Here’s a rumor that’s so crazy it just might be true. Actually, I don’t put much stock in it, but the fact that this could be taken seriously by a lot of people shows how shell-shocked most Catholics are.
The rumor is that the bishop of an East Coast diocese is putting a 20-year plan into place that will replace the pastors of the parishes with lay directors and those directors will report to a pastor who will oversee 4 or 5 parishes. Supposedly the plan requires that the lay directors be women, although no one seems to know why, although you could probably guess.
Is this likely? No. I doubt it would even stand up under canon law. Also, think about it: a 20-year plan. How many bishops seriously believe they’re going to be around in the same diocese in 20 years? A new bishop would come in and undo it in a day.
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati, my old home, has a long-range plan for clustering some parishes, and closing others. This at a time when ordinations are (finally!) on the upswing.
Some are becoming accustomed to “doom and gloom,” and don’t realize a good thing when they’ve got it. If the trend continues, the “good guys” will get the last laugh soon enough.
The idea of putting a Deacon in charge of a Parish, and have a Priest serve multiple parishes need to be done more – after we end the careers of Priests who are spending time as business managers, and get them back to being Priests. The financial hierarchy doesn’t need to be clerics.
Dear Deacons:
How come 4 years to enter the diaconate now? I heard about 20 years ago it was only 2 years. Seems if you are not allowed to do much, it shouldn’t take so long.
Rumor has it the first deacons (Stephen, etc…) were ordained in about twenty seconds..
And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. 4. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5. And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them. 7. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. 8. And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. ACT 5:2-7.
That’s the way we want our deacons… FULL OF GRACE AND POWER!
NOTE: Maybe that’s what everyone is afraid of!
Of course this is already happening in a West Coast diocese – L.A. Shrink your vocations to pretty much only foreign-born priests and turn over many parishes to non-clergy and even though you don’t have a 20 year plan on paper; you have one in reality.
“The article that I read said that they would require masters degrees from the lay directors.”
How many Master Degrees did the apostles have?
I will never attend a Catholic Church with no priest, even if I have to drive 100 miles. No point. Non-priests cannot say mass!
Maybe it’s my Boston outlook, but Pittsburgh and Milwaukee don’t qualify as East Coast.
This is too funny: a Google ad at the bottom of these comments which reads “become a legally ordained minister FREE!!” Google is good.
More to the point, I have worked with a number of fine deacons and we shared the ministry as much as possible. I was reminded by a deacon with whom I served not to forget, when praying for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life, to also pray for an increase of vocations to the diaconate…a fine suggestion which I have never forgotten.