Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, October 12, 2000
Lay ministry
(Continued from page 5)
7. Do you need to go to school in order to
become a lay minister? Yes. The preparation
required depends on the specific kind of ministry.
Lectors and extraordinary ministers of Communion
must have completed a program, usually quite
brief, before they can be commissioned. Those
who are preparing for other ministries, e.g. cate
chist, are often certified for those ministries after
they have completed a course of studies which can
take up to three years. Still others who might be
preparing for a position as pastoral associate or
general pastoral minister may be required to have a
master’s degree in theology, ministry, or a related
field. Each diocese determines the preparation it
expects of its lay ministers.
'll OtiC 6 3
8. Why would someone become a lay minis
ter? Almost all lay ministers report that they are
responding to a “call” from God to give service to
the Church. They find fulfillment in integrating
their faith and work and in working within a
Church environment. They are often encouraged in
this call by their pastor or other members of the
parish. For the Catholic Church, vocation is more
than one’s individual experience and requires also
the confirmation of that call by the bishop or pas
tor. Those who experience that call are willing to
prepare for ministry, often at some financial and
personal cost to themselves. They also realize that
salaries for lay ministers, while they have been
improving, are not the highest.
9. Are lay ministers happy with their experi
ence? Two studies (in 1992 and 1997) by the
The Southern Cross, Page 11
National Pastoral Life Center in New York City
have demonstrated that lay parish ministers are
“enormously satisfied” in their ministry. The more
recent study is even a little more positive than the
first one. More than 90 per cent of those surveyed
agreed or agreed strongly with the following state
ments:
1) “ministry has been affirming to me”;
2) “I am adequately able to develop and use my
talents in my present position”;
3) “my superiors in the parish are satisfied with
my performance as a minister”;
4) “parishioners are satisfied with my perform
ance as a minister”;
5) “my work is recognized and affirmed by the
parishioners I serve.”
Violence
(Continued from page 4)
prevent any of its ethnic minorities
from having autonomy and has been
suffering under almost 13 years of
civil war. Ethiopia and Eritrea fought
a war; finally signing a peace treaty
allowing for Eritrean Independence,
but only recently conflicts have again
erupted between the two countries.
Afghanistan still suffers from the
aftermath of the Soviet occupation
and the U.S. supplying rebels with
arms. Afghanistan is drawing close
to the end of their civil war, now
under a very repressive regime, and
fighters who were in Afghanistan
have transferred their energy to
Pakistan’s fight against India.
Non-violent resistance may not be
the answer to every situation and
may not achieve its goals as quickly
as armed struggle. But the animosity
and mistrust that results from people
fighting against each other often pre
vents them from working together
after the conflict is over.
Part of the philosophy of Mahatma
Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
was to make the oppressors recog
nize the humanity of the people they
are oppressing. Once you recognize
the humanity of another person, it
becomes more difficult to oppress
them without giving up a part of our
own humanity and giving into our
more animal nature. Recognition of
our mutual humanity breeds respect
Principal wanted
Saint Mary’s Catholic School, Rome, Georgia, a SACS-accredