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May/June 2008 | Volume 19, Number 3 | $6.00
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C AT E C H E T I C A L LEADER
Facilitating
Collaboration Catechesis
in
I N T HIS I SSUE : Collaboration and Community Beyond Specialization
CATECHETICAL UPDATE:
Implementing Just Personnel Policies and Practices
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A PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR CATECHETICAL LEADERSHIP (NCCL)
C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R
Table of Contents
May/June 2008
In Every Issue 2 From the President Mary Ann Ronan Listen, Then Plan 3 From the Executive Director Leland Nagel Moving from Coexistence to Collaboration 13 Books in the News Reviewed by On Christian Hope: Spe Salvi Christopher Weber 18 Diocesan Directors’ Forum Martin J. Arsenault Collaboration: The Going Always Gets Tough 20 Echoes of Faith Planning for Success 23 Crossword Personnel Justice
Jo Rotunno Megan Anechiarico
Features Living in Hope page 13
Put It in Writing page U1
Facilitating Collaboration in Catechesis 4 Fostering Collaboration Means Fostering Community 8 Beyond Specialization 10 Transforming Catechesis: Houston 2008
Daniel J. Kutys Loyes M. Spayd
Catechetical Update Implementing Just Personnel Policies and Practices U1 Put It in Writing Maureen A. Murphy U5 The Church As Employer Mary Jo Moran
Going Gets Tough page 18
NCCL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NCCL STAFF
Ms. Mary Ann Ronan President St. Paul Parish, Phoenix, AZ
Janet Schaeffler, OP Secretary Archdiocese of Detroit
Rev. David Loftus Vice President Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Mr. Leland D. Nagel Executive Director Washington, DC
Dr. Lorraine S. DeLuca Treasurer Diocese of Beaumont
Dr. Chela Gonzalez At-Large Archdiocese Diocese of Santa Fe
C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R
Ms. Michele Harris At-Large St. Francis de Sales Parish, Salisbury, Delaware
Mr. Peter Ries At-Large Diocesan Director Lansing, Michigan
Mr. Thomas Quinlan At-Large Diocese of Joliet
Dr. Michael Steier Ex-officio USCC Department of Education
Dr. Anne Roat At-Large Diocesan Director Lafayette, Indiana
Bishop Leonard P. Blair Episcopal Advisor Diocese of Toledo
Mr. Leland D. Nagel Executive Director Ms. Joyce A. Crider Associate Director
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FROM THE PRESIDENT FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
LISTEN, THEN PLAN Mary Ann Ronan
I hope that you enjoyed our 72nd Annual Conference as much as I did. I felt that each speaker gave us insights into the world we live in as well as the sources that we bring to our ministry: the Gospels and church teachings. We have much to learn and much to celebrate as catechetical leaders. I am especially grateful for the formation of the Forum on Catechesis with Hispanics. This forum will be a valuable resource for all our members and will affect all NCCL’s endeavors. The forum is open to all members. Its purpose is to animate catechesis among Latinos. The study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, Changing Faith: Latinos & the Transformation of American Religion, and CARA’s metastudy, How Many Catholics are Hispanic, show slightly different numbers for Latino Catholics, but these Catholics are already having an impact on our church and our world. As catechetical leaders we are already behind in meeting their catechetical needs. I encourage you to contact Dan Mulhall who gave the presentation Changing Hearts and Minds: A Vision of Catechesis through the Lens of Inculturation.
It is not for us to tell people what they need but rather to equip them with the resources they need. As we prepare to come to Dearborn and celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us we need to focus on this document in the way the bishops named it: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States. What are we doing in our dioceses and parishes to implement the plan? How do we listen to the “signs of the times” as people sharing with us what we think they need? It is not for us to tell them what they need but rather to help them discover what God is already doing in their community and equip them with the resources they need to live the Gospel values. May your summer be filled with good reading and with listening to your people. These are the sources for good planning that leads all of us to Christ.
“Ministry is the embodiment and expression of spirituality.” These words are the foundation of collaborative ministry, which requires faith sharing and a compassionate call to action. It encompasses forgiveness and demands reflection. Working in collaboration, each person strives to advance the interests and meet the needs of all parties involved. Loughlan Sofield, ST, and Carroll Juliano, SHCJ, in their book, Collaboration: Uniting Our Gifts in Ministry address four levels of collaboration:
Coexistence Communication Cooperation Collaboration Most parish staffs and diocesan offices act on the first levels and believe that in communicating they are collaborating. In actuality they are engaged in parallel work, not collaborative ministry. The highest level is characterized by
acknowledging, articulating, and experiencing a sense of ownership of a common mission. achieving a sense of unity accompanied by a desire to work together for a common goal. deciding to identify value and bring together the various gifts. These characteristics seem embodied in the life of one who ministers in the church. They form the basis of Co-Workers in the Vineyard. This, however, does not mean that collaboration can be accomplished any more easily within the church or in a ministry setting. In fact it may be more difficult for the simple reason that it “should be” easier. Sofield and Jukiano return to the great “C’s” when listing the practical steps to collaborative ministry:
Clarification Conviction Commitment Capacity/Capability
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MOVING FROM COEXISTENCE TO COLLABORATION Leland Nagel
While we all think we know what collaboration is, it is essential that we share the same understanding. People often interchange the words collaboration and teamwork. Yet everyone knows that a soccer team is coached differently from a football team just as an orchestra is directed differently from a jazz ensemble. Just using the same words does not necessarily mean we are using the same definition or sharing the same understanding. Whenever one seeks to collaborate, an extensive conversation should take place regarding the term collaboration because often it simply means coexistence. Clarification is an essential first step.
Many mistakenly believe that in communicating they are collaborating. Those of us involved must be convinced that we are working for the ministry and not for ourselves. What we do together must enhance the mission of Jesus Christ. It is going to get messy and without the passion for collaboration it will be too easy to give up. Conviction is critical or abandonment will take place. Perhaps this is why the National Directory for Catechesis places such an emphasis that “Catechesis is a responsibility of the entire Christian community” (NDC, No. 220). Its strongest statement is addressed to catechetical leaders: “Catechetical programs and activities for all age levels and groups should be coordinated so that they build, one upon the other, and not act as separate watertight compartments that refuse to communicate with each other” (NDC, No. 9559, ftn 773; CT, No. 45). In the messiness, you will begin to experience resistance. Do not fall to the dark side. Talk it out, figure out what you fear, what obstacles seem insurmountable. This is where you need to strengthen your resolve, to affirm your commitment, to act like the apostles in Acts where they worked as one, for the betterment of all. Finally we need to assess the capacity and capability of all those involved. Here is where we discover the major obstacles to collaboration. While they are often obvious to others, it is difficult to recognize them in ourselves because our shields are up. Sofield and Juliano list the obstacles:
Low Self-esteem Arrogance Burnout Inability or unwillingness to work with conflict Unwillingness or fear of sharing faith Lack of knowledge of one’s own and others’ gifts Obsession with the issue of power. It might be better to examine one’s readiness for collaboration. Begin with our four calls as a Christian. These calls are found in Co-workers as well as in our own Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers.
Holiness Community Mission and ministry Christian maturity There are many myths surrounding collaboration. Two I would like to debunk are the ideas that consensus is the only appropriate method of decision making and that there is no room for a designated leader to emerge.
One good place to start in determining your readiness for collaboration is to examine your beliefs about gifts. Some are natural; others are acquired through faith experiences and life experiences. Where do you stand on these ideas?
All have been called and gifted by God. All gifts are for the building of the community and the extending of the Kingdom. Everyone has a personal responsibility to know, develop, and use one’s gifts. Lives have meaning when people use their gifts. Community is essential to achieve fuller knowledge of gifts. Gifts change. No person has all the gifts. All the gifts that are needed for mission are present within the extended community. Commence communication. Let the clarification begin.
