Posted on 12/27/2004 3:55:17 PM PST by Land of the Irish
Archdiocesan priest named first Catholic president of Church Federation
By Sean Gallagher
Father John Beitans, pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in Indianapolis, will become the first Catholic president of the Church Federation of Greater Indianapo-lis on Jan. 1.
In an interview prior to the Dec. 14 announcement, Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith, executive director of the 92-year-old ecumenical organization, praised Father Beitans’ qualifications.
Father Beitans has been active on the Church Federation’s board of directors. St. Lawrence Parish is the host of a center for Loaves and Fishes, a Church Federation project aiding families that are at risk of dropping into poverty. And the parish recently hosted Celebration of Hope, an ecumenical prayer service which aims to further racial reconciliation.
But aside from his active work in the organization, Rev. Dr. Walker-Smith pointed to less tangible qualities when explaining why she believes Father Beitans will serve well the Church Federation’s ecumenical ministry.
“He brings just a great deal of joy and enthusiasm to this task,” she said. “Some people just kind of do it because they know that they’re supposed to do it. But he does it because he loves it.
“He has a passion for this ministry. I think that, above all the other things, is contagious. We think that will go a long way to furthering the work of the federation.”
As the first Catholic president of the Church Federation, Father Beitans hopes to be able to encourage other parishes to become members of the organization.
“I feel that my election just makes it easier for Catholic parishes to feel that it’s OK to belong to the Church Federation,” he said, “not that [some] haven’t for many years. I think that it would be good if the Catholic Church would increase its involvement because I think proportionate to other churches, it is small.”
Although having a Catholic as its president for the first time is significant for the Church Federation in its local context, Rev. Dr. Walker-Smith placed this event in a national context.
She noted that this local announcement happened in the wake of the November decision of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to join a new national ecumenical forum, Christian Churches Together in the USA. It was the first time that the Catholic Church in the United States has become a member of such an ecumenical organization.
“I think that there is a confluence of what is happening nationally as well as locally,” Rev. Dr. Walker-Smith said. “I’m really happy about that. To know locally that we are exercising some of that leadership just fits in very nicely with what the bishops have done.”
But while Father Beitans also follows ecumenical activities on the national and international level, his current focus is on advancing Christian unity in more intimate contexts in his new role as the president of the Church Federation.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “It’s frightening. But then I hope that the fact that it is something that I take so seriously will help me … approach things respectfully so that people will perceive that and be themselves serious about it.
“I just love the fruits of ecumenism at the level of friend-to-friend and local Church to local Church. Things are happening that we know have not happened for at least hundreds of years.”
Ping
In an interview prior to the Dec. 14 announcement, Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith,
I think this priest needs to re-check his roots and find out exactly why he became a Catholic priest in the first place, and especially go over the lives of the millons of martyrs who "suffered and Died" for Christ because they would not commit sin or join in other faiths! They are called SAINTS not comperMISERS,
Also recheck the meaning of the word CONVERSION, which is what Catholics are suppose to do to non Catholics not just join'em for fun ! Learn the Catholic Faith, Father,.
Another example of false ecumenism:
http://www.traditioninaction.org/RevolutionPhotos/A082rcTrapistZen.htm
Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, General Superior of the Jesuits, wrote a letter
praising Hunt's achievement as "one that we can all celebrate in thanksgiving to God."
According to Kolvenbach, it is through Zen meditation
that Catholics can become aware of the loving presence of God.
Hunt predicts that Buddhism will change Catholicism.
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