Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
February 22, 2010

Deacons as Co-Workers

Monsignor Rubino (“Fraternal Orders,” 1/4) might consider adding a seventh suggestion as “advice for young clergy”: View permanent deacons as brothers, co-workers in the vineyard of the Lord. There exists in our church in the United States an unhealthy tension between members of the presbyterate and diaconate communities. Fault can be found with both camps.

(Deacon) Barry Croce

Babylon, N.Y.

A Real Distinction

Pat Fosarelli’s account of her medical and theological career was great (“Healing Faith,” 1/18). Her distinction between the curing of disease and the healing of illness was most informative and comforting.

Mark Gnerro

Baltimore, Md.

Flexibility

Re “Dysfunctional” (Editorial, 2/15): I suspect America will want the filibuster back when the Republicans regain control of the Senate.

Joe Kash

Naperville, Ill.

Awaiting Change

Obama ran on a “change” platform. At the end of the day it is leadership that causes change to happen. Now we have Washington at its worst. Everyone is playing the blame game, including the president. Take a page out of the Clinton presidency. After congressional elections, he was wise enough to move to the center, because that was the only way to get things done. He was not perfect, but he accomplished a lot. Ditto for President Reagan. A leader is expected to get things done. President Obama is well liked, with good intentions. But his decision-making so far is wanting. It reflects a lack of senior political experience, poor judgment or a far left viewpoint. The people want him to succeed and solve our country’s problems. Let’s pray he chooses a different strategy to do so.

Michael J. Barberi

Carlsbad, Calif.

A Volunteer Army Too

I was pleased to see your article “Supporting Lay Ministers” (2/1). Kyle T. Kramer makes strong arguments in support of quality formation and remuneration for all professional lay ecclesial ministers. I want to add to this a call for support of programs to train and form another category of lay pastoral leaders—those who give of themselves as volunteer leaders in our parishes. As director of the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Pastoral Institute, I administer with my staff a three-year program that has trained close to 500 volunteer lay pastoral leaders since 2001. A 2009 survey of these found that 395 persons are currently actively engaged in parish ministry, most of them in more than one ministry.

We are thankful for these leaders, as well as the 240 people currently enrolled in the program, who have answered the call to ministerial leadership, and for the instructors, mentors, retreat leaders and ministry supervisors for them. We pray that many more will accept the challenge to be formed as lay church leaders for the 21st century and for the support of similar programs throughout the country.

Gerald Tortorella

Douglaston, N.Y.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

In this episode of Inside the Vatican, Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell discuss the 2025 Jubilee Year, beginning on Christmas Eve 2024 and ending in January 2026.
Inside the VaticanDecember 26, 2024
Pope Francis gives his Christmas blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world) from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 25, 2024. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)
Pope Francis prayed that the Jubilee Year may become “a season of hope” and reconciliation in a world at war and suffering humanitarian crises as he opened the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve.
Gerard O’ConnellDecember 25, 2024
Pope Francis, after opening the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, gives his homily during the Christmas Mass at Night Dec. 24, 2024. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)
‘If God can visit us, even when our hearts seem like a lowly manger, we can truly say: Hope is not dead; hope is alive and it embraces our lives forever!’
Pope FrancisDecember 24, 2024
Inspired by his friend and mentor Henri Nouwen, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, leader of Ukrainian Catholics in the U.S., invites listeners in his Christmas Eve homily to approach the manger with renewed awe and openness.
PreachDecember 23, 2024