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Fostering Collaboration Means Fostering Community by Daniel J. Kutys It strikes me that there are two ways to look at fostering collaboration in catechesis. One involves promoting collaboration among people working together in catechesis. The other involves considering the ways in which catechesis can foster collaboration among all members of the church in all the various aspects of the life of the church and life in general. Both of these understandings deserve attention and reflection. Fostering collaboration among those working in catechesis first involves some basic human dynamics. In 1980, I received my first assignment as a priest to a large active parish in the suburbs of Philadelphia. I was the third priest at the parish. There were also ten sisters assigned to the parish school and many people who volunteered their time and talent in various parish programs and activities. Because we had such a good community, people were constantly working on things together. The DRE at the parish was one of the sisters who also taught in the school. A number of the elementary teachers in the school were also volunteer catechists in the religious education program. Collaboration in catechetical efforts was a given there. I have always been grateful that this was my first experience of parish life. Four years later, I was assigned to another parish in northeast Philadelphia. This was an even bigger parish. There were five priests in the rectory, a pastor, three associates and a priest in res-
idence who was on the faculty at a local Catholic high school. There were also fourteen sisters assigned there. The situation was different there, though. The school was thriving because parents did not want to send their children to the city public schools. There was also a full time DRE even though the religious education program was rather small. Again, there was collaboration there but it felt different. The same sense of community was not present. Looking back, I think it had something to do with the pastor, who had the reputation of being a demanding boss. People were afraid of him. Fostering collaboration involves fostering community. People will work better together when they have a good relationship with their fellow workers. Fostering community is easier said than done, though. Each individual has a unique personality. Sometimes personalities complement each other, and in other cases, the opposite is true. But whether personalities mesh well or not, community can be fostered by simple courtesy. Greeting coworkers whenever you see them sounds simplistic, but it is a sound basis on which community can begin to be built. Showing appreciation or admiration for things co-workers do is also a small but important building block of a community that fosters collaboration.
PRACTICAL DYNAMICS MAKE IT WORK Fostering community and striving to have a positive attitude may help engender collaboration but the process of collaboration also
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needs to employ certain dynamics. Those who study and teach organization models offer advice about dynamics which foster successful collaboration, especially where there are existing or potential tensions. When people work together, it is important that they are clear about what the concern, project, or issue is and that this concern remain the focus of their time and effort together. In parish and diocesan settings, issues which cloud the concern tend to be either interpersonal (I don’t like that person) or turf-related (This is my area; why are you poking your nose into it?). In situations where conflicts already exist between individuals or offices, it is very important to leave prior judgments and past history at the door and approach any effort at collaboration with a positive intention to find a solution while not hurting anyone else in the process. Leaving judgments and past history at the door also allows for people to speak and to listen to others with an openness to alternate opinions, viewpoints and ideas. A mutually acceptable outcome usually occurs only where everyone feels they have made some contribution. For that to happen, all the parties involved need to understand each other’s perspectives. No one can read another’s mind, so if someone disagrees or sees things differently, it is important for that individual to speak up. Even when some think they know how the situation should be resolved, they should give others time to discuss and consider. It can take time for people to understand another’s viewpoint. So it is important not only to speak clearly and listen actively, but also to put off resolutions until everyone has had time to think and come to their own conclusions. Sometimes not everyone will agree with the proposed solution or direction. When that occurs, it is still important for people to work together on the commonly agreed decision. Refusing to do anything more because you disagree might give a degree of personal satisfaction but it will not help foster future collaboration. Refusals and resentments are poison to collaborative efforts.
MODELING WHAT WE TEACH Collaboration should be the hallmark of all church work, especially among those involved in teaching others about the faith. It is so important for catechists, for teachers of the faith, to model what they teach. The purpose of catechesis is not just to pass on information about Christ, the church and the truths of our faith
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In teaching how to live in the community of the church, we teach how to live in the whole human family. but to create opportunities for the learner in faith to encounter Christ and to be formed or transformed by him. It is important for anyone being catechized to witness collaboration at the parish level. This means seeing catechists and teachers working with each other whenever and wherever possible. Collaboration within a school or program should be happening rather naturally. One’s class is never in total isolation. Groups come together for Mass, prayer services and penance services. Collaboration between school and parish is usually most evident in the preparation for and celebration of first sacraments. But it is also helpful for those who are involved in any form of catechesis to be visibly present whenever possible at parish liturgies and also social gatherings and celebrations. The church is a community and the Body of Christ on earth. That teaching will never resonate in a setting where community is not evident within the catechetical program or within the life of the parish. But when and where it does, those being catechized learn about their faith and about living their faith as part of a faith community, as members of the Body of Christ. Teaching this aspect of collaboration — living and working as members of the Body of Christ — may not be a stated part of a religious education syllabus but it should be understood that it is an essential part of all catechetical work. In teaching others how to live and interact in the community of the church, we also teach them how to live and interact in the whole human family. One of the challenging aspects of religious education is to communicate the way is which faith should permeate all aspects of daily life. People who are catechizing are usually conscious of showing the unity between the various teachings of Christ and his church. They and the materials they use show the interconnectedness between Scripture, the teachings of Jesus and the teachings of the church. They show us that what we believe is reflected in
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ATTITUDE MATTERS geared toward helping us as teachers be more aware of where our students were coming from. We were all asked to take a shortened version of the Meyers Briggs assessment. The presenter was not surprised that the results identified the majority of the faculty as introverts. I remember her saying that this is generally true of teachers across the board — most tend to be introverted to some degree. I suspect the same is true of the majority of people who work for the church. Whenever there is a lack of movement toward collaboration, perhaps the first motive to ascribe to the parties involved is a degree of introversion that makes them loath to act.
Fostering collaboration requires a positive attitude. No one can control another person’s attitude but we do have control over our own. What, then, are aspects of our attitude that can positively impact on collaboration?
Don’t wait for someone else to take the first step. Always be willing to be the first one to reach out or speak up, offer help or seek advice. Several times in my life I have seen situations in which people felt resentment at not being involved in a collaborative way with others in the parish or institution. Such situations are never solved by waiting for the other person to act. There is always the possibility of speaking or complaining, which is effective sometimes, but it also runs the risk of engendering defensiveness.
Model what is expected or desired. Offer your help to others in their work. Invite the involvement of others in your projects or activities. As it says in the Scriptures, “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.”
Always give another person the benefit of the doubt. Give the most benign interpretation to another’s actions (or lack of interaction) rather than ascribing negative motives. Back in late 1980s and early 1990s when I was teaching high school, one of the faculty in-service programs was
Be aware of the pitfalls of perfectionism. Sometimes people do not invite others to participate or even entrust work to another because of a fear it will not be done appropriately and ultimately have to be redone. So they hold projects to themselves. There is no easy way to offset this tendency. Most of us understand that aspects of learning come through mistakes. We are okay with that — until the mistake makes us look bad. Perhaps for the person who tends toward perfectionism, being aware of that tendency and even vocalizing it to others can help diffuse resentment by those feeling excluded. — Daniel Kutys
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FOSTERING COLLABORATION MEANS FOSTERING COMMUNITY
the way we pray and celebrate liturgy, and that the grace we receive through Christ, the sacraments and our own prayer life gives us the ability to live out life in Christ. Showing the relatedness of all aspects of our faith also mirrors the connectedness of the Body of Christ.
COLLABORATION CONNECTS FAITH
WITH
LIFE
Showing the larger connectedness of faith to all aspects of life is difficult. The vast majority of young people today receive the bulk of catechetical instruction and formation through parish religious education programs. Because these are so limited in time, it is difficult to teach all we want our young people to know and understand let alone help them connect it with the rest of life. Even in Catholic schools such connections are not made. Forty years ago when religious staffed the classrooms in Catholic schools, it was pretty common for the teachers to bring aspects of faith into other subject areas. Most of the teachers and catechists of today would not feel comfortable to tie in aspects of faith to other subject areas. This is a challenge that will not be easily met.
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Issues that cloud common concern tend to be either interpersonal or turf-related. Fostering collaboration in catechesis, then, is something that we model and live as well as something which we teach others to recognize, but also to be a part of. We teach by modeling that it is never first the responsibility of “you” or “them” to involve “me.” It is always first the responsibility of “me” to reach out to “you” and “them” to build community and collaboration. Monsignor Daniel J. Kutys, a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, is executive director of the Secretariat of Evangelization & Catechesis at the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC. In this position, he provides staff support to the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis as well as the Subcommittee on the Catechism.
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Beyond Specialization by Loyes M. Spayd We live in an age of specialists. My primary care doctor (didn’t we used to call them general practitioners?) refers me to this specialist for one ailment and that specialist for another ailment. I have to self-diagnose before I even make an appointment. Parish, diocesan, and even national catechetical staffs are becoming teams of specialists in catechesis — early childhood catechesis, elementary, adolescent, sacramental catechesis, adult faith formation. There is the Office of Christian Initiation and the Office of Evangelization and evangelization for whom — the unchurched, the returning Catholic, the Catholic wishing to deepen his or her faith? Don’t get me wrong, there are good reasons for these special categories, just as there are in other professional fields. Two reasons that occur to me immediately are: 1) one can’t excel in all areas, so it is best to select one or two areas and really excel in them; and 2) one excels in an area one is passionate about. Those of us who are trained in and have used the DRE (or other forms of) the Perceiver Interview and follow-up process know that to be a fact. And one cannot be passionate about everything. It’s exhausting! Only a saint has that level of energy.
