In an effort to coordinate parish leadership ministry programs established in recent years, Cardinal Roger Mahony has established the Office of Parish Life, with St. Joseph of Carondolet Sister Carol Quinlivan named Pro-Tem Director of the new department for 2006.

The establishment of the office, effective Dec. 19, was made in response to a final report recommendation of the Parish Life Task Force chaired by San Fernando Region Auxiliary Bishop Gerald Wilkerson. As reported previously in The Tidings, the task force has been studying models of parish leadership in light of several factors, including the 2003 Archdiocesan Synod and its various initiatives and pastoral strategies, and the decreasing number of priests available for service.

Msgr. Royale Vadakin, moderator of the curia and vicar general, said the creation of the Office of Parish Life --- coordinating lay ecclesial church ministries such as Parish Life Directors, Pastoral Associates, business managers and parish council members --- was "an important direction for the archdiocese."

According to Msgr. Vadakin, Sister Quinlivan (formerly head of the archdiocesan Office of Pastoral Associates) will become the liaison for the various ministry programs already in place at churches in the archdiocese and will also "look to the future for new ways to provide pastoral ministry in the changing environment in which we now live."

Interviewed Jan. 3 on her first day at work in her new position, Sister Quinlivan said she is looking forward to being a resource person for people involved in different aspects of parish ministry. "I'm very optimistic about the future of this office. I think we're going to see the unfolding of many new models of parish leadership," said Sister Quinlivan.

"We need to look at ministers' roles and the structures of church ministry with new eyes, placing an emphasis on collaboration and surfacing talents in the parish," she added. "Our priests have done a heroic job of providing consistent services to our parishes in spite of the priest shortage. We need to see what we can do to support them."