Many opinions, all heard
Catholics ‘Speak Up’ to express views about priest shortage, liturgical standards in diocese
By Erick Rommel
Head Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP — As part of the synod’s ongoing consultation phase, Catholics gathered in St. Charles Borromeo Parish May 10 to offer ideas about Personnel in Ministry and Worship and Spirituality. Eight people participated in a session discussing Personnel in Ministry.
The event was the second of 12 scheduled Phase II Speak Up Sessions that are
specifically focused on generating ideas. Last week, more than 50 people traveled to Basking Ridge to discuss Education and Parish Life. Sessions addressing those four topics as well as Social Justice and Unity will continue throughout the diocese until mid-June.
“Offer your best wisdom for what you think the Church of Metuchen should be doing,” said facilitator Peg Garvey-Mitchell, encouraging those gathered to focus on generating ideas. “Don’t be worried about the cost. Don’t say, ‘The bishop won’t go for it,’ It’s not your job to worry about implementation.”
The eight people discussing Worship and Spirituality were asked to consider four questions posed by Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski. Jim Collery of St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral Parish, Metuchen, who served as a moderator described participants as “pretty intense” and well prepared for the discussion. “They were all committed Catholics,” he said. “You could tell that they are very involved in their parishes.”
As co-chairperson of the St. Charles Borromeo Parish women’s club. She came to assist with hospitality and chose to participate as well. “I thought it would be the right thing to do,” she said. “I thought maybe I could offer my perspective.”
Risley was especially interested in responding to the question about how to put faith into people’s hands. “It’s for the health of the church,” she said. “People do not have faith, do not have their questions answered, don’t even know they have questions. There won’t be people growing up to be active members of the church.”
She was impressed by her group’s exchange of ideas. “My reaction has been positive,” she said. “It has been very good hearing other thoughts and ideas.”
Ted Ellis, a member of Immaculate Conception Parish, Somerville, agreed. “Having people from different parishes talking gives you ideas about what other parishes are doing,”he said. “This means we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”
Ellis signed up for the Worship and Spirituality session because of his concerns about the lack of respect when people are in church. “If you’re a Catholic and you believe God is present in church, it’s important that we remember where we are and that requires reverence,” he said.
Ellis also attended the Education Speak Up Session May 3 in Basking Ridge. “I’m a delegate to the synod, and I want to know how things are shaping up,” he explained. “I’m planning to attend sessions for all six topics so I have a little background before going into the heavy stuff.”
Despite the different topics, Ellis saw a theme in the sessions. “Even tonight we’re talking about education,” he said. “People have to learn about the sacraments. We need to explain what every action is. We have to be more than just there in attendance. We have to be informed.”
Consistent visions
Deacon Sam Constantino, a member of Holy Spirit Parish, Perth Amboy, served as moderator for the Personnel in Ministry session, attended by 10 participants.
He said that those he spoke with shared similar goals. “The ideas were surprisingly consistent,” he said. “This indicates to me that the issues are big enough, that they are recognizable, and that people would like to actively contribute solutions to address those issues.”
Irene Gyori, a member of St. Joseph Parish, Bound Brook, participated in the Personal in Ministry session. “I came to help solve some problems priests in the diocese are having,” she explained. “We need to be more imaginative in involving the laity. Priests are overextended. They can’t focus on spiritual formation and pastoral duties because they don’t have time.”
Reaching consensus
Even as the sessions came to an end, participants continued discussing the topics that had brought them together. “From this seat it doesn’t appear that anyone is at a loss of words,” Garvey-Mitchell said.
She then asked that someone from each table report an idea that had reached consensus.
Maura Gonzalez, a member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, who participated in a Worship and Spirituality discussion spoke first. “We would like to see some uniformity in the liturgy from parish to parish,” she said. Another group agreed that a program initially developed for the Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan, to help priests improve their homilies through peer review, video taping and small group analysis should be considered.
“It is very important that we have more connection between the diocese and the deaneries,” Antoinette Brooke, a member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, said on behalf of her Personnel in Ministry group. “We were appalled that we didn’t know who our dean was.”
On behalf of his Personnel In Ministry group, Peter Ciccotelli, St. Joseph Parish, Hillsborough, suggested, “The diocese should evaluate the use of religious sisters that may be displaced by closing schools to have them become administrators.”
At the end of the evening’s sessions, Garvey-Mitchell reminded those attending that their ideas will be forwarded to the topical commissions that will use the ideas to prepare proposals for Bishop Bootkoski to review. The bishop will decide which proposals should be discussed by the synod. Synod decrees of approved proposals will be promulgated by Bishop Bootkoski in January.
“They will be very interested to see what Bishop Bootkoski comes out with in January,” said Collery. “It may not come out exactly as it was today, but if they see some effect from what they brought to the table, that would be satisfying.”
For a Phase II Speak Up Session schedule visit the Synod website. For more information, call (732) 562-2454. Pre-registration is encouraged.
*The attached/referenced article was originally published in The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, and is protected under U.S. and international copyright law