I suppose that all of us “train to fight the last war.” We know what has worked in the past, and we rely on those strategies. There comes a time, though, when we need to do long-range planning with an honest examination of the circumstances and the available resources. That is part of what Bishop Zubik is trying to do with On Mission for the Church Alive!, the initiative which he announced in the letter we read at all the Masses last weekend. If you missed the reading of the letter or want to look more deeply into it, a copy of the letter is included with this week’s bulletin. We will all hear much more about it in the coming months. Today I would like to make a few brief comments on the initiative as we set out.
Bishop Zubik intends to make long-term plans for the health of our diocese, including the parishes, schools and other institutions. As Catholics, any such planning has to begin with certain eternal truths such as the promise of Christ to be with His Church always and His presence in ways such as the Eucharist. The Magisterium (teaching authority) of the Church gives us a solid foundation to build upon. Beyond that, however, we have to be open to new possibilities. We face the changing demographics of Western Pennsylvania and the declining number of priests, in addition to an increasingly secular society. Thus we have to be creative in looking for how the Church will communicate the eternal truths in our modern society. We have to understand where we are without simply fighting the last war.
What strikes me most clearly is that Bishop Zubik is taking a very positive approach to the realities that confront us. There are serious challenges, but this is also an opportunity for evangelization and for a renewed devotion to the grace of Christ. It is a call for us to trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to trust in Christ’s promise to His Apostles. Rather than simply trying to maintain the status quo as best we can, this is an opportunity for the Church to grow and be more vibrant. For such a large task, the bishop recognized that we need to engage the help of people whose specialty is creating such long-term plans. I am thankful that he has chosen, from several very qualified organizations, Catholic Leadership Institute. This is the organization that presents the Good Leaders, Good Shepherds program which many of our local priest, including both Fr. Michael Maranowski and I, have taken part in. There are people in this organization who have come to know the Diocese of Pittsburgh and to recognize our unique strengths, and I am confident that they will be very effective.
Father H
