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New position a natural fit for pastoral associate
archived from: 2007-05-25
by: Chuck Moody

Holy Family of Nazareth Sister Dorothy Pawlus, who was selected as the first parish life collaborator in the diocese, said she decided to apply for the position after attending a meeting outlining the duties and importance of the newly created position.

Sister Dorothy has been serving as pastoral associate and social service minister at St. Bartholomew Parish in Penn Hills under Father David Bonnar, pastor.

“After attending an informational session that was held by (Franciscan) Sister Pat Rogan (delegate for religious and director of the diocesan Institute for Ministries, who is overseeing the parish life collaborator program) in which she explained the parameters of the position and going through my own discernment process with my spiritual director, the pastor at the parish where I minister at the present time, my religious community and God, I felt a strong sense of interest and peace about pursuing the application process trusting in where it may lead,” Sister Dorothy said.

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.

“I believe that through our baptism, each of us is called to ministry in our church,” Sister Dorothy said. “Some are called to leadership. I am convinced that those who are called to lead have an obligation to do just that. I think that the declining numbers of priestly vocations has allowed us as non-ordained in the church to see how important it is to be faithful to our baptismal call.”

The fact that Sister Dorothy already has been serving as a pastoral associate seems like a “natural fit” and progression into the parish life collaborator position.

“Speaking personally, yes,” she said. “My background is both administrative and pastoral, so the fit seems very real. (However,) I am not sure it is for all pastoral associates.”

The positions of pastoral associate and parish life collaborator are similar but also different, Sister Dorothy said.

“A pastoral associate does whatever is necessary to assist the pastor in addressing the pastoral needs of those entrusted to their care, such as visiting hospitals and nursing homes, arranging funerals and/or praying at funeral home and cemetery, teaching RCIA classes, baptism classes, reconciliation services, working with cluster, bereavement ministry, social ministry, etc.,” she said. “A PLC will do pretty much the same thing, except they will be in charge of overseeing the day-to-day pastoral care and administration of the parish, something previously designated to the pastor.

“I believe the sense of responsibility will be the major shift in roles. No longer will I be able to say, ‘I will ask Father.’”

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