Basic Truths About The Parish: Who? What? Why? How?
By Monsignor Vincent J. Grimalia, V.G.
 

As we prepare for another phase in Called to Holiness and Mission: Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Scranton, it is important to focus on foundational truths about the parish. The parish is mission – its purpose is to continue the mission of Jesus Christ. Through its evangelizing and reconciling mission, the parish centered on the Eucharist is a sign of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church in a particular location.

It may have a glorious history but it is not a museum. A parish has a great history because it responded effectively to the circumstances and challenges of the 19th and 20th centuries. A parish must celebrate its past and honor it by preparing for a mission appropriate to the circumstances and challenges of the 21st century. It is necessary to understand what a parish is, what its mission is, and how it accomplishes its mission.

Who and What Is a Parish?

Several documents of the Second Vatican Council describe a parish, and it is worthwhile to review these teachings as we prepare for spiritual and pastoral renewal through Called to Holiness and Mission.

In the document Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Second Vatican Council described a parish in these words, with attention on the relation of the parish with the bishop and the importance of developing a community within the parish, with the diocese and the universal Church: “But because it is impossible for the bishop always and everywhere to preside over the whole flock in his Church, he cannot do other than establish lesser groupings of the faithful. Among these the parishes, set up locally under a pastor who takes the place of the bishop, are the most important: for in some manner they represent the visible Church constituted throughout the world. And therefore the liturgical life of the parish and its relationship to the bishop must be fostered theoretically and practically among the faithful and clergy; efforts also must be made to encourage a sense of community within the parish, above all in the common celebration of the Sunday Mass.”

This teaching led to the definition of a parish in Canon 515 of the Code of Canon Law: “A parish is a certain community of the Christian faithful stably constituted in a particular church (diocese), whose pastoral care is entrusted to a pastor as its proper pastor under the authority of the diocesan bishop.”

Notice the parish is people, not a building; that a parish is related to a bishop as part of a diocese; it is a gathering together of people into a community of the faithful for the purpose of fulfilling its mission.

In the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium, #26, we learn of the Eucharist as foundation and center of the parish and the importance of proclaiming and witnessing to the Word of God (evangelization): “This Church of Christ is truly present in all legitimate local congregations of the faithful which, united with their pastors, are themselves called churches in the New Testament. For in their locality these are the new People called by God, in the Holy Spirit and in much fullness. In them the faithful are gathered together by the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, and the mystery of the Lord’s Supper is celebrated, that by the food and blood of the Lord’s body the whole brotherhood may be joined together.

“In any community of the altar, under the sacred ministry of the bishop, there is exhibited a symbol of that charity and ‘unity of the mystical Body, without which there can be no salvation.’ In these communities, though frequently small and poor, or living in the Diaspora, Christ is present, and in virtue of His presence there is brought together one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. For ‘the partaking of the body and blood of Christ does nothing other than make us be transformed into that which we consume.’”

The parish centered on the Eucharist has a mission to accomplish. It has a reason for its existence. It is necessary from time to time to see if a parish is necessary or effective in a particular location. Called to Holiness and Mission is one way of looking at how the Diocese of Scranton is fulfilling its mission. Parish self-study through the efforts of the pastor, Parish Pastoral Council, Parish Finance Council and members of the parish is also an ongoing and helpful process.

What Is Parish Mission?

The parish is of its very nature a mission and a people who are sent on mission. In Ad Gentes, #37, we are instructed that every Christian and every Christian community must share in the mission of the Church and has a missionary responsibility: “But since the People of God lives in communities, especially in dioceses and parishes, and becomes somehow visible in them, it is also up to these to witness Christ before the nations.”

Through Baptism and Confirmation, all members of the Church are gifted and share in the responsibility of continuing the mission of Christ. We must develop a deeper awareness of vocation, mission and stewardship of time, talent, gifts and resources.

In Apostolicam Actuositatem, #9, we read: “The laity carry out their manifold apostolate both in the Church and in the world. In both areas there are various opportunities for apostolic activity. We wish to list here the more important fields of action, namely, church communities, the family, youth, the social milieu, and national and international levels. Since in our times women have an ever more active share in the whole life of society, it is very important that they participate more widely also in the various fields of the Church’s apostolate.”

This document brings attention to the role of the laity and the relation of the parish to the diocese. Pope John Paul II in Christifideles Laici continued and developed the thinking of this document, and both are available on the Vatican website. Pope John Paul described the parish as a “cell” of the diocese and more recently, Pope Benedict XVI described the parish as the “connective tissue” of the diocese. It is important that whenever we think of parish we also think of the diocese, and when we think of the diocese that we also think of parishes. The relation of the parish and diocese is seen in terms of communion, as a network of communities, sharing in a common mission.

