Thoughts and Ponderings - No.2 (Part – I)

Continuing from my post on No. 1, this is the second of a four-part series by the Vicar of Planning of our Archdiocese of Milwaukee. (There are four parts with No. 2 is in two parts, like St. Thomas's Summa Theologiae.) Number 2 is on stewardship. He begins with a selection of pertinent Bible passages about a good steward. My late suggestion is Luke 14:28-30.

We get to specifics at point 6. Our Archdiocese of Milwaukee is divided into sixteen districts (see this earlier post). The districts supposedly were created to facilitate communication.

But nowadays communication by means of district meetings is less a need because of the increased use of emails, cell phones and websites on the internet.

That isn't such a big change from what could be done using a regular telephone and a fax machine.

Today, our growing need in the archdiocese is for a more coordinated approach to ministry that pools the talents of the clergy and laity alike, especially as fewer priests are available for fulltime active ministry.

In Number 1, he estimated the decline in priests will level off at 100 to 120. In light of that, it seems impractical that, when he suggests consolidating districts, he as a result suggests priest Deans would then devote most of their time to this administrative position rather than their parish work. That would take most of the time of almost one-tenth of the then-available priests away from their parishes.