THE BIG PICTURE Everyone knows, however, the potential pitfalls of specialization. One is losing the vision or sight of the big picture and another is becoming territorial. You go to the doctor because you broke your toe and you also mention your back hurts. Well, of course, your back hurts. You broke your toe, you limp, and now your spine is out of alignment. Doctor replies, “I don’t do backs, just toes!” Or, the adult faith formation director wants to try an intergenerational event in the parish and asks the DRE who primarily works with elementary children to work with her. The DRE is initially reluctant. She, of course, has some contact with parents and catechists but she views her main skill sets as working with children. But children come with parents, grandparents, siblings, and neighbors. We minister to the whole person. We catechize the whole person and the whole community. I am not suggesting we abandon our specialties and our departments — far from it. These specialties have helped us to learn to catechize the whole person and the whole community but now that we have identified all the parts
and how to catechize them we need to catechize them in a collaborative and holistic manner. We need to pay attention to what the other is doing and how we can complement each other. How can we blend and still stay unique? Of everything we do and say, always ask the question, how does this catechize? How does this evangelize?
RCIA LEARNING CURVE For years now, The RCIA has managed to bring together all kinds of parish ministries for the focused goal of initiation. Paragraph 9 of the RCIA states that “. . . the initiation of adults is the responsibility of all the baptized.” In making that challenging statement a reality, all the ministries of the parish need to work collaboratively. Someone once said to me, “If RCIA is neatly divided into four periods, why does it always seem so messy?” The answer, of course, is because life is messy. Inquirers do not come to the church neatly labeled as “unchurched,” or “partly evangelized.” They come with varying backgrounds, so evangelization and catechesis is happening simultaneously and at different levels in the precatechumenate and again in the catechumenate. Team members meet periodically to discern what’s appropriate for each candidate. Rites of Welcome/Acceptance are celebrated at various times in Ordinary Time throughout the year. People even enter the church at different times of the year, with the exception of the unbaptized who enter at the Easter Vigil. At all of these times and events, RCIA teams are communicating and working with (and sometimes catechizing) the liturgists, the musicians, the hospitality folks, the clergy, and the parish.
How can we blend and still stay unique? The RCIA was mandated in United States parishes by the United States bishops in 1988, twenty years ago. In 1997, eleven years ago, The General Directory for Catechesis, stated that the baptismal catechumenate should be the inspiration for all catechesis. It is not the purpose of this article to discuss the reasons for this call, but the point I wish to make is that for the last twenty years, parish staffs and volunteers have learned, sometimes the hard way, that they have to work together and use the many rich gifts
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of themselves and others. The GDC has called us to this collaborative model with all of our catechetical programs, following the principles of the RCIA process.
LEARNING
FROM
DOING IT TOGETHER
Two other catechetical processes that have surfaced in the last few years and have much to offer to collaborative ministry are intergenerational catechesis and whole community catechesis. Much has been written about both processes. All I plan to do is share how I have seen these collaborative processes work in my parish. We have just finished the second year of Generations of Faith. The first year our theme was the liturgical year, and this year the theme was sacraments. The events have been successful and the families/parishioners who attended have found them to be very beneficial. What has been wonderful for me to see is the growth and excitement of the pastoral team who plans these events and the numbers of parishioners involved. The core planning team includes a priest, the youth minister, the director of music, the director of liturgy, the DRE and twelve or more catechists who rotate events, and sometimes the age levels they teach. Some, but not all, of these catechists teach in other areas of the religious education program, ranging from preschoolers to adults. Some of the catechists are new and in training. Some are parents from the parish school. The catechists teach ele-
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RCIA teams have learned, sometimes the hard way, that they have to work together mentary, younger and older adolescents, young, middle, and older adults, separately and together. Other parishioners (all ages) involved include volunteers for art, environment, registration, hospitality, music, babysitting, preparing and serving food, games, and clean-up. All in the name of catechesis! No one has quit ! Each event gets better. We have now done seven. The entire parish is invited. The only comments I get are, “How can we make these events better?” and “How can we get more people to attend?” Based on the Sunday Scriptures, a question of the week for children and adults and a suggested faith in action is in the bulletin every week. A member of the liturgy committee writes a monthly prayer for all of the parish organizations. Helping the parish to grow in faith is an all-hands effort. Are we there yet? No! But it has been a while since I have heard anyone say, “That’s not my job!” Loyes M. Spayd is director of Catholic Christian formation at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Vienna, Virginia.
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Houston 2008
Transforming INSPIRATION 1 Bishop Daniel Flores spoke on Modern Catholic Literature and the Renewal of Apologetics.
1 RECOGNITION
2 Bishop Richard Malone, former episcopal advisor to NCCL, receives the 2008 F. Sadlier Dinger Award from Bill Dinger.
3 Jerry Baumbach and the Center for Catechetical Initiatives receive the 2008 NCCL Catechetical Award from Board president Mary Ann Ronan.
4 Mary O’Meara and Eileen Colarusso receive NCCL’s 2008 Technology Award from Lorraine DeLuca.
Photo credit: Edward Karnafel
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Some highlights from the 72nd Annual NCCL Conference and Exposition April 6 – 10
Catechesis Photo credit: Edward Karnafel
CONNECTION 5 Sr. Ellen Callaghan, program director, accepts the NCCL 2008 Distinguished Service Award from Fr. David Loftus for the Native Ministry Training Program of the Diocese of Fairbanks.
6 Discussion at the Forum on Catchesis for Hispanics.
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7 All eyes are googling Mike Hayes as he addresses The National Association of Catechetical Media Professionals and many NCCL guests.
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8 Participating in the Diocesan Staff Forum with newly selected animator Mike Wagner.
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Facilitating Collaboration in Catechesis | Volume 19, May/June 08
CATECHETICAL UPDATE A publication of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership
PUT IT IN WRITING IMPLEMENTING JUST PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PRACTICES by Maureen A. Murphy
What is a “just” personnel policy? Your answer to this question probably depends upon whether you are responding to it as an employer or as an employee. If you are an employee, you probably agree that paying an employee timeand-a-half for overtime is just. If you are the pastor of a parish struggling to keep your parish afloat, it may seem like an unjust policy. Why, the pastor might ask, shouldn’t the employee be willing to accept straight time for those extra hours, or better yet, why can’t the employee volunteer those extra hours each week? Likewise, if you are an employee in a parish with a new pastor, you might think that it is unjust for the new pastor to tell you that you must take your lunch hour between noon and 1 pm each day and work until 5 pm, instead of skipping your lunch hour and leaving at 4 pm each day, as you were allowed to do under the prior pastor. While employers and employees may disagree on whether a particular policy or practice is “just,” the implementation of a set of clear, written policies that are consistent with civil law requirements, that are communicated to the employees and that are fairly and consistently applied in the workplace will in most cases result in a just work environment.
