Lay Leadership and Ministry
The U.S. Catholic Bishops explained lay leadership and ministry very eloquently in 2005, when they wrote the following: Today in parishes, schools, Church institutions, and diocesan agencies, laity serve in various “ministries, offices and roles” that do not require sacramental ordination but rather “find their foundation in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, indeed, for a good many of them, in the Sacrament of Matrimony.”8 What Pope Paul VI said of the laity thirty years ago—and what the Catechism of the Catholic Church specifically repeats—has now become an important, welcomed reality throughout our dioceses: “The laity can also feel called, or in fact be called, to cooperate with their pastors in the service of the ecclesial community, for the sake of its growth and life. This can be done through the exercise of different kinds of ministries according to the grace and charisms which the Lord has been pleased to bestow on them.”9 In parishes especially, but also in other Church institutions and communities, lay women and men generously and extensively “cooperate with their pastors in the service of the ecclesial community.” This is a sign of the Holy Spirit’s movement in the lives of our sisters and brothers. We are very grateful for all who undertake various roles in Church ministry. Many do so on a limited and voluntary basis: for example, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, readers, cantors and choir members, catechists, pastoral council members, visitors to the sick and needy, and those who serve in programs such as sacramental preparation, youth ministry, including ministry with people with disabilities, and charity and justice. From Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord, U.S. Catholic Bishops, December 2005.
The U.S. Catholic Bishops explained lay leadership and ministry very eloquently in 2005, when they wrote the following: Today in parishes, schools, Church institutions, and diocesan agencies, laity serve in various “ministries, offices and roles” that do not require sacramental ordination but rather “find their foundation in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, indeed, for a good many of them, in the Sacrament of Matrimony.”8 What Pope Paul VI said of the laity thirty years ago—and what the Catechism of the Catholic Church specifically repeats—has now become an important, welcomed reality throughout our dioceses: “The laity can also feel called, or in fact be called, to cooperate with their pastors in the service of the ecclesial community, for the sake of its growth and life. This can be done through the exercise of different kinds of ministries according to the grace and charisms which the Lord has been pleased to bestow on them.”9 In parishes especially, but also in other Church institutions and communities, lay women and men generously and extensively “cooperate with their pastors in the service of the ecclesial community.” This is a sign of the Holy Spirit’s movement in the lives of our sisters and brothers. We are very grateful for all who undertake various roles in Church ministry. Many do so on a limited and voluntary basis: for example, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, readers, cantors and choir members, catechists, pastoral council members, visitors to the sick and needy, and those who serve in programs such as sacramental preparation, youth ministry, including ministry with people with disabilities, and charity and justice. From Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord, U.S. Catholic Bishops, December 2005.