By Bishop John M.
Quinn of Winona, Minnesota
As
preparations are underway for attending World Youth Day, I am wondering –how
many vocations will be inspired during this year’s event? How many who attend
will be ready to follow the Lord’s call.
For Bishops the time is an inspiration as we realize the many youth and
young adults who truly care for their faith and for the Church who brought it
them.
In my
own role as chair of the Subcommittee on Certification for Ecclesial Ministry
and Service, I wonder, how many participants will realize the role that lay
ecclesial ministers, religious and priests have had in their faith formation
and participation in this event?
How
many will be inspired to follow their own call of the Lord through this event?
Perhaps some will also meet and discover their vocation to marriage. Others
will be inspired to consider leadership roles the Church – as priests,
permanent deacons, religious and yes – lay ecclesial ministers.
What
is a lay ecclesial minister? The average
person in the pew may honestly not know how to answer this question. However,
many experience your parish lay ecclesial ministers every day. For example, have
you been a participant in religious education? Then you have encountered your parish
director of religious education – a lay ecclesial minister. Are you coming to
World Youth day with your parish youth minister? If you so you are coming with
a lay ecclesial minister? Are you in
college and coming with a group through campus ministry? If so, you are likely coming with your Campus
Minister – who may also be a lay ecclesial minister.
The
term “lay ecclesial minister” is used to include many possible roles in Church
leadership. In parish life—to cite only one sphere of involvement—the pastoral associate,
parish catechetical leader, youth ministry leader, school principal, and
director of liturgy or pastoral music are examples of such roles.
Did you know that the U.S. Bishop’s Conference – the USCCB - has a
document about lay ecclesial ministers? It’s called Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the
Lord and offers a good description of what a lay
ecclesial minister is:
The term lay ecclesial minister is a general term to
describe those men and women, many whose roles, I mentioned above, whose
ecclesial service is characterized by:
·
Authorization
of the hierarchy to serve publicly in the local church
·
Leadership
in a particular area of ministry
·
Close
mutual collaboration with the pastoral ministry of
bishops, priests, and deacons
·
Preparation
and formation appropriate
to the level of responsibilities that are assigned to them
I
am sure that Pope Francis will remind us all to be enthusiastic be missionary
disciples while we are gathered in Kraków. I’m hoping that many of you who are gathered with us will consider what
is God calling you to do. Perhaps you will talk with the trained leaders who
came with you. Perhaps you will be inspired to follow them and consider
offering your gifts and talents and become a priest, permanent deacon, consecrated religious or yes – even a lay
ecclesial minister!
If
so I am grateful to know that, as chair of the conference, Subcommittee on
certification for Ecclesial Ministry and Service, I have the opportunity to
help see that you will be well prepared.
After
World Youth Day, I hope to encourage members of our subcommittee and lay
ecclesial ministers to share the stories of their call. Until our next update,
if you would like to learn more – about the subcommittee, you might go to: www.usccb/certification If you would like to learn more about lay
ecclesial ministry in general, and current questions as we discern this
development in the Church, see the USCCB web page on the Summit held last
year. www.usccb.org/lay-ecclesial-ministry-summit.cfm
Until
then please let’s together join in prayer that many may be inspired to follow
God’s call during their experience at Kraków. I look forward to seeing you
there! May the Holy Spirit move you to discover what God is calling you to do,
whatever your vocation may be. We all have one. The harvest is great!
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