A Word from Your Pastor July 14

Dear Parishioners:

This weekend, many parishes around the Diocese of Columbus are experiencing new priests as their pastors or as their new “parochial vicars” (formerly called associate pastors).  Our custom as a diocese is to start new assignments on the second Tuesday of July each year.  The policy has had some changes through the years, but the timing has been consistent for a long time.

It seems timely to offer explanation of the procedures followed by the Diocese of Columbus so this may be understood.  The first thing to note is that the Bishop of the Diocese is the decision maker in the matter, guided the by Canon Law of the Catholic Church.  Each priest is free to participate by way of offering suggestions and input concerning his own needs and status.  The bishop generally uses a priests’ personnel board to offer suggestions as well.  But the bishop decides and makes the appointment.

In times past, the custom was to have indefinite terms.  That meant that a priest, generally after many years as an “assistant” or having served in special ministries (for example, as chaplain in a hospital, convent or prison, or as a high school teacher), would be appointed as pastor to a parish and would be able to stay there “forever” or until a need in the diocese required his expertise (as understood by the bishop).  Many will remember that their childhood parish had one pastor and several assistants when vocations were abundant.

In the 1980’s there was a move to change the policy to set terms.  When I was in the seminary, the custom began of having pastors serve for a term of five years, renewable once.  Associate pastors had terms of two years, renewable once, with the idea that they would have several stints with different pastors and parishes to prepare them to become pastors.  In 1983, the Code of Canon Law was updated and it stipulated that the pastor’s term would be in six-year increments.

For most of my priesthood, then, the tenure policy has been to have pastors for 6 or 12 years and associate pastors for 2 or 4 years.  In the past decade or so, the policy regarding associate pastors went out of practice, so those who were not pastors had no limit.  They could stay for shorter or longer times depending on the “fit” with parish and pastor.

My own stays in parishes have been pretty stable.  I was in my first assignment at St. Mary’s in Lancaster for three years and then became Vocations Director, which ministry I had for four years.  During that time, I assisted on weekends at St. Brendan in Hilliard.  After a year of study to finish a licentiate degree, I was next at St. Joan of Arc as associate (serving a month as “administrator” between pastors), expecting to be there for four years; as it turned out, was there for only 2-1/2 years instead, being named pastor at Blessed Sacrament in Newark in January 1996.  I was there for 12-1/2 years before being called to serve St. Timothy Church in 2008.  So now, we are beginning our 12^th year together.  How the time has flown by!

So what will happen in 2020?  Only God knows for sure.  If all goes according to policy, at some point in Spring of 2020, the process for determining where I may go next and who will become the next pastor at St. Timothy Church will take place.  If all goes according to usual procedure, there will be a transition July 7, 2020.  In the meantime, my intention is to have both oars in the water.  We can have a wonderful year together celebrating the Sacraments and seeking together to respond to God’s call to us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  God’s Command “is something very near to us, already in our mouths and in our hearts; we have only to carry it out.”