Step One: Employer must decide what policies it wants to have. Its employees are among the key people that the diocese or parish rely on to enable the church to carry out its mission. Employment policies should be based on its sense of how it believes these employees should be treated, with due recognition for the resources that the organization has available to it. Most dioceses have already established policies and procedures to address a variety of personnel issues, such as the definitions of full-time, parttime and “benefits-eligible” part-time employees, recruiting requirements, health-care benefits, paid time off, leaves of absence, performance reviews and discipline and termination policies. In most cases, these policies apply to parishes in the diocese. In addition to these policies, a parish may and should compile a set of local policies that address more of the nuts and bolts issues for working in the parish. These policies might include when the work day begins, when it ends, when lunch can be taken, procedures for calling in if an employee will be absent or late, dress codes, and time sheet requirements. The following are some of the more significant issues that a parish should address by policy: Pay scales: While any parish might fulfill its civil law obligation as long as it pays its employees the legally mandated
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A religious organization cannot expect to avoid the minimum legal requirements for employees with which the rest of society is expected to comply. “minimum wage,” it does not follow that paying the minimum wage in all cases constitutes a “just” wage. On the other hand, employees who expect to be paid a wage or salary that equates to the pay for a comparable position in the for-profit sector are engaging in an unreasonable expectation given the resources available to the parish. The goal is to arrive at a pay scale that enables a parish to hire not just someone who needs a job, but to attract and keep employees who enable the parish to function well and minister effectively. Similarly, when setting wages and salaries, the parish should strive to set compensation that fairly reflects the job for which the pay is set. Basing compensation for a particular employee on factors other than that person’s job description is itself an injustice. Job descriptions: Parishes should be sure to have job descriptions for each of the positions in the parish. A job description is fundamentally important to ensuring a just work environment. While it is important to know when someone is expected to report to work and what benefits they are to receive, it is essential that the employer and employee understand first and foremost what the job is that the employee has been hired to do. Performance evaluations. Just as job descriptions enable the employer and employee to know at the outset of the employment relationship what the employee is expected to do in the job for which he or she is hired, the performance evaluation permits the employee to know how the employer thinks they are doing in fulfilling the job description. Having to complete a performance evaluation also forces the employer to think about how the employee is doing and address with the employee both what is working well and what areas need improvement. A policy that provides for annual performance
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evaluations between the employer and employee is an important policy to foster productive communication between the employer and employee and to minimize situations where the employee is terminated for performance issues without the employee’s first having been told that there were performance issues that needed to be addressed. A parish’s policies should not overlook some of the other issues that may seem trivial but can cause problems at a parish: Where services are to be performed: Is the employee expected to work at the parish or can the employee work from home? If an employee is full-time and receiving benefits, how does the employer know that he or she is working a full-time schedule if the employee is not at the parish? As a general matter, I believe it is preferable to require employees to actually perform their duties at the parish instead of permitting them to work from home. From a purely practical perspective, this enables the employee to demonstrate that he is actually working a full-time schedule. More importantly, however, presence at the parish enables the employer and employee to interact on a regular basis and should strengthen that relationship. The more an employee is away from the actual workplace, the more isolated the employee becomes from the employer and the other parish staff, and the less he or she feels like and is treated like a part of the parish staff. When the employee is to be at work: Another issue that can cause problems in the parish setting is the question of when the employee is expected to be at the parish. This includes start times, end times, and lunch breaks. If the parish believes that its staff needs to be at work by 9 am each day in order to respond to calls, attend staff meetings and attend to the work that needs to be done, then this expectation should be in writing. Likewise, if the parish “closes” for lunch from noon to 1 pm, then employees should know that lunch is taken during this hour, and not at some other time that would be preferable to them. Step Two: Make sure that the policies the parish would like to establish are permitted by civil law. It is imperative to remember that most employment laws apply to dioceses and parishes and that the church is not exempt from these laws just
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because it is a religious organization. Surely, a parish policy that violates civil law cannot be “just,” nor can a religious organization expect to avoid the minimum legal requirements for employees with which the rest of society is expected to comply. Therefore, once a parish decides on a set of policies it would like to implement, the parish must make sure that the policies are permissible by law. The following are examples of what would be unenforceable policies: Overtime: A parish may conclude that by virtue of its tenuous financial condition, it cannot pay any of its hourly employees time-and-a-half if and when the employee actually works more than 40 hours per week. Because state and federal law requires the payment of overtime in this situation, the parish may not be able to implement such a policy. Medical leave: By virtue of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), 29 U.S.C. 2601 et seq., most parishes must offer their employees twelve weeks of leave for medical and certain other personal reasons each year, provided the employee complies with the requirements of the FMLA. Thus, a policy that permitted the parish to terminate an employee who was unable to work for several weeks due to a medical condition or some other reason covered by the FMLA would be illegal and unenforceable. Personnel records: Most states have enacted a personnel record law that defines what a personnel record is, sets forth a procedure that enables employees to review their personnel records and addresses to what extent an employer can disclose personnel information about an employee to a third party, including the parish or school community. A parish policy to discuss with the parish community the reasons for a person’s termination will most likely violate these laws. Payroll practices: Employees must be paid with payroll checks, with appropriate deductions for taxes and any applicable benefits that require the employee to pay a share for the benefit. Paying employees in cash or through a non-payroll account is against the law. Step Three: The policies and practices should be put in writing. Unwritten policies and practices, however fair the person implementing them thinks they might be, are inadequate because they are transitory and can be arbitrarily applied.
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Unwritten policies and practices are really not the policies and practices of an employer — they are the policies and practices of the supervisor who implements them. When the supervisor leaves, the policies and practices leave as well, causing problems for the new supervisor and disappointment for the employees who have gotten used to working subject to the unwritten rules. Similarly, unwritten policies and practices lead to arbitrariness in the management of the workplace. When policies and practices are not required to be in writing, a new policy or practice can be created to deal with each new situation.
Written policies and practices reflect that it is the parish, and not simply the supervisor, that is the employer.
Written policies and practices reflect that it is the parish, and not simply the supervisor, that is the employer. When the supervisor leaves, the policies and procedures remain, providing guidance to the new supervisor and stability to the parish staff. Requiring that policies and practices be put in writing goes a long way to ensure that the policies are thorough, clear and fair. The mere act of having to articulate in writing the personnel policies and practices that govern the parish workplace forces the drafters of the policies to really think about what is being implemented and enables others to review the policies and offer concrete suggestions and changes. The result is a set of policies that have been thoughtfully drafted. Step Four: The written policies and procedures should then be communicated to the employees. No matter how just and how well written, the policies and practices,will be of little
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value if they are not communicated effectively. Dioceses should consider publishing their personnel policies on the diocesan website, if they have not done so already. Dioceses should also have a handbook summarizing the diocesan policies that is distributed to all employees covered by the policies. Parishes should compile a staff handbook of its local policies and this handbook should also be given to each parish employee. It is advisable to ask each employee to sign an acknowledgement that they have received the handbook and this signed acknowledgement should be kept as part of the employee’s personnel file. Job descriptions should always be in writing and the employee should be given a copy of the job description when they begin their employment.
Failure to apply policies and procedures fairly and consistently leads to disgruntlement on the part of both supervisors and staff. Step Five: Once established and communicated just personnel policies and practices must be followed consistently. While this may seem obvious, this is often the step that is overlooked. The more that a parish manages itself without regard to its established policies and practices, the more likely a problem will arise. Failure to apply policies and procedures fairly and consistently leads to justified feelings of unfairness and disgruntlement on the part of both supervisors and staff. A diocese or parish that has taken the time to draft what it believes are just policies and practices has a responsibility to itself and its employees to abide by them. While doing this by no means ensures that employment problems will not arise, abiding by the established policies and procedures should assist
a parish and its employees to work through problems in a rational and impartial way. How can you go about drafting policies and procedures if you believe your parish or diocese does not already have them? First, find out if your understanding is correct, because it may be that the policies exist, but you have not been informed of them. Most dioceses already have established personnel policies that apply to diocesan parishes and agencies. If you don’t know whether your diocese has personnel policies and procedures that apply to you, then find out. The diocesan human resources personnel should be able to answer this question for you. Also, they should be able to tell you whether the diocese has employee handbooks that your parish staff can obtain. If your parish does not have its own employee handbook, you should probably consider drafting one. This document does not need to be long, but it should set forth the basic parish work rules. The best way to get started is to take some time to record what you believe are the existing parish rules and determine whether everyone agrees with them. You might also think of recurring complaints or problems and decide whether you can develop something in writing that will help to minimize that issue. Finally, make sure that the parish has job descriptions for all of the positions at the parish. If it does not, then begin to work on them and include in the drafting process not only the person supervising the employee but the employee himself. So what is a just personnel policy or practice? While that understanding may differ depending upon whether you are the employer or the employee, in the end personnel policies will go a long way towards being “just” when both the employer and the employee are aware of what the policies are and can feel confident that the policies are applied consistently and fairly. S Maureen A. Murphy is senior counsel for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Catechetical Update Is Now Available Online Catechetical Update is a valuable resource for our members. You can now access the pages free of charge from the NCCL website (www.nccl.org) under the “resources” tab. You must login as a member in order to view the page and download the articles.
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THE CHURCH AS EMPLOYER IMPLEMENTING JUST PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PRACTICES by Mary Jo Moran Any discussion of just personnel polices and practices needs to be grounded in Catholic social teaching, which is based on Gospel values. In our Catholic tradition, we presume that social justice means all human beings not only have the right to participate in the blessings of this world but also have the responsibility to build a society in which those blessings are equally accessible. Pope Leo XIII in Rerum Novarum in 1891 affirmed the dignity of labor, and the church has continually reminded us of this for more than one hundred years. In 1981 Pope John Paul II, in Laborem Exercens once again affirmed that . . . work is a fundamental dimension of human existence on earth . . . The basis for determining the value of work is not primarily the work being done but the fact that the one doing it is a person . . . However true it may be that the human person is destined for work and called to it, in the first place, work is ‘for persons’ and not ‘persons for work.’ In the United States, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the chairman of the Domestic Policy Committee for the U.S. bishops, reminded U.S. Catholics as recently as this past Labor Day that human dignity is a gift from God, not a status to be earned. Fundamental rights to work, decent wages, safe working conditions, to have a voice in decisions, and the freedom to choose to join a union does not depend on where you were born or when you came to our nation. Bishop DiMarzio added that for more than a century, the church has insisted that “human work is a key, probably the essential key, to the whole social question” (Pope John Paul II, Laborem Exercens, No. 3).
