Envisioning Ministry for the Future program. The program resulted from a pastoral letter of the same name written in September 2004 by then-Bishop Donald Wuerl. The first goal of the program is to make the average parishioner aware of the impact the declining number of priests is having on pastoral ministry.

A parish life collaborator is a deacon or professional minister appointed by the diocesan bishop to share in the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish, Sister Pat said. In collaboration with a priest director appointed by the bishop, the parish life collaborator, in assisting the priest director and the faithful, ensures that effective and qualified ministry is occurring in the parish, she said.

The diocese last June held three listening sessions at St. Paul Seminary in Crafton about the role of parish life collaborators, and a total of about 100 people attended the sessions. The intended audience for the sessions were deacons, religious and lay ministers who already were involved in leadership positions in parishes.

There presently are seven approved applicants in the “pool” for parish life collaborators, she said.

“Two of them are deacons, two lay women, one lay man and two religious sisters,” Sister Pat said. “There are presently an additional 10 in the process of completing the application packet for a parish life collaborator.

“The diocese plans on initiating a pilot program for parish life collaborators in July 2007. Two parishes will have a parish life collaborator designated by the bishop to serve the overall needs of the parish. A priest director and a sacramental minister will also be appointed to these parishes.”

It is estimated that there are about 700 parish life collaborators working in parishes in the United States. There are 616 parishes entrusted to parish life collaborators in 115 dioceses, and the largest number of parishes entrusted to parish life collaborators is in the Midwest.

The parish life collaborator is a fully initiated, practicing Catholic committed to Gospel values. The person is free of all canonical and legal impediments and enjoys a high moral reputation.

The position is governed by the church’s Canon 517-2, which states: “If because of a shortage of priests, the diocesan bishop has judged that a deacon, or some other person who is not a priest, or a community of persons, should be entrusted with a share in the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish, he is to appoint some priest, who, with the powers and facilities of a parish priest, will direct the pastoral care.”

A priest director directs the pastoral care of the parish without a pastor, supervises pastoral care, possesses the authority and the faculties of a pastor but does not carry the title of pastor, remains informed of the needs of the parishioners, and respects and trusts the parish life collaborator.

The collaborator is expected to ensure the provision of the overall day-to-day pastoral care and administration of a parish. The priest director provides sacramental ministry reserved only to a priest.

All responsibilities and tasks of the parish life collaborator will be done in accordance with diocesan policies.

The collaborator also will work in close cooperation with diocesan offices, diocesan personnel and other members of the parish staff. The areas of responsibility include: worship, education, pastoral services and administration.

The qualities of a parish life collaborator include: the ability to handle all parish leadership responsibilities; work collaboratively with the priest director, parish staff, finance council and parish pastoral council; be the liaison between the parish and diocesan offices; and fulfill all provisions of the bishop’s delegation of pastoral responsibility in the parish.

Personal competencies and skills of the parish life collaborator include: fidelity to the faith and tradition of the universal church; the intention to adhere in future work to the faith, tradition and discipline of the universal church and the local diocesan church; pursue continuing education; good physical and psychological health; and prayerful spirit, maturity, leadership, flexibility, initiative, adaptability and strong interpersonal skills.

A parish life collaborator must have a master of divinity degree, a master of arts degree in theology or an equivalent degree. The person also must have five years of church pastoral experience, demonstrated leadership skills, administrative ability, community service commitment and facility in interpersonal relationships.

Since this is the initial appointment of a parish life collaborator in the diocese, there will be many questions and concerns, Sister Pat said.

“Diocesan personnel will be present at the specific parishes that have a parish life collaborator assigned to address questions and concerns,” she said. “We are grateful to the men and women who have applied for this ministry and are willing to provide pastoral care for one of our parishes.

“I am assured that the Holy Spirit has guided this process and will continue to guide the PLC as the person assumes a new responsibility in the church.”

E-mail this story