Are you curious about the "inner workings" of the Church? Of course one would need to be more specific since the Catholic Church is so large. Are you interested in the inner workings of the Church in Rome, or in our diocese, or on the local parish level. Obviously, we should know the most about what happens on the local level since that's the one that we connect with, hopefully, on a regular basis. Then there is the diocesan level.
There are people who have asked me how it is decided how long a priest, especially a pastor, will stay at a parish before moving on to a new assignment. The short answer is that it is decided by the local bishop. Unlike some dioceses that have a determined limit in the number of years a pastor can stay in any one parish, our bishop has not established such limits. Once a year every priest receives a survey which solicits his input on a possible change of assignment. He can indicate that he is pleased with where he is, or he is eager for a change of assignment, or he is open to a change of assignment. The bishop looks at what the priest puts on the survey, and in conjunction with a priest board of advisors comes up with possible changes. I am honestly not sure how the bishop considers how the parishioners as a whole are satisfied or dissatisfied with their present pastor and how much this influences him in moving priests or keeping them where they are. I'm sure he would be honest in saying he does receive correspondence from people who express dissatisfaction with their pastor and why this is so. Sadly, people who are satisfied with the leadership of their pastor often don't think to write or e-mail the bishop with positive comments. I can speak for myself and most priests in saying we want you to send your thoughts and feelings to the bishop with constructive criticism and/or positive feedback.
As you can probably surmise, the task of tring to fit priests into parishes in which they will flourish and their parishes will be well served is a very challenging task! It is one of the reasons I can honestly say, I would rather not be a bishop. As we pray for him and our pope at every Mass, so I would encourage all of you to pray for them daily in your own personal prayers. Please pray at this time of the year for the priests and parishes that are experiencing a change in who will pastor their parish and in some cases who will serve as associate pastors. With so much lay involvement in parish ministries and activities, these changes will affect some people on a daily or regular basis. Pray for them as well. The Holy Spriit is working in individuals, in parishes and in the Church in general inspiring unity, love and peace. Let's pray for everyone's cooperation with the graces of the Spirit and give praise to God for the fruit that comes from it!
There are people who have asked me how it is decided how long a priest, especially a pastor, will stay at a parish before moving on to a new assignment. The short answer is that it is decided by the local bishop. Unlike some dioceses that have a determined limit in the number of years a pastor can stay in any one parish, our bishop has not established such limits. Once a year every priest receives a survey which solicits his input on a possible change of assignment. He can indicate that he is pleased with where he is, or he is eager for a change of assignment, or he is open to a change of assignment. The bishop looks at what the priest puts on the survey, and in conjunction with a priest board of advisors comes up with possible changes. I am honestly not sure how the bishop considers how the parishioners as a whole are satisfied or dissatisfied with their present pastor and how much this influences him in moving priests or keeping them where they are. I'm sure he would be honest in saying he does receive correspondence from people who express dissatisfaction with their pastor and why this is so. Sadly, people who are satisfied with the leadership of their pastor often don't think to write or e-mail the bishop with positive comments. I can speak for myself and most priests in saying we want you to send your thoughts and feelings to the bishop with constructive criticism and/or positive feedback.
As you can probably surmise, the task of tring to fit priests into parishes in which they will flourish and their parishes will be well served is a very challenging task! It is one of the reasons I can honestly say, I would rather not be a bishop. As we pray for him and our pope at every Mass, so I would encourage all of you to pray for them daily in your own personal prayers. Please pray at this time of the year for the priests and parishes that are experiencing a change in who will pastor their parish and in some cases who will serve as associate pastors. With so much lay involvement in parish ministries and activities, these changes will affect some people on a daily or regular basis. Pray for them as well. The Holy Spriit is working in individuals, in parishes and in the Church in general inspiring unity, love and peace. Let's pray for everyone's cooperation with the graces of the Spirit and give praise to God for the fruit that comes from it!