In Our Own House For over 37 years, the mission of the National Association of Church Personnel Administrators (NACPA) has been to be a voice for the dignity and rights of the church’s workforce and a professional resource for church leaders. NACPA’s mission is to promote justice in the workplace where the church is the employer. To accomplish its mission NACPA works in the following ways:
I
Promotes comprehensive church personnel systems which integrate Catholic social teaching and sound management principles I Strengthens working relationships among church leaders, ministers and employees I Develops church personnel and human resource skills and competence I Identifies and addresses church and societal issues which affect the church in its role as employer
Resources A brief review of NACPA’s major position papers will shed light on the topic of implementing just personnel policies and procedures and provide the readers with resources to use in developing their own specific implementation plans. In 1986 NACPA published Just Treatment for Those Who Work for the Church to offer directions and challenges to the institutional church in the United States to be an employer that practiced and modeled just, equitable and fair personnel policies. This document is as relevant today as it was over twenty years ago. The document concludes by naming the tension that exists between the needs of individual and the common good. In 1994 NACPA’s Board published The Individual and the Institution: Strengthening Working Relationships in the Church. In this document, NACPA asserts that “both play important parts in a joint effort to promote the church’s mission. Effective institutions support, direct, focus and celebrate worker efforts. Dedicated individuals labor, assist, suggest and respond to institutional initiatives which further the Church’s understanding and pursuit of its mission.” In 2004 NACPA published Church Workplace Standards: A continued on page U6
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continued from page U5 Self Audit, which provides a detailed list of elements that should be included in a comprehensive approach to human resource management in order to achieve justice. These are based on the ten principles for hiring, retaining, supervising and terminating church employees outlined in its earlier Just Treatment document.
ensures that what is modeled for one group about the full development of persons has the possibility of extension to all persons in a similar working context. (Just Treatment for Those Who Work for the Church).
NACPA believes that this comprehensive approach to human resource management results in the implementation of just personnel policies and procedures for all. A comprehensive system addresses both the diversity of people who serve the church and the wide range of personnel practices that need development.
Such a comprehensive approach to human resource concerns does acknowledge the role of Canon Law in assigning particular rights and responsibilities to clerics, religious and the laity. However, a comprehensive approach requires that “policy development needs to include a serious consideration of the impact of any single policy on the entire system of Church personnel”. (Just Treatment for Those Who Work for the Church).
A comprehensive approach commits us to an equitable and comparable allocation of admittedly limited resources and
The NACPA Self Audit allows both individuals and church institutions to assess their human resource practices so that
Comprehensive HR Given that a comprehensive human resource (HR) system promotes just personnel practices and procedures, what must be included in such a system? NACPA identifies seven major components.
Beginning the Workplace Relationship: Hiring From the very outset established procedures must be utilized in the hiring process. These procedures include, but are not limited to, establishing processes to authorize the filling of vacant or new positions; utilizing appropriate recruitment and advertising methods that promote a diversity of candidates — both internally and externally; developing an appropriate application form for openings; establishing processes for reviewing resumes, interviewing candidates, and administering any required tests; conducting reference and background checks; responding to all applicants when the position is filled and providing a letter of appointment to the successful candidate. Finally, in the hiring process, church organizations must be careful to use the ‘religious Equal Employment Opportunity’ exemption appropriately. Federal law does allow churches to require active membership when recruiting for key leadership, ministerial and catechetical positions.
Maintaining the Workplace Relationship: Compensation Just policies and practices must include clear identification of full- and part-time employees, the correct categorization of both exempt and non-exempt employees, and also of employees and contractors. Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the IRS provide guidance in defining these categories of employees and their relationship to the church organization. Accurate records of
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time worked need to be kept for non-exempt employees and records of time off should be maintained for exempt employees. The church employer needs to develop processes to create, review and update its salary structure and place each position at an appropriate level within its system of pay ranges/levels based on job analysis methodology and apply internal guidelines for key salary setting decisions, i.e., initial hire rates, annual pay adjustments, and position re-classification as new responsibilities are added to the job description. The church employer needs to ensure that every full-time adult worker receives a living wage. Benefits from church employers need to be equitable, maximize participation, and become more portable within the larger church. Finally, the church as employer needs to ensure that all employee groups — lay, religious and clergy — are compensated comparably. A total compensation statement that includes both pay and benefits is a good tool for reviewing pay and benefits for fairness.
Maintaining the Workplace Relationship: Assessing the Work Church employers need to clearly articulate their mission as well as their overall labor needs. Processes should be in place to monitor staff size to avoid layoffs. In terms of performance evaluation, each employee is to be regularly evaluated for the work he or she does and the church employer is to review work performance prior to any pay adjustments. When necessary, the church employer should take steps to improve work performance.
Strengthening Workplace Relationships: Communication The church employer must inform the employees about the state of the organization and facilitate communication during
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The church employer needs to ensure that every full-time adult worker receives a living wage. they can pursue a path of continual renewal and improvement. NACPA’s believes this Self-Audit is helpful to church workplaces in their commitment to integrate best business practices with Gospel values in their human resource systems. NACPA has identified seven major components of a comprehensive HR system for implementing just personnel policies and procedures [see box]. These key elements were articulated again when NACPA collaborated with the USCCB sub-committee on lay ministry on the Ministerial Workplace section of Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord, published by USCCB in 2005.
leadership transitions. A comprehensive HR system requires that church employers provide written personnel policies and procedures that apply to all staff — whether priests, religious or lay, a job description that is reviewed and updated for each position, and also orientation for new employees. The church as employer ensures that there are clear lines of accountability and that supervisors communicate regularly with employees about job responsibilities.
Strengthening Workplace Relations: Respect Belief in the dignity of the human person is key to maintaining respect. In 2005, the USCCB identified seven major themes in Catholic social teaching. One of these was the dignity of work and the rights of workers. The bishops emphasized once again that work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected — the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative. The fundamental legal framework of church employers provides for fair treatment and utilizes due process and other forms of dispute resolution. Recognizing the benefit of diversity, justice demands that the work environment is safe and friendly to all, does not tolerate any workplace harassment, and respects employee confidentiality. Just personnel policies and procedures encourage employees to participate in policy development, appropriately delegate decision-making, provide employees with needed resources and recognize the services of employees regularly.
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For over thirty-seven years NACPA has promoted comprehensive church personnel systems that integrate Catholic social teaching and sound management principles so that just personnel polices and procedures are implemented. In 2001 in his Labor Day Statement, Cardinal Roger Mahoney, asserted that “today, despite the remarkable changes in technology, science, international politics, and social conditions, the theme of work is still a major focus of our national agenda and a touchstone in the developing global economy.” NACPA and its members stand ready to continue this long history of collaboration with church leaders at all levels to ensure that there is just treatment for all those who work for the church. S Mary Jo Moran, PhD, is executive director of the National Association of Church Personnel Administrators (NACPA).
Enhancing Potential: Employee Development Employee development is crucial for the growth and prosperity of any organization. The more capable and qualified the employees the better the performance of the organization. The church employer must have essential elements for staff training in place, regularly assess the training needs of employees and offer work-related educational opportunities to its employees. Supervisors should be trained in effective supervisory practices and the organization should sponsor coaching and mentoring programs and encourage networking with colleagues. Succession planning for key positions as well as sabbatical and spiritual development programs enhance employee development.
Ending the Workplace Relationship: Separation Just treatment requires that the church employer conduct exit interviews with all employees — regardless of reason for separation. The church employer must follow fair reduction-in-force procedures and provide outplacement and severance assistance as part of reduction-in-force. Clear guidelines should be followed in the case of employee dismissal and in some cases the church employer should provide outplacement and severance. Finally, employees need to have retirement planning assistance. — Mary Jo Moran Copies of Just Treatment for Those Who Work for the Church, The Individual and the Institution: Strengthening Working Relationships in the Church and Church Workplace Standards: A Self Audit are available at NACPA, 100 East 8th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202-2129. Telephone: 513-421-3134.
