Sister Dorothy Pawlus will assume many administrative duties at St. Bartholomew in Penn Hills, but sacramental duties there will remain in the hands of a priest.
We have several of these priestless parishes in the Albany diocese. The brother of an elderly (but not retired) priest recently commented that this type of arrangement is like castration for a priest. The priest is reduced to nothing more than a sacramental minister who hears confessions and consecrates the Eucharist, while a lay person runs the parish.
“Bishop Donald Wuerl”
Surprised much?
Wonder if the Sister shortage would be ended if they were allowed to be married.
Shall I translate? "Responsibility for anything that goes wrong as a result of this will be assigned to whichever parishioners find this arrangement less than wonderful."
oh gosh! im leaving that church! (if i attended it, that is.)
As a personal aside, I wish nuns would go back to wearing the habit. Not the full-on, penguin dress (although that might be nifty), but at least the headgear.
Well, were I in that parish, the first thing I’d do is start looking for a parish with an actual priest in residence and start going there.
You know, I can understand not having a resident Priest, but I have often argued that a Permanent Deacon would be the second best choice and you could let them live in the empty rectory.
I also, to play advocate, think much of this is the Bishop’s making. Like for instance here in Boston one of the first things they tell you when applying to the Seminary is “keep you head down” and don’t use words like “orthodox” to self describe.
I'm sure the Joan Chittester crowd in Erie is thrilled. And let me say it again (and again and again). How many of these folks actually encourage young men to consider a priestly vocation? I have a son. Priesthood may or may not be for him, but we've talked about it. He attended Catholic schools. Far too often, I've heard, 'not my son'. Many parents don't talk about, some actively discourage it, Catholic educators are sometimes falling short. And after my local parishes permitted, nearly two-thirds of the boys dropped out over a 2 year period, the list is mostly girls. Same with the lectors and the EEM's where women have been permitted for some time. Most are women. Here in western PA there is much talk about a 'shortage', and maybe permitting women priests or married priests as a way to boost vocations. Practically everything except encouraging men, from a young age, to consider the vocation. Sorry for the rant.
Wonder what that means in the real world?
The announcement of her new job, she acknowledged, is bittersweet. While it's a wonderful opportunity for her, she said, it's a disappointing reflection on the state of the priesthood.
"If there were enough priests, then they wouldn't need this position," she said. "The fact that they do is a wake-up call for us as Catholics to pray for vocations and encourage vocations in the priesthood in young men. One of the things we will do here is form a vocation prayer group.
"It's sad that it has to happen. I was talking with some people the other day, and they were saying how it used to be a big thing to have a priest in your family. Now, I don't think people look at it that way."
It seems that she really does understand that this is not normal nor desirable and even is willing to try to take steps to do a small part to turn things around for the Pittsburgh Diocese.
That said, I too think it would be better for a deacon to be named (and from what I understand, Pittsburgh has had permanent deacons for some time). Also, I hope that this never comes to pass in my (neighboring) diocese. As a seminarian, the proposition of it even scares me a little.
Pray for vocations to the Priesthood!
**Sacramental duties — such as saying Mass, hearing confessions, and performing baptisms and weddings — will be performed by the Rev. James A. McDonough of St. Regis Parish in Oakland.**
I’m surprised that the Bishop doesn’t allow her to do baptisms and preside at weddings!
Alaska has had priestless parishes ever since the days of Archbishop Francis T. Hurley, who pulled the rural priests in to Anchorage and gave them desk jobs in the chancery, then sent nuns to “administer” the parishes. He then made a big thing about the “shortage of priests.”