There is always a danger that a parish can develop a congregational attitude or a sense of parochialism that neglects being part of a diocese or fails to see its relationship with other parishes or Catholic institutions. When the understanding and practice of communion is lost, the catholicity of the parish is diminished. When the mission of the parish is not kept in focus, likewise its very purpose is compromised. The mutual sharing of gifts and resources of people and communities promotes catholicity, communion and co-responsibility in the mission of the parish and diocese. Hopefully the spiritual and pastoral renewal of the diocese will promote an awareness of mission and communion.

Further insights come from #10 of Apostolicam Actuositatem. This document continues to bring to light pertinent information about the parish and the responsibility of the baptized to share in the mission of the Church in these words:

“As sharers in the role of Christ as priest, prophet, and king, the laity have their work cut out for them in the life and activity of the Church. Their activity is so necessary within the Church communities that without it the apostolate of the pastors is often unable to achieve its full effectiveness. In the manner of the men and women who helped Paul in spreading the Gospel (cf. Acts 18:18, 26; Rom. 16:3) the laity with the right apostolic attitude supply what is lacking to their brethren and refresh the spirit of pastors and of the rest of the faithful (cf. 1 Cor. 16:17-18). Strengthened by active participation in the liturgical life of their community, they are eager to do their share of the apostolic works of that community. They bring to the Church people who perhaps are far removed from it, earnestly cooperate in presenting the word of God especially by means of catechetical instruction, and offer their special skills to make the care of souls and the administration of the temporalities of the Church more efficient and effective.

“The parish offers an obvious example of the apostolate on the community level inasmuch as it brings together the many human differences within its boundaries and merges them into the universality of the Church. (1) The laity should accustom themselves to working in the parish in union with their priests, (2) bringing to the Church community their own and the world’s problems as well as questions concerning human salvation, all of which they should examine and resolve by deliberating in common. As far as possible the laity ought to provide helpful collaboration for every apostolic and missionary undertaking sponsored by their local parish.

“They should develop an ever-increasing appreciation of their own diocese, of which the parish is a kind of cell, ever ready at their pastor’s invitation to participate in diocesan projects. Indeed, to fulfill the needs of cities and rural areas, (3) they should not limit their cooperation to the parochial or diocesan boundaries but strive to extend it to interparochial, interdiocesan, national, and international fields. This is constantly becoming all the more necessary because the daily increase in mobility of populations, reciprocal relationships, and means of communication no longer allow any sector of society to remain closed in upon itself.

“Thus they should be concerned about the needs of the people of God dispersed throughout the world. They should especially make missionary activity their own by giving material or even personal assistance. It is a duty and honor for Christians to return to God a part of the good things that they receive from Him.”

How Does A Parish Accomplish Its Mission?

The parish certainly needs to prayerfully keep its focus on its evangelizing and reconciling mission: To proclaim and to witness in word and action the Good News of God’s love and the call to continuing conversion. The parish is based on the Eucharist and teaches and lives a Eucharistic spirituality that complements the Mass and Eucharistic devotion outside of Mass. Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter Dominicae Cenae notes:

“The authentic sense of the Eucharist becomes of itself the school of active love for neighbor. We know that this is the true and full order of love that the Lord has taught us: ‘By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.’ The Eucharist educates us to this love in a deeper way; it shows us, in fact, what value each person, our brother or sister, has in God’s eyes, if Christ offers Himself equally to each one, under the species of bread and wine. If our Eucharistic worship is authentic, it must make us grow in awareness of the dignity of each person. The awareness of that dignity becomes the deepest motive of our relationship with our neighbor.

“We must also become particularly sensitive to all human suffering and misery, to all injustice and wrong, and seek the way to redress them effectively. Let us learn to discover with respect the truth about the inner self that becomes the dwelling place of God present in the Eucharist. Christ comes into the hearts of our brothers and sisters and visits their consciences. How the image of each and every one changes, when we become aware of this reality, when we make it the subject of our reflections! The sense of the Eucharistic Mystery leads us to a love for our neighbor, to a love for every human being.”

A parish is a community of Baptized people who are called to share in the mission of the Church. Parishioners need to be informed and motivated to fulfill their responsibility for the mission that continues in the Church. It is important that there is a sense of stewardship of gifts and resources so that the mission of the parish can be accomplished.

Likewise an understanding of catholicity helps people to understand the importance of cooperating and sharing among and between parishes and with the mission of the diocese; to see the parish as a “cell” or “connective tissue” of the diocese. Promoting the spiritual and pastoral renewal of our parishes will help them to be more clearly and effectively a sign of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ responding to the challenge to evangelize people and cultures in our time.