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BOOKS IN THE NEWS
HOW WILL LIVING IN HOPE TRANSFORM MY MINISTRY? On Christian Hope: Spe Salvi by Benedict XVI. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2007. Published in the United States by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC, 2007. Publication No. 7-039. Reviewed by Christopher Weber If you want a resounding impression of Salve Spe, the remarkable encyclical by Pope Benedict XVI, start with paragraph 1, but then turn immediately to paragraphs 30 and 31. Benedict’s summary of the first six sections of the letter offers an eloquent exposition of what it means to be “saved by hope.” These paragraphs drove home for me the importance of this letter for our ministry to the church — and to the world. Building on his first encyclical, God is Love (Deus Caritas Est), Benedict asserts that the unconditional love of God is the grounding point for our very existence, and, ultimately, the key to a true and lasting hope. The God who remains the source of our hope is “the God who has a human face and who has loved us to the end, each one of us and humanity in its entirety” (SS, No. 31). Through much of this letter, Benedict demonstrates how placing our hope in anything less than this loving God leaves us unfulfilled and empty. The encyclical is very dense in places, and showcases Benedict the scholar. At the same time, there are some wonderful quotable quotes in here. I found numerous points where Benedict’s clarity and insight stopped me in my tracks and made me reassess my own belief and practice. Spe Salvi raises at least three important challenges for those of us who catechize:
acceptance of the church’s teachings on eternal life. Pope Benedict asserts that Christians propose a lackluster vision of eternal life to the world. For many believers and non-believers alike, eternal life is actually a frightening concept, because we think of “life” as the routine that we slog through, day in, and day out. How boring it would be to be stuck in the drudgery of life for eternity! By contrast to our stereotypical image of listless angels sitting around on clouds, quietly playing their harps, the Pope reminds us of a dynamic vision of eternal life rooted in blissful communion with God: [Eternal life] would be like plunging into the ocean of infinite love, a moment in which time — the before and after — no longer exists...a plunging ever anew into the vastness of being, in which we are simply overwhelmed with joy (SS, No. 12). This, of course, is not a new definition! However, I think he rightly asserts that we have neglected this idea, and have allowed ourselves to be lulled into the immediate comfort of the things we know: earthly relationships, earthly loves, earthly moments of happiness. By taking our eyes off a powerful dream for life eternal, we have inadvertently put aside the very experience that grounds Christian hope: a limitless God who wants nothing less than to be forever, intimately joined in love to those God created.
DO I REALLY WANT ETERNAL LIFE?
Some questions that this poses for my work in catechesis:
I was riveted by Benedict’s section “Eternal life — what is it?” He challenged me to rethink my sometimes blasé
Do I live as if I truly believe in the heavenly life to come? continued on page 14
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HOW WILL LIVING IN HOPE TRANSFORM MY MINISTRY? continued from page 13
When I catechize, do people sense in my joy an authentic vision of eternal life? In my faith community, do we help others experience not just a “little bit of heaven on earth,” but also a foretaste of the glory to come?
IS MY HOPE TRULY ROOTED
IN
GOD?
Benedict spends considerable time detailing how modern society has replaced faith in God with what he calls “faith in progress” (SS, No. 17). In remarkably few pages, he details how historical revolutions — industrial, scientific, philosophical and political — have led us to a misplaced confidence in reason and freedom as remedies to society’s ills. Despite the positive accomplishments in just about all areas of human knowing, no political system, technology or philosophy has delivered the “Utopia” promised. No human creation will ever make us truly free. Human reason and freedom, without God, inevitably lead us to choices that dehumanize and enslave others. Spe Salvi calls for the restoration of the right relationship between reason and faith. Far from denying the value of human progress, Benedict simply notes that it must be grounded in the lasting fulfillment of the human person. The only true source for this fulfillment is God. Somehow we need to recover the insight that we are not redeemed by science or reason, but by love (SS, No. 26). While one can easily see the application of these ideas to modern culture and society, I applied them to my work in the church. I found here an urgent reminder to keep God at the center of my ministry. It is too easy to get caught up in the humanity of the church, to be let down by the everyday disappointments that are bound to happen when even the best-intentioned Christians work together. It is also too easy to take personal credit when programs or processes go well. Spe Salvi challenges me to humbly consider: 1. Do I live as if I truly believe God is the source of my breath and life? 2. Am I willing to let go of my own self-importance, and allow the Spirit to guide my work? 3. Without denigrating the need for tasks and programs, does my work center first of all on leading people to an intimate relationship with God in Jesus Christ?
DO I FIND HOPE
IN
GOD’S JUDGMENT?
The section on “‘Settings’ for learning and practicing hope” contains some of the most powerful language of the entire document. Benedict encourages us to let God purify our intentions and will through an intimate encounter of prayer. He asks us to reconsider the value of discovering hope amidst suffering, even that which takes us to the breaking point. He notes that while we should do all that we can to alleviate suffering, we will never eliminate it. We also must never lose sight of the redemptive power of suffering: To suffer with the other and for others; to suffer for the sake of truth and justice; to suffer out of love and in order to become a person who truly loves — these are fundamental elements of humanity, and to abandon them would destroy man himself (SS, No. 39). What struck me as particularly novel in this section was Benedict’s assertion that the judgment of God can nurture hope within us. What an extraordinary thought! Benedict notes that the human longing for justice is a starting point for hope in God. Faced with so much injustice, suffering and cruelty in the modern world, some have despaired of a good and just God. However, the very need for a universal resolution to the problem of evil supports the Christian faith in eternal life, and God’s ultimate victory over the power of sin and death (SS, No. 43). Benedict takes this one step further, applying the idea of justice and judgment to the life of the individual believer. In Christ Jesus, the judge and savior, we are purified as if through fire. Being subject to divine judgment gives us pain, but it is also a stunning experience of the saving power of God: Before his gaze all falsehood melts away. This encounter with him, as it burns us, transforms and frees us, allowing us to become truly ourselves. All that we build during our lives can prove to be mere straw, pure bluster, and it collapses. Yet in the pain of this encounter, when the impurity and sickness of our lives become evident to us, there lies salvation (SS, No. 47). What a beautiful paradox that we not only find hope in God meting out justice on our behalf, but also in the very experience of God judging us! Benedict tells us that the
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judgment of God is hope, because it is both justice and grace (SS, No. 47). I found that I could apply these insights not only to my personal spiritual life, where I encounter God’s judgment, but also to my ministerial life, where I receive the judgment of others. I constantly receive feedback, whether solicited or not, about the many tasks I do in the vineyard of the Lord. On better days, I take criticism as a gift, but I am sure you can guess how the not-so-good days go. Spe Salvi challenges me to look for grace in judgment:
Do I live as if I believe that God’s judgment is not a moment of fear, but a moment of light and love? Do I allow the “purifying fire” of God’s grace into my life, and humbly ask the Lord each day to remove my shortcomings, so I can be a better disciple? Do I leave judgment and justice to God, and pray for others to receive it as grace?
LIVING
THE
CHALLENGE
OF
HOPE
Throughout Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict cites saints and heroes who have been pillars of hope in spite of horrific trials. He ends the letter with a prayer to Mary, Mother of God, whom he deems a “star of hope” for us (SS, No. 49). Spe Salvi is an exhortation for all of us to follow her example, and to shine as living lights of hope in the world. Are we up to the challenge? Global salvation is at stake! As Christians we should never limit ourselves to asking: how can I save myself? We should also ask: what can I do in order that others may be saved and that for them too the star of hope may rise? Then I will have done my utmost for my own personal salvation as well (SS, No. 48). Chris Weber writes from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, where he serves as director of a regional catechetical center, the Catholic Education Ministries Center of Central Maryland. He is a frequent contributor to Catechist Magazine and publishes bi-monthly columns online at http://centralmdcatholic.org.
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from Benedict XVI: Salve Spe ON
ETERNAL LIFE :
Do we really want this — to live eternally? Perhaps many people reject the faith today simply because they do not find the prospect of eternal life attractive...To continue living forever — endlessly — appears more like a curse than a gift. (No. 10)
ON
RELATIONSHIPS WITH
GOD
AND OTHERS :
Life in its true sense is not something we have exclusively in or from ourselves; it is a relationship. And life in its totality is a relationship with him who is the source of life. If we are in relationship with him who does not die, who is Life itself and Love itself, then we are in life. Then we “live.” (No. 27) Christ died for all. To live for him means allowing oneself to be drawn into his being for others. (No. 28) We need the greater and lesser hopes that keep us going day by day. But these are not enough without the great hope, which must surpass everything else. This great hope can only be God, who encompasses the whole of reality and who can bestow upon us what we, by ourselves, cannot attain. (No. 31) Hope in a Christian sense is always hope for others as well. (No. 34)
ON
LOVE AND HOPE :
Only the great certitude of hope that my own life and history in general, despite all failures, are held firm by the indestructible power of Love, and that this gives them their meaning and importance, only this kind of hope can then give the courage to act and to persevere. (No. 35)
ON
JUSTICE AND HOPE :
A world which has to create its own justice is a world without hope. (No. 42) I am convinced that the question of justice constitutes the essential argument, or in any case the strongest argument, in favor of faith in eternal life. (No. 43) God is justice and creates justice. This is our consolation and our hope. And in His justice there is also grace. (No. 44)
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HOUSTON 2008 — TRANSFORMING CATECHESIS continued from page 11
More highlights from the 72nd Annual NCCL Conference and Exposition April 6 – 10
Photo credit: Edward Karnafel
PRAYER
HOSPITALITY
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RESOURCES
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9 Having a great time dancing at the Sadlier event on Monday evening. 10 Michele Harris sharing photos at Our Sunday Visitor’s Sunday brunch. 11 Enjoying the opening reception hosted by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Religion Publishers. 12 One of the many volunteers from the host diocese, Galveston-Houston.
