Laboramus et Oremus

It’s not often that I praise Boston’s Catholic Archbishop, Sean O’Malley. Lord knows, Sean and I often see things very differently. However, I would like to commend him for the release of ''Disciples in Mission,’’ the new reorganization plan he recently unveiled for the Archdiocese. It’s an impressive attempt to maximize resources and bring new thinking into church leadership at the parish level. 

Under the plan, the archdiocese's 290 parishes would be paired into approximately 125 groups, most consisting of two or three parishes, which would be served by a Pastoral Service Team, or PST, consisting of priests, deacons, lay ecclesial ministers, finance councils and parish councils that serve multiple parishes.

All parishes grouped under a PST would share the same pastor. These teams will service small groups of parishes in local clusters. One pastor will lead the team in scheduling Mass coverage, condensing assets and missions, and managing the individual assets of each parish.

“As opposed to a plan for merging parishes and closing church buildings, this plan adopts an approach that strengthens and enlivens our current parishes," the document says. "By creating these teams, improved pastoral services can be provided to parishes without altering the parishes themselves.”

This is a much better idea than the previous policy of ham-fistedly closing parishes and destroying whatever sense of community that existed in that parish. I especially like the idea of expanding the role of the laity as “ecclesial ministers” though I do not know just what that means to the people at the chancery. I also hope that the parish Pastoral Councils and Finance Councils will finally be given some teeth.

The concept of “regionalization” is a concept that has worked at the municipal level and should work at the parish level. Hopefully, this will also result in greater transparency which has been woefully lacking in the Catholic Church.

I (have) high hopes that this ambitious plan will rejuvenate the Archdiocese where the average weekly attendance is now down to a disgraceful 16 per cent and where the degree of involvement, even among those “sixteen per centers,” is often less than apathetic.  

Will the plan be fruitful? We can work (laboramus) and we can pray (oremus).