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Parish History Missions Growth, of course, brings other problems. There is a shortage of clergy: some of this is due to a fall in vocations, but as much can be attributed to the great increase in new parishes and Mass centres in the past fifty years. One scenario for the future may well be that of more lay responsibility. We may have to become responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of our churches and Mass centres, for the organisation of parish life, for catechetics, for adult formation, for evangelisation. These may all become the responsibility of lay folk served by a visiting priest or a team ministry based outside the parish. The existing comfortable pattern of attending services in the main organised by the parish priest may disappear. Apart from Mass, many services may be led by lay ministers; Stations of the Cross and Holy Hours for example. We may even have to make do with one Mass on Holidays of Obligation and accept Eucharistic Ministry at other times. This may be part of Christ's plan for his Church. The priesthood of the people has always been a teaching of the Church and runs through Scripture from the Old Testament, through the Epistles, and restated by Vatican II. We do not confuse this with the ordained priesthood, it is of a lesser order, but it is the vocation of all baptised Christians. We may be being called to take it up as did Christians of the Early Church. Collaborative Ministry has been established with groups of laypeople set up as stewards of such aspects of parish life as Evangelism (catechetics, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, Prayer and Bible Study etc), of Liturgy (Eucharistic Ministry, Readers, Musicians), of Justice and Peace issues, of maintenance of the fabric of parish buildings, of promotion of the social life of the parish. Typical of the capabilities of parishioners was the organisation of a Parish Mission in 1997. With guidance from a visiting team, a whole week of events aimed at spiritual renewal was organised by parishioners and parish groups. It was a very successful programme spreading beyond the confines of the parish to embrace other churches and the whole community.
Another change over the years has been the recognition that a parish is not a club for its members but an agency for the spread of the Gospel message in the community. This, in keeping with the spirit of Vatican II, may perhaps be best and most effectively done in partnership with the town’s other churches. The search for unity among Christians goes on, a long and sometimes painful process. But working together to influence the life of the community has proved to be one of the most fruitful areas of growth. Our first parishioners would have lived in an atmosphere of suspicion and even hostility. They would, if still living, be astonished at the friendship and co-operation abroad today, and would probably have rejoiced to see the Catholic Church fully accepted into the life of the nation.
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