The following comes from a January 20 Angelus article by Clara Fox:
During a January 17 Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, seven pastoral associates were formally commissioned to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, to serve side by side with parish pastors in leading RCIA classes, Scripture studies and other faith formation programs.
Archbishop José H. Gomez thanked the pastoral associates for their “generous response to the spirit” and presented each one with a certificate to mark the milestone moment.
The commissioned men and women have spent years in preparation for this responsibility. Each pastoral associate is required to hold a Master’s degree in theology or religious studies, and to work towards the position through prayer, formation and training.
Katherine Enright, director of the archdiocesan Office of Parish Life, said the program began after the Church recognized there was a shortage of priests.
“There still is a great need for lay leadership,” she added, calling the program a “wonderful way to bring women into the heart of the Church.”
I know what the law is, but still, pastoral associates should be only priests as it not only gives a false representation of the priesthood, but it also confuses and mixes up the priesthood of the laity from the sacramental priesthood.
From bad to worse!
MORE BUREAUCRACY!!!!!!
With Anne Hendershott, I would like to know what Enright means by the “heart of the Church.” When I was with the Trappists a short time in 1979, I thought of my hidden life of prayer and penance as a living in the “heart of the Church.” Anyone in the active life dedicated to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy is living in the heart of the Church. I hope Enright has something like this in mind in her statement.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc, eh, Professor?
Dreadful non sequitur!
Priest-Replacement Program In Process. Pardon Our Dust!
Abp Gomez could get pastoral assistance from real ordained Catholic priests from the SSPX, FSSP, CMRI and Institute of Christ the King, among others, who have a steady increase of vocations to what the Church always taught and always held. If he wanted to, that is.
I have very fond memories of the ladies that taught me Catechism in the late 1950s. This is not something new.
Archbishop Jose Gomez has been a very kind and brave shepherd for Los Angeles. His latest news warm my heart:
“His Excellency Archbishop Gomez will offer a Solemn High Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form, and will administer Confirmation on Tuesday after Memorial Day Weekend, May 31st, at 7 PM at St. Victor’s, 8634 Holloway Dr, West Hollywood, CA 90069. Those to be admitted to Confirmation need to be approved by Fr Fryar, and ideally should be attending the Confirmation preparation that Father is giving every two weeks at St. Victor’s. Very Rev. Fr. Saguto, the District Superior of the FSSP, will also be present…
Another broad and not so subtle effort leading to the ordination of women?
Since the Pope is eroding the exclusivity of men in Holy Orders with his initiation of the washing of the feet of all women on Holy Thursday, originally meant for men in formation of the priesthood, then men in leadersip postions in the Church, why not initiate this in a different phase on the more local level, unh?
And how soon will this be initiated in every diocese?
Hopefully, yes!
There is no attempt to bring in women’s ordination from this diocese or the Pope.
Ignorance is not bliss. Please learn the Catholic Faith. You will have a much better foundation from which to evaluate things.
It is pretty common nowadays to have only one priest at a parish, if that many. Only the largest of parishes have two or more priests. It is too much for one person to administer a parish and see to the sacramental needs of the people: daily Mass, visit the sick, first communion, confirmation, reconciliation, etc. So parishes have for some time now been using people with Masters degrees to work as their assistants. That being said, I don’t know many priest who went to seminary to learn how to be administrators and managers. They welcome the help.
https://www.la-archdiocese.org/org/parishlife/Pages/description.aspx
Don’t like it? OK, tell your single sons and grandsons to become priests!
Annon, thanks for the link. It answers most questions. It also tells us of the serious need for these people.
Anne Hendershot, you’re right on!
In every diocese it has been a way to have men and women assume priestly roles. Another problem is that as priests are moved around and changed, these people stay in place and become the real leaders of the parish. The priest (s) are just the hired help. I am not from LA, but in my diocese we still have good men blocked from the seminary and the permanent deacon program if they are “too conservative.”
The priest shortage is manufactured. Read: GOODBY GOOD MEN. The liberals who have been running the Church for 50 years now are responsible for the closing of seminaries all across the world. The agenda is women in the priesthood, homosexual priests and married priests. By having the laity do ‘pastoral ministry’ is to downplay the special charism of the priest. A priest is more than a sacramental minister. He is another Christ.