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13 NCCL is a partner in Echoes of Faith Plus, a project that helps develop catechists while supporting the work of NCCL. 14 Getting the pitch in the Exhibit Hall.
15 Blessing of new board members Anne Roat, Peter Ries, and Michele Harris. 16 Final prayer and sending forth: “Take and eat”.
15 Photo credit: Edward Karnafel
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DIOCESAN DIRECTORS’ FORUM
COLLABORATION: THE GOING ALWAYS GETS TOUGH by Martin J. Arsenault Everyone who has been ministering in the church over the past few decades has certainly heard about the importance of collaboration. Those of us in catechetical ministry have no doubt been to many workshops and have read numerous articles on the topic. It is clear that there is a real need for leaders on the diocesan level and on the parish level to collaborate: to recognize gifts, share faith and work in unity for the sake of the mission. As a diocesan director the question for me is this: How do I facilitate a move beyond talking and studying to actually collaborating? I would like to share three steps which I consider vital to this process.
SEEK CONVERSION
TO
COMMITMENT
It begins with commitment. The diocesan director has to have a genuine commitment to collaborative ministry. It has to be a full commitment. We can’t approach collaboration with an “I’ll give it a try” mentality and then say “Well, I guess it doesn’t work” when the going gets tough. The going always gets tough. Why? The reason is discussed in the book Collaborative Ministry by Brother Loughlan Sofield and Sister Carroll Juliano (1987). Basically, the going gets tough because all the people we are trying to collaborate with are in different stages on the way to collaboration. Most of us get stuck in the stage which is characterized by both the desire to collaborate and the fear of what collaboration involves. This stage leads to resistance.
We must cultivate a spirituality of collaboration. How do we move beyond resistance and embrace a commitment to collaboration? I believe that to do this we must cultivate a spirituality of collaboration — a spirituality that recognizes that the Holy Spirit works through the gifts of the entire community. We need to make a deliberate effort to recognize the gifts of all those involved in catechetical ministry and seek ways to bring those gifts together. This involves a real opening to conversion. For diocesan directors it means that our focus has to move beyond
recognizing and affirming the gifts of the directors and coordinators of parish religious education to include recognizing the gifts of our colleagues in other diocesan offices as well as those of pastors, principals, youth ministers, RCIA coordinators and other parish staff as well. They are all leaders in service to the same catechetical mission!
GATHER LEADERS
AND
EXPERIENCE GIFTS
Diocesan directors who are committed to collaboration need to create opportunities to gather all catechetical leaders for common conversations. A good place to begin is with colleagues in other diocesan offices. I’m thinking here particularly of the leadership of the Offices of Catholic Schools, Youth and Young Adult Ministries, and the Office of Worship. Meeting with these colleagues to discuss collaboration, to share common conversations, and to suggest common projects is a great place to begin. When we meet we experience each other’s gifts and grow in our appreciation of colleagues’ values and dedication. Diocesan directors also need to look for ways of gathering parish leaders for common conversations. By gathering those who are working together we can facilitate a movement toward collaboration. Common conversations lead to an appreciation of one another’s gifts and a mutual recognition of values and challenges. Through these events a type of common language and unified thinking can begin to evolve. At the Diocese of Trenton we now regularly hold events which are planned by joint teams from several diocesan offices and to which we invite pastors, principals, directors and coordinators of religious education, youth ministers and RCIA coordinators. We invite them and they come! Through these events the directors and coordinators of religious education have come to appreciate the pastors, principals and youth ministers, as gifted catechetical leaders. In turn pastors, principals, and youth ministers have grown in their understanding of their role as catechetical leaders and in their appreciation of the gifts of the directors and coordinators of religious education.
LIVE
INTO IT!
Diocesan directors need to take a third step: Simply put we should jump in; we should begin to do it; we should act. Making a deliberate choice for collaboration and then taking some steps
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to begin to bring it about is the only way it will happen. Simply talking about it and raising awareness won’t get it done. I am reminded here of something I heard Father Richard Rohr say a few years ago: “You don’t think yourself into a new way of living, you live yourself into a new way of thinking.” While it is important to study collaboration, and particularly to have a substantive conversation about the difficulties and obstacles to collaboration, at some point you have to make the commitment and begin to bring the leaders together. You have to begin to collaborate. It will be messy; it is filled with “turf tensions,” and it is often difficult. However, if you want to wait until you have addressed all the issues and eased all the resistance you will never actually collaborate; you will only talk about collaborating. Diocesan directors need to take the lead here and just find a way to just do it! Martin J. Arsenault is the director of the Office of Catechesis in the Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey and a past chair of NACARE. He serves on the NCCL Representative Council as the representative from the Newark Province and co-chairs the Theoretical Foundations Committee. He may be reached at marsen@dioceseoftrenton.org.
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ECHOES OF FAITH
PLANNING FOR SUCCESS USING THE ECHOES PLUS PROGRAM DIRECTOR’S MANUAL
by Jo Rotunno Catechist formation is one of the most important challenges a DRE faces. As Ed Gordon points out in the introductory article of the new Echoes Plus Program Director’s Manual, catechist formation is absolutely critical to the strength of the Catholic faith community: “It insures the presence of competent, confident catechists who share their love of God and the Church with others.” Whether you are a catechetical leader at the diocesan or parish level, planning for the formation of your community of catechists is important work for the summer months. The new Echoes Program Director’s Manual (PDM) is complete and ready to assist you. If you’ve never used Echoes before or are unfamiliar with the structure of the new Echoes Plus, begin by reading the introductory articles. In addition to Ed Gordon’s article, “The Importance of Catechist Formation,” you’ll find articles on the value of Echoes in parish-based formation, models for implementing the program, an overview of the Echoes modules, and a workshop model for introducing the Echoes framework to your catechists. The next section in the PDM includes support materials for using the bonus interviews now included on every DVD. You’ll find a session outline that provides a simple format for turning any bonus interview into a 90-minute to two-hour training session. This format is followed by descriptions of the content and discussion questions for each interview. The theology interviews
can also provide a foundation for adult faith formation sessions. In the next section you’ll find a feature that has been requested by many diocesan directors and parish catechetical leaders — a summary of content for the entire Echoes of Faith Plus project. We’ve conveniently placed page breaks after the content outline for each module so that you can use these pages as handouts for your catechists as you use each module. Summaries of content for the bonus interviews are also included. Rounding out this section are two helpful features: a list of the running times for the four segments of each module and for each bonus interview, and a correlation of all of the five theology modules to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The final section in the PDM includes a variety of forms to assist parish catechetical leaders in their planning. You’ll find a catechist profile form for the use of new and returning catechists that includes a section for catechists to use in developing a growth plan. In addition, you’ll find a format for an endof-year catechist interview, a record-keeping form for Echoes use, and a generic Certificate of Completion form to acknowledge a catechist’s successful use of each module. Steven Ellair, RCL Benziger senior editor, guided the development of this Program Director’s Manual and I’m grateful to him for bringing it to you in a timely manner. We hope that this 80-page resource, every page of which is fully reproducible, will be a great help to you in your planning for the upcoming catechetical year.
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Harcourt Religion Publishers is proud to partner with the Center for Ministry Development. Since 1978, the Center has been creating approaches and resources for lifelong, intergenerational faith formation centered in Church life. For more information, visit us online at www.harcourtreligion.com
Since 1832, William H. Sadlier, Inc. has been a family owned and managed publisher dedicated to developing quality catechetical materials that address the needs of the Catholic community. William H. Sadlier, Inc. • 9 Pine Street New York, NY 10005-1002 • 800.221.5175
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Catechetical Leader (ISSN: 1547-7908) is published six times a year by the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL), 125 Michigan Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20017. Authors’ views do not necessarily reflect those of NCCL. Letters to the editor and submissions of news items are encouraged. Send to Catechetical Leader at the address above or email nccl@nccl.org.
years, $54. NCCL members receive Catechetical Leader as a part of membership. To subscribe, send name and address with check or credit card number to NCCL at address above. Bulk rate subscriptions: 2–5 subscriptions, $22 each; 6–10 subscriptions, $20; 11–20, $18; 21 or more, $16. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NCCL, 125 Michigan Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20017.
