the lay person in the church
ROLES IN WORSHIP AND PRAYER
THE LAY PERSON IN THE CHURCH
Today lay persons are expected to be immersed in the Catholic faith and religious practice
Altar server Mervin Lachance-Bear at Sacred Heart mission in Big River First Nation reserve in Northern Saskatchewan, in the Diocese of Prince Albert.
M
any people will have memories of lay persons in the parishes “helping Father” to get the little kids ready for First Communion or Confirmation, lining up the children, and tending to details that the priest
‘The valuable work depends on lay men and women in a parish community’ didn’t perform. Sometimes lay people would help the parish by teaching children about the necessary answers to questions about the faith, especially if there was no Catholic school for the pupils to attend. Parents have always been the first teachers of their children in the faith, but that was not a principle that was put into practice at all times, and even 4 Summer 2015
now is a particular challenge for parishes and missions. Some families used to be lucky enough to have their children taught by religious sisters or brothers in schools or in the parish, but they are now few in number. The valuable work depends on lay men and women in a parish community, to instill the essentials of the faith in young people, and to do other vital tasks of the religion, such as marriage preparation, Bible study for adults, leading prayer sessions and devotions, and in places, even celebrating certain liturgies in the absence of a priest. By the time our most recent Catechism of the Catholic Church was published all over the world (1992), the thinking about the roles of women and men in forming the Church and her children and adults was firmly developed. Lay involvement in the Church and
Photo by Rob Waymen
By FATHER PHILIP J. KENNEDY, PRESIDENT
in spreading the faith was fairly well understood. The Catechism states,“Lay people who are capable and trained may also collaborate in catechetical formation, in teaching the sacred sciences, and in use of the communications media.” §906 Even more than that, lay persons are expected to be so immersed in the Catholic faith and religious practice that they collaborate in a truly cooperative and personal manner. “Lay people have the right and even at times a duty to manifest to the pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church.” §907 It is a wonderful thing, then, to see the lay people in our mission churches performing roles in worship and prayer, and also gathering to decide matters of importance concerning the building of their worship space and structures of the mission community. Proper preparation for these tasks, then, requires courses and
sessions for the participants. Summer courses, winter weekend sessions, and diocesan seminars happen all over the country. Some special sessions are held for First Nations communities to get the people ready for leadership positions in the Church. Ukrainian Catholics have specialized year-long courses for lay leadership. Pilgrimages may also include times of sharing in faith and Christian leadership. The involvement of lay people is now so much a part of our Church life, and we can only keep trying to employ our resources at CMIC to sustain this part of the living Body of Christ. Catholic missions in canada 5
intensive study and practice
Formation of the priest-missionary
The heritage of St. Charles and other Church reformers was sustained in the methods of all seminaries of the Catholic world. By FATHER PHILIP J. KENNEDY, PRESIDENT
A
momentous occasion for the Church began in 1566. That was the year that the young priest, Charles Borromeo was consecrated archbishop of Milan and took over the management and spiritual direction
foundation in Sacred Scripture and theology and the history of the Church, and introductions to various aspects of ministry to God’s people. St. Charles’s type of seminary was imitated and improved on by many dioceses throughout Italy and later spread over Europe, for the uniformity of preparation of seminarians to serve the Church. The work of reform of the clergy was continued and bolstered at the time by the Jesuits (founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola) and the Barnabites (founded by St. Anthony Zaccharia), who were soon famous for their own seminaries. The heritage of St. Charles and other Church reformers was sustained in the methods
With every priest having the care of more than one church or mission, it is important to learn the value of economy of time. of the disorganized archdiocese. He began with the priests of his new diocese, who had had very little preparation and no institutional background to their ministry before being ordained. St. Charles, as he later became, established seminaries in his own diocese, giving clergy a 4 Fall 2015
Photos courtesy of St. Joseph Seminary
St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta.
of all seminaries of the Catholic world. In this 21st century, building on the schools of theology of the past, we are fortunate to have high-quality facilities for training in faith leadership on the part of our priests who will go out to work on the missions in this country. Unlike the past century, there are few seminaries dedicated solely to future mission priests. Instead, the seminaries have candidates doing intensive study of the Bible at all levels, and a systematic researching of the various theological teachings of
the Church, and pastoral preparatory work, and also the important service of the Lord in liturgy and in devotion of different kinds. In addition, some religious orders have houses of formation for their candidates, who study at a seminary institution, but return each day to their order’s house to live with their own community. It is still the responsibility of the bishop of a diocese to ensure that his priestly candidates are well formed, and all Canadian bishops send their candidates to the most appropriate school of Catholic missions in canada 5
THE LAY PERSON IN THE CHURCH
Today lay persons are expected to be immersed in the Catholic faith and religious practice
Altar server Mervin Lachance-Bear at Sacred Heart mission in Big River First Nation reserve in Northern Saskatchewan, in the Diocese of Prince Albert.
M
any people will have memories of lay persons in the parishes “helping Father” to get the little kids ready for First Communion or Confirmation, lining up the children, and tending to details that the priest
‘The valuable work depends on lay men and women in a parish community’ didn’t perform. Sometimes lay people would help the parish by teaching children about the necessary answers to questions about the faith, especially if there was no Catholic school for the pupils to attend. Parents have always been the first teachers of their children in the faith, but that was not a principle that was put into practice at all times, and even 4 Summer 2015
now is a particular challenge for parishes and missions. Some families used to be lucky enough to have their children taught by religious sisters or brothers in schools or in the parish, but they are now few in number. The valuable work depends on lay men and women in a parish community, to instill the essentials of the faith in young people, and to do other vital tasks of the religion, such as marriage preparation, Bible study for adults, leading prayer sessions and devotions, and in places, even celebrating certain liturgies in the absence of a priest. By the time our most recent Catechism of the Catholic Church was published all over the world (1992), the thinking about the roles of women and men in forming the Church and her children and adults was firmly developed. Lay involvement in the Church and
Photo by Rob Waymen
By FATHER PHILIP J. KENNEDY, PRESIDENT
in spreading the faith was fairly well understood. The Catechism states,“Lay people who are capable and trained may also collaborate in catechetical formation, in teaching the sacred sciences, and in use of the communications media.” §906 Even more than that, lay persons are expected to be so immersed in the Catholic faith and religious practice that they collaborate in a truly cooperative and personal manner. “Lay people have the right and even at times a duty to manifest to the pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church.” §907 It is a wonderful thing, then, to see the lay people in our mission churches performing roles in worship and prayer, and also gathering to decide matters of importance concerning the building of their worship space and structures of the mission community. Proper preparation for these tasks, then, requires courses and
sessions for the participants. Summer courses, winter weekend sessions, and diocesan seminars happen all over the country. Some special sessions are held for First Nations communities to get the people ready for leadership positions in the Church. Ukrainian Catholics have specialized year-long courses for lay leadership. Pilgrimages may also include times of sharing in faith and Christian leadership. The involvement of lay people is now so much a part of our Church life, and we can only keep trying to employ our resources at CMIC to sustain this part of the living Body of Christ. Catholic missions in canada 5
intensive study and practice
Formation of the priest-missionary
The heritage of St. Charles and other Church reformers was sustained in the methods of all seminaries of the Catholic world. By FATHER PHILIP J. KENNEDY, PRESIDENT
A
momentous occasion for the Church began in 1566. That was the year that the young priest, Charles Borromeo was consecrated archbishop of Milan and took over the management and spiritual direction
foundation in Sacred Scripture and theology and the history of the Church, and introductions to various aspects of ministry to God’s people. St. Charles’s type of seminary was imitated and improved on by many dioceses throughout Italy and later spread over Europe, for the uniformity of preparation of seminarians to serve the Church. The work of reform of the clergy was continued and bolstered at the time by the Jesuits (founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola) and the Barnabites (founded by St. Anthony Zaccharia), who were soon famous for their own seminaries. The heritage of St. Charles and other Church reformers was sustained in the methods
With every priest having the care of more than one church or mission, it is important to learn the value of economy of time. of the disorganized archdiocese. He began with the priests of his new diocese, who had had very little preparation and no institutional background to their ministry before being ordained. St. Charles, as he later became, established seminaries in his own diocese, giving clergy a 4 Fall 2015
Photos courtesy of St. Joseph Seminary
St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta.
of all seminaries of the Catholic world. In this 21st century, building on the schools of theology of the past, we are fortunate to have high-quality facilities for training in faith leadership on the part of our priests who will go out to work on the missions in this country. Unlike the past century, there are few seminaries dedicated solely to future mission priests. Instead, the seminaries have candidates doing intensive study of the Bible at all levels, and a systematic researching of the various theological teachings of
the Church, and pastoral preparatory work, and also the important service of the Lord in liturgy and in devotion of different kinds. In addition, some religious orders have houses of formation for their candidates, who study at a seminary institution, but return each day to their order’s house to live with their own community. It is still the responsibility of the bishop of a diocese to ensure that his priestly candidates are well formed, and all Canadian bishops send their candidates to the most appropriate school of Catholic missions in canada 5
