Tenth Sunday of the Year - 05.06.2016

FATHER LIAM SAYS: A few words about my fifty years as a priest would probably be expected at this time.  A year before I was ordained the Diocese of Southwark was divided into two unequal parts and our Diocese of Arundel and Brighton came into being.  Priests who were serving in the parishes that made up the new diocese were now deemed to belong to Arundel and Brighton.  Students in various seminaries who had been accepted as candidates to serve in the Diocese of Southwark were told that two-thirds of them would serve in Southwark and one third serve in the new Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.  Having expected to spend most of my priesthood in South London I was now told that Surrey and Sussex would be my field of labour.  Not that Surrey and Sussex were in any great hurry to fit me in.  I thought that within a couple of weeks after Ordination I would be told by my new Bishop, David Cashman, where he was appointing me.  Instead I did not hear a word for almost three months!  I had begun to wonder if they had forgotten about me.  The truth is that in those days many dioceses in England had plenty of priests.  We were never told that when they were appealing for Irish priests to join them!  Virtually every parish had at least two priests.  Parish Priests in those days did not resign, many of them were infirm but the senior curate simply did the necessary.

Not that any of the parish priests in the parishes that I ministered in was particularly infirm, but some did find it very difficult to come to terms with the Second Vatican Council.  As a very young priest I remember being asked more than once why there was no Parish Council in the parish.  Though some of those who approached me were much older than me they would never ask the parish priest questions like that.  My reply to them was: ‘Friend, go up higher’, words that Jesus spoke in a very different context.  I was genuinely surprised that people found it so difficult to speak to their parish priest about the life of their parish. 

I served as an assistant priest in three parishes, in one of which there were two assistant priests.  There hasn’t been an assistant priest in any of these parishes for many years now.  In fact there are very few parishes in our diocese with more than one priest and many with no resident priest.  I think in those days there were too many priests.  Nowadays people have a far greater realisation that the parish is their responsibility.  Priests come and go at the discretion of the bishop or as a result of circumstances.  The function of a priest is to serve the community and encourage the parish members to discover what gifts they have for building up the Kingdom of God.  When priests abounded there was a tendency on their part to monopolise parish life and to downplay the contribution of the parishioners.

Many priests were frustrated that the vision of the Second Vatican Council was not being given proper expression.  Some of them left the active ministry.  At the same time there was a severe drop in the number of priests being ordained in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  In a relatively short period of time we have moved from having too many priests to being in danger of having a severe shortage.  The worry is that in ten years time the situation will have noticeably changed with a large proportion of our active priests being now over sixty-five. With very few candidates in formation there is a real concern about how the life of our Catholic parishes can be maintained.

If we ask how the Catholic community will sustain their faith in twenty years from now, the answer can only be worrying.  The First Communicants of today will be almost thirty years old then.  Many of them will have begun their married life and have children of their own.  Where will they celebrate their Sunday Eucharist?  If there is no priest to gather them around the table of the Lord in their parish church how will the local community of faith survive?

Fifty years ago I was surprised that parishioners seemed so reluctant to approach their parish priest with their concerns.  Today I think that there should be more consultations between the Bishops of England and Wales and the people of their parishes concerning where we are now and what options we have for the future.  This is what Pope Francis would ask us to do.  He has said that if Conferences of bishops come to him with their concerns and the concerns of their people he will do what is in his power to ensure that the flock of Christ is nourished and fed.  This after all is what shepherds are supposed to do.