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ning. us at
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NOTABLE RESOURCES Books, websites, and media for the enrichment of the parish catechetical leader. Compiled by Dan Pierson
In his welcome letter to the NCCL ’72 Annual Conference, Transforming Catechesis, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo reminded catechetical leaders that the ministry of catechesis has become more and more important as we serve diverse communities. Thus, our responsibilities as professional leaders in our dioceses and parishes call us to be constantly updated. The presentations, networking, and exhibits motivated us to continue our commitment to continuing education. (Note: Some of the presentations are available from the NCCL office.) Ron Rolheiser received a standing ovation at the completion off his presentation, Naming the Present Faith-Moment: The Struggle to be Missionaries to Our Own Children. He believes that the toughest missionary field in the world today is our highly secular culture, our own cities, and our own children. Rolheiser explored the attitudes, pastoral strategies and personal and ecclesial maturity that is needed for the task. Many of these ideas are further developed in his book, Secularity and the Gospel: Being Missionaries to Our Children, winner of the Catholic Press Award. Rolhieser is the author of one of the most significant and bestselling books on spirituality, The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality (1999). In this book he develops a Christian spirituality that he believes offers some definite direction for seekers. At the heart of a healthy Christian spiritual life there must be four essentials: “private prayer and private morality; social justice; mellowness of heart and spirit; and community as a constitutive element of true worship.” At the base of Christian spirituality, he notes, is the Incarnation of God in human flesh. Rolheiser’s program for Christian spirituality is reminiscent of the best work of Henri Nouwen and Daniel Berrigan. (Publishers Weekly) Rolheiser is a member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and is the president of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. As speaker, columnist and author, Rolheiser maintains a website and writes a weekly column which appears in a variety of diocesan newspapers. For a complete list of books, articles, columns and speaking engagements visit www.ronrolheiser.com. John L. Allen, Jr., the Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and a Vatican analyst for CNN and National Public Radio, concluded the conference with his address, MegaTrends in Catholicism. The Forces Turning the Catholic Church Upside Down.
He discussed the new forces that are reshaping our global church. These include a world church, evangelical Catholicism, expanding lay roles, globalization and ecology. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Miami Herald, The Nation, and many other publications. His internet column, “The Word from Rome,” is considered by knowledgeable observers to be the best single source of insights on Vatican affairs in the English language. His most recent book is The Rise of Benedict XVI and All the Pope’s Men: The Inside Story of How the Vatican Really Thinks. For a complete list of his books, visit his publisher Doubleday at randomhouse.com/doubleday. Allen writes a weekly column for the National Catholic Reporter (NCRcafe.org) and throughout the week posts news items as daily updates at johnallen.ncrcafe.org.
LIFELONGFAITH ASSOCIATES Congratulations to John Roberto, founder of LifelongFaith Associates. Many of us remember John as the founder of the Center for Youth Ministry, which eventually became the Center for Ministry Development. John was the creator of Generations of Faith, a parish based process and resources for engaging all members in faith formation. Through www.lifelongfaith.com, and the work of LifelongFaith Associates, Roberto said, “we are hoping to build a network of congregations committed to providing lifelong faith formation for all ages and generations.” LifelongFaith Associates publishes a monthly e-newsletter and the Quarterly Journal, Lifelong Faith, which focuses on the theory and practice of lifelong faith formation and four summer seminars designed to help church leaders and educators nourish faith at home through Christian practices in their daily lives. Seminars will be offered in San Francisco, CA, Chicago, IL, Farmington, CT and St. Paul, MN. For additional information visit www.lifelongfaith.com. Dan Pierson served as the Director of Religious Education for the Diocese of Grand Rapids for 17 years. He is the founder of faithAlivebooks.com and works part-time with the Pflaum Publishing Group in bookstore and distributor sales. Contact: danpierson@faithalivebooks.com.
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CROSSWORD
PERSONNEL JUSTICE by Megan Anechiarico ACROSS 1 10 12 13
Office or cubicle – 2 words Overall work conditions Personnel information Institute for Urban Ecology – acronym 14 Popular sandwich cookie 16 Frighteningly mysterious – var. 17 Personnel information – abbrs. for taxpayer ID and higher ed. records 19 Dynamic or space 21 Frequent vacation spots – acronym 22 Addressed to a 60s American Beat grp. 24 Original, personal, or social 25 Iron symbol 26 Strive for (2 words), between Sioux Falls state and Cleveland state postal abbrs. 28 VHS record speed 29 Chicago’s state postal abbr. 30 Aviation – abbr. 31 ___ Maria 32 Sodium symbol 33 Privacy policy for personnel information 34 Baseball pitcher’s stat 35 Employment Standards Administration – abbr. 36 Former South African political party – abbr. 37 Little Rock’s state postal abbr. 38 Dorothy’s aunt
39 Marriage of a German motorcycle and a Roman jurist 42 Directional preposition 43 To author, backwards 45 Jumble for a place where mer people might live 46 “ ___ death do us part.” 47 Baptismal basin, backwards 49 Gas mileage from NY to LA 50 Unapproved military absence 51 Duration of employment 53 Academy of European History – acronym 54 One of Columbus’ ships, backwards 55 Dismissing or resigning from employment 58 Fair and just treatment
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16 Performing economically 17 Acceptably recognized personnel principles 18 Continuing to employ or hold a position 20 Receiving wages – 2 words 22 Mentor 23 Rerum _____ 26 Less hazardous working conditions 27 Assists 40 Island state for vacation time
41 Greek and English alphabet beginnings 44 Robert Frost or W. B. Yeats 46 Offshoot 48 Clear, as in one’s schedule 50 Grandmother of Jesus 52 Actor Anthony Quinn, formally informal 54 Take a sick day 56 Greek letter 57 Consumption – abbr.
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Exploring the Future of Catechesis Every leader, whether he or she is responsible for a parish, a diocesan office, a national organization, or a business enterprise, shares one thing in common: each has the responsibility to plan for the future of that organization. There are no exceptions to this rule, not even for those of us engaged in the ministry of catechesis. Whether we work in Catholic schools, religious education, youth ministry, or catechetical publishing, we all have the responsibility of trying to look into the future to determine what lies ahead for our ministry. RCL Benziger, a member of the CFM Publishing Group, was formed in 2007 in order to best serve the evolving ministry of catechesis in the United States. We are committed to dialoguing with all dimensions of the catechetical community in order to identify the critical issues impacting the ministry and strategize ways to strengthen the mission. In order to facilitate a deep and meaningful discussion on catechesis in all its many forms, RCL Benziger is holding a symposium to explore the future of catechesis. The symposium will be held from Wednesday, June 18, through Friday, June 20, in Baltimore, Maryland. We will be gathering there with more than thirty people from across the nation, leading voices in their fields representing the many different aspects of catechesis, who have been invited to join in what promises to be an exciting conversation. The Symposium Will focus on Four Key Areas: (1) Who will be the catechetical leaders of the future? Where will they come from? What will they look like? What needs to be done to prepare them for their roles? This discussion will be introduced with a presentation from Dr. Thomas Walters, a noted researcher and a professional catechetical leader in his own right. (2) What will catechetical materials look like? How will they be used most effectively? Sr. Catherine Dooley, OP will introduce this discussion by exploring the evolution of catechetical materials during the past 50 years.
(3) What challenges will we face in catechesis? How will the changes to American society and Catholic communities influence the effectiveness of our catechesis? Dr. Michael Horan, a noted catechetical scholar, will establish the framework for this conversation. (4) How will the growing Hispanic population change the way we think about catechesis? Some predictions indicate that more than half of the Catholic Church in the USA will be of Spanish descent by the year 2020. How will this affect the way we think about and do catechesis? This conversation will be introduced by Maruja Sedano, the director of the office of faith formation for the Archdiocese of Chicago, and a long time advocate for the needs of Hispanic catechesis. The purpose of the symposium is to begin a conversation among the many different groups responsible for catechesis at the national and local level. We will not attempt to reach conclusions or develop processes for responding to these future needs; those tasks are beyond what a symposium can accomplish. However, we believe that there is value in the act of dialogue, gathering with others to speak about an issue that is so important to us all. Through this dialogue we hope to raise critical issues and ideas that will spur ongoing conversations well into the future. The symposium is just the first stage of this conversation. It is our intention to publish on the internet the talks and the proceedings from the symposium and then make them available to all of the Catholic bishops of the United States, and to every diocesan office for Catholic schools, religious education, and youth ministry. Our hope is that every diocese will then use these materials to hold similar conversations at the local level. We plan to provide resources to assist dioceses to hold these conversations and will invite them to share their results with the rest of the country on our website. If you have questions concerning the symposium, feel free to contact Daniel Mulhall at 410-693-7971. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for making this event a valuable tool for everyone engaged in the ministry of catechesis.
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