Support your local (Arch)bishop!

Our archdiocese (Dubuque, Iowa) has concluded a yearlong “Journey in Faith” and discernment to address the shortage of priests and decrease in parish attendance.  Already we have had to form clusters for rural churches – supported by a single priest – and now some of those churches will lose their Sunday Mass service.  We all knew this was coming as Archbishop Zinkula has kept us in the loop each step of the way.  There are now, however, parishes that have appealed to the archbishop, and are now appealing to Rome directly.  

The archbishop, our shepherd, has been placed in an undesirable position, not unlike the president of a company who must lay off workers, even the best and brightest, because to do otherwise is unfeasible.  Yet unlike a private business that terminates employment on an hour’s notice, the archdiocese has been preparing us for the past year that change is coming; and the recent reaction of some parishes dismays me.  As an ecclesial historian, independent Catholic author and fellow parishioner, I am compelled to respond.    

First, I am dismayed, not that some have appealed the decisions but that they have taken their story to the public arena.  Yes, I have read the news articles.  It is one thing to appeal to the shepherd, or even to Rome; it is another to broadcast your complaints to the world which cares neither for you nor the Church.

Second, the bishop is the shepherd of the flock.  It is not for the sheep to discern in matters that are the God-given, and Holy Spirit governed role of the bishop.  Like it or not, the flock is not a democratic institution; God holds the bishop responsible for the spiritual well-being and temporal administration of the churches, not the people.

Third, in reading the articles I am grieved that some feel blindsided or betrayed when the archdiocese has gone above and beyond to pave – as smoothly as possible - the way for change.  There were questionnaires and meetings and monthly updates to keep everyone in the loop; and I don’t recall ever being led to believe that my own parish might not be affected.  Yet even if that were the case, are those in my parish more important than those in another because we met some criteria? 

Fourth, American Catholics, like Americans in general, have become spoiled by convenience.  Yes, once there were many priests attached to a single parish and now that is no longer the case.  So, do we adapt, complain, or just sit on our laurels and watch Mass on television?  In one article I read, “Some people may have to travel to another town,” as if that should stop them from attending the most important hour of their week! No one I know complains about driving 30 miles to the local home improvement store where they spend more money and time than they do at the weekly 1-hour service.  Yet move the Sunday Mass to 10 miles from home and it becomes a spiritual injustice.  I also read, “We’ll lose our social time with our parish family.”  Really?  The churches are not closing their doors; parishes are free to meet daily, weekly or monthly for social functions, or better yet, bible studies, if they choose.

Fifth, if anything, these changes will indicate just how important the Holy Eucharist on Sunday is to Catholics. Seriously, there were centuries when Christians met secretly in private homes and in fear of their very lives for worshipping Jesus Christ.  Is it truly a hardship to travel a little further, or carpool, in an air-conditioned and heated vehicle to consume the Body and Blood of Christ?

The pioneers who built our Iowa churches 100+ years ago, the Czech, German, and Irish families, labored for their parish.  They built the churches with their hands; they rode on horseback or in Model T’s maneuvering treacherous roads to spend half the day on Sunday going to and from the house of God, and their families gifted to the Church consecrated men and women.  With the severe shortage of priests and nuns today, I ask “When was the last time someone in your family devoted their life to the service of Jesus Christ and his Church?”  We can’t even get enough volunteers to teach faith formation to our children.

In America today we have over 65 million Catholics and yet we must “import” priests from Africa and Asia.  Imagine if only one-half of 1% of those Catholics entered the Church there would be an additional 325,000 consecrated servants for Christ! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could participate in the Great Commission and send out servants because we have an abundance of laborers?

Pray for our leaders, our pastors, our servants of the Church, and our parishes here and around the globe where we are the only light in an increasingly dark world.