Parish priests in search of ‘lost sheep’

Every year, parish priests get together for a live-in during which they reflect on a particular theme related to their mission and the pastoral challenges of their duties. These annual encounters, complemented with the experiences shared during the parish priests’ regular meetings, are now giving birth to a set of guidelines.

A document prepared by the College of Parish Priests lists the basic aspects in the life of a parish priest, namely the parish priest as a man of God, the spirituality of communion, evangelisation and catechesis, relations with lay persons and the choice of the poor. They are intended to help parish priests keep themselves focused on their office, working in communion with the bishop and among themselves.

The parish is a privileged place to announce the Word of God. It is, therefore, encouraging to see parish priests seeking to help themselves be better prepared, disposed, orientated and focused for the pastoral demands, primarily that of proclaiming Christ, especially to the new generations. Which, admittedly, is no easy task nowadays.

The proper function of the parish priest is to guide the community as shepherd. It stems from his unique relation with Christ and involves a sharing in His work as His servant.

As the proposed guidelines (they have still to be formally adopted) note, the parish priest’s emphasis must be more on being a man of God than on doing. It is thus that he becomes the humble servant of others, open to all, dedicated to bridge-building through the promotion of values such as understanding, solidarity, justice and unity. The thrust of the priest’s witness must reflect this identity.

During his 2010 visit to Malta, Benedict XVI raised the example of St Ġorġ Preca. He described Dun Ġorġ as a priest of remarkable humility, goodness, meekness and generosity, deeply devoted to prayer and with a passion for communicating the truths of the Gospel.

The Pope called on priests to “let him serve as a model and an inspiration for you, as you strive to fulfil the mission you have received to feed the Lord’s flock”.

Terms like evangelisation and catechesis are sometimes understood in an immediate way as things to be done, activities to be organised or programmes to be drawn up and realised. In itself, this is right because proclaiming the Gospel cannot be separated from competent use of the methods and means that are necessary to do it. However, the question of evangelisation and catechesis is more complex. From priests it also requires, for example, the witness of a truly Christian life and discerning, relevant homilies.

The good communication of the truths of the Gospel is fundamental in a priest’s life. Wise preaching takes account of the concrete needs of those whom one addresses. It never seeks to impose arbitrary interpretations. It favours what is truly necessary: a real encounter with God for those entrusted to the priest’s care. The parish community deserves this kind of effectiveness.

The Church faces a process of secularisation with its social and cultural impact. Such a reality gives rise to an urgent need for a fresh and well-planned pastoral approach with deeper constructive pastoral zeal. It also requires acknowledging that the transformation of ordinary pastoral activity is no longer content with caring only for believers who persevere in Christian life but reaching out also to the indifferent, those “tired” of Christian living, those who distance themselves and the ones who, in Church language, are “lost sheep”.