As stated in Cardinal Roger Mahony's recent pastoral statement, "As One Who Serves," and has been emphasized in the workshops on parish leadership presented throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles this year, the discussion and exploration of alternative leadership models cannot simply be a response to the increasing shortage of priests. All Catholics, by virtue of their baptism, are called to serve their community through the gifts which God has bestowed on them, gifts that may include the charism of leadership --- whether one is ordained, religious or lay, male or female.
Yet there is no denying that the shortage of priests presents clear challenges to how the parishes of all dioceses will function in the future. Even a cursory look at the numbers reveals a sobering picture:
---In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the average parish community has grown in size over the past decade by almost one-fourth, or by nearly 3,000 additional members, at the same time that the number of priests in the archdiocese has declined by 15 percent.
---In the California, the average parish community has grown even faster in that 1995-2005 period --- by 42 percent --- especially in Southern California dioceses of Orange, San Bernardino and Fresno, while the priest numbers declined by almost 10 percent.
---The average U.S. diocese reports a 13 percent increase in Catholic population and a 13 percent decline in priests for the past 10 years. With the number of parishes declining (especially in large dioceses like Boston), the average parish community has grown by 15 percent.
These numbers (as displayed in the adjoining chart) do not, of course, tell a precise or complete story. They do not, for example, include the number (in most cases, relatively small) of "extern" priests (those ordained for one diocese but serving for a specified period in another, perhaps in a teaching or missionary capacity). Los Angeles had 77 extern priests at the start of the year, some of whom assist at local parishes.
More significantly, however, they do not include the number of priests who are sick or retired or, for whatever reason, not actively serving. In Los Angeles, for example, the Official Catholic Directory for 2005 noted that, at the beginning of the year, there were 368 active diocesan priests (12 serving outside the archdiocese), plus 162 listed as retired, sick or absent, for a total of 540.
Taking just the 356 active priests serving locally, and noting that there are 218 (of 288) parishes administered by diocesan priests, the priest-to-parish ratio is barely one and one half priests per parish --- and that doesn't recognize that some of the 356 are not fulltime parish priests, but may serve in archdiocesan offices or other ministries.
The chart also does not account for the fact that the 640 religious priests also include some that are either sick, retired or not full-time parish priests (serving, for example, at educational or formational institutions).
Finally, the chart does not account for the fact that of the active diocesan priests serving in Los Angeles, close to 30 percent are in the 60-75 age group, or within the foreseeable range of retirement. The average age of the active diocesan priests is around 54; of all diocesan priests (including sick and retired), the average is a little above 60.
In religious life, the archdiocese (like other U.S. dioceses) has seen similar declines from 1995 to 2005. The number of sisters has declined from 2,067 to 1,710, while religious brothers are down to 173 from 233.
Where has the Archdiocese of Los Angeles experienced clerical growth in the past 10 years? Permanent deacons have close to doubled, from 135 to 243, although not all serve (nor are all called to serve) in "leadership" ministry.
On another level, the archdiocese has seen a clear increase in the numbers of people (lay and religious) who are serving as pastoral associates, parish life directors and parish business managers --- in the process, assuming duties that priests generally performed in the past, but because of decreased numbers in their own ranks and increased numbers in their parishes have relinquished those tasks to others.
"From one point of view," said Cardinal Mahony in his introduction to "As One Who Serves," "we are facing a crisis. But the diminishing number of priestly and Religious vocations has brought with it a deeper realization that it is in the nature of the Church to be given diverse gifts, ministries and offices. All of the baptized have a share in a common mission to proclaim and to serve the coming Reign of God. Some are called to leadership in the Church."
The cardinal, and others, have noted that an increase in vocations is still a pressing need if a life in Christ --- the word regularly proclaimed and the Eucharist fully celebrated --- is to be made and maintained a reality in Catholic parish communities. As "As One Who Serves" and its foundational documents ("As I Have Done for You" and "Gathered and Sent") also make clear, the full celebration and sharing of Christ's life in our own time and place must also include the full, conscious and active participation of all Catholics in parish life, including positions of leadership.
As The Tidings' series on parish leadership continues in the weeks ahead, we will present a detailed look "behind the numbers," and explore how other dioceses are attempting to meet the challenges of parish leadership. We invite your comments and contributions to this ongoing process. ---Mike Nelson, editor |