• Bulletin Board, Announcements, Calendar
• Editorial - Op Ed
• Welcome and Website Protocol
• Article Archive

Print this page

Article Categories

• Book Reviews
• Open Letter
• Editorials
• Notes, Quotes & Comments
• Pastor's Study
• Project Millstones
• Sidebar Comments
• Weekly Message

Links

Liturgy
This link will keep 'parishioners-at-large' in touch with current creative liturgy sources and resources that respect a variety of 'traditions' within the Church.

COMMONWEAL Magazine
A 'lay' Catholic weekly publication with an accent on an intelligent analysis and commentary on curent issues, trends and concerns of interest to Catholics.

National Catholic Reporter
A national Catholic lay newspaper covering events not usually covered or presented with a clerical bias in the local diocesan press or but of concern and interest to Catholics.

Survivos' Network for those Abused by Priests or Religious
A National Network of self-help support groups for people abused by clergy or religious.

Bishop Accountability
Vital information about the disclosure of sexual abuse and related issues affecting Catholics in the pew and the manner in which Bishops continue to exempt themselves from accountability

Voice of the Faithful
A 'movement' of lay Catholics 'inspired' by the abuse scandal calling for greater accountability of bishops to 'Catholics in the Pew.'

Search

Daily Scripture

+ 20th Week in Ordinary Time

I’ll do it myself.

Readings: Ezekiel 34:1-11 Psalm 23:1-6 Matthew 20:1-16

Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: because my shepherds did not look after my sheep, but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep, I will claim my sheep from them and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep. I will save my sheep, that they may no longer be food for their mouths. [Ezekiel 34:10]

There is much talk about a vocation shortage—fewer young men entering the seminary and fewer still persevering to ordination. Not withstanding some notable exceptions this has resulted in the lowering of standards for ordination. Moreover, priests and candidates for the priesthood are being ‘imported’ from other countries whose needs are as urgent as ours.

The prevailing accent seems to be on the need to have a sufficient number of priests to ‘say Mass’ and provide for the sacramental needs of the faithful. But surely in the light of the Second Vatican Council, priests need to be more than presiders at Mass and providers of the sacraments, as important as are these roles.

The earliest experience of the Church can be instructive in this regard. The notion of presbyter provided the early church with presiders for worship and leaders for base communities. Celibacy was not an issue and there was no clerical caste. The gifts of the faithful were recognized in such a manner that men and women, married and single fulfilled the spiritual needs of the community including the sacramental needs.

Notwithstanding the inadequacy of the notion of shepherding people (sheeple?) the need remains for qualified men and women to minister to the needs of the community.

Ezekiel warned the priests and assured the people of Israel that God would find away to pasture his people.

Ezekiel’s words need to be taken to heart again and in fact we already see that God is indeed providing a way through the action of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men and women, married and single, who are tending to the needs of the faithful.

Best Practices, etc.

Thursday December 13, 2007

This is an interesting ‘take’ on the art of leadership. I don’t think it’s new ‘stuff.’ I’ve heard it all before. My question is this: Is the Church using this as the criteria for ‘best practices’ for bishops and pastors—and for the Pope?

The Laws of Leadership

from William Cohen

The New Art of the Leader

1. Maintain Absolute Integrity
•work to earn the trust and respect of your workers
•never make a worker feel he is being manipulated rather than motivated
•Integrity is the foundation of all that follows. If your workers can’t trust you, you will never be able to motivate them to help you fulfill your goals.
•Integrity is more than telling the truth; it is doing what is right.

2. Know Your Stuff
•Be on top of your own tasks, constantly working to develop and maintain the level of expertise you would like from others at their best.

3. Declare Your Expectations
•Develop your own communication skills and encourage the same in your staff. Do not expect them to read your mind.
•Likewise, do not presume to believe that you know what they think or know.

4. Show Uncommon Commitment
•You must be willing to take risks and sacrifice yourself in order to effectively lead others.
•If your followers see this, they will respond in kind.

5. Expect Positive Results
•Research has shown that the higher your goals, the higher goals you will achieve.

6. Maintain a Positive Attitude
•Without it, you won’t be able to properly motivate your followers by making them feel part of something successful and worthwhile.
•Obstacles, which are part of every challenge, will be insurmountable without a positive attitude.

7. Take Care of Your People
•If your employees or troops know that you care about them and are looking out for their interests, they will follow you to the ends of the earth.
•Take care of your people, and they will take care of you. However, the reverse is also true.

8. Put Duty Before Self
•You must put the interests of the mission and your followers before your own.
•If you do not, you can forget about expecting those under you to give up their own interests in favor of the mission.
The best way to attract and maintain your followers is to make them feel important, promote your vision, treat others as you would be treated, and accept responsibility for your own actions and those of the group.