Father, Receive These Gifts

Pope Francis, in his 2016 annual meeting of the pontifical academies, called for local parishes to be “oases of beauty, peace, acceptance.” This is consistent with the Church being “Mother of us all” (Gal 4:26) — a place where all can be fed … [Read more...]

Parochial Solipsism

It is not excessive to suggest that three quarters of the life of the American pastor is consumed with administrative governance. He is, for all intents and purposes, the head of a small business. He hires and fires, reviews budgets, … [Read more...]

Best Practices for Clergy Assignment Boards

This is an assembly of some best practices for clergy assignment boards, gleaned from examples in dioceses across the U.S., encountered while doing numerous assessments of chanceries relative to best practices at the request of their … [Read more...]

Vibrant Isn’t about Busy: Organizing Parish Life for Discipleship

Our parishes are busy. Many seem to be vibrant with activity. Yet activity alone is no guarantee that a parish contains discipling communities ... where relationships that allow for apprenticeship in the Christian life abound ... … [Read more...]