Setting Up a Parish Community

Not long ago I read a priest’s story about his first experience guiding a parish community. It happened in a town in New York State, in the early years after the Second Vatican Council. As he prepared for his new responsibility, he realised how much wisdom and leadership already lived within his parishioners — and he wondered how best to encourage it.

He clearly realised many parishioners were already leaders in the community, some with their own businesses. He saw a remarkable pool of experience in management and organisation. The question before him was simple yet profound: How could he invite these gifts into the life of the parish? And could he do so without becoming the one person everyone expected to direct every decision?

He decided to call upon the parishioners themselves to shape their own parish community — to organise it in ways that responded to the real needs of the area.

Committees were formed according to needs discerned by the people. They met not on church grounds but in one another’s homes, creating a sense of shared responsibility and trust. The priest himself did not attend their meetings. Committee members were free to make whatever decisions they believed were necessary.

Chairpersons, chosen by the priest, reported back to him on what had been resolved. He told the people he would rarely veto their decisions. In fact, over all the time he was there, he never vetoed a single one — though he occasionally offered suggestions he thought might be helpful.

Reflecting on the experience, the priest expressed his amazement at the maturity and conscientiousness of the parishioners. They accomplished remarkable things, some of which he described in detail. He concluded that although he had “turned the parish over to the parishioners,” he soon realised he “had more authority than most pastors who hold tight reins.”

He wrote, “The people were so respectful of my concerns that they did nothing that would embarrass or offend me in any way. Besides, I was totally free to provide sound spiritual guidance to the people, bring Jesus to other parts of the community, and accomplish much more than if I insisted on micromanaging the parish.”

He added, “It was for me a wonderful example of how respect for people’s freedom and people’s respect for the church’s authority could work so beautifully and productively together.”

Gospel passages chosen by Girzone

Mark 10:42–45

“You know, important people of this world love to lord it over their subjects and make their importance felt. It cannot be that way with you. Whoever wishes to be first among you must be willing to be the servant of all the rest.”

John 13:13–15

“You call me Lord and Master, and rightly so, for so I am. But if I as Lord and Master can kneel and wash your feet, so you should be willing to wash the feet of one another.”

Acknowledgement

This reflection first appeared on my former WordPress site A New Parish. I am grateful to a friend in Strathmore, Wellington, New Zealand, who — seeing three Joseph F. Girzone books on his shelves — knew I would love to read them.

Joseph F. Girzone wrote about his experience of setting up his parish community in the book A Portrait of Jesus, Chapter 10, Freedom and Authority, pp. 134–137. First published in the USA by Doubleday (1998), and in Australia by HarperCollinsReligious (1998).

May we continue to discover how shared responsibility, trust, and grace allow Christ to shape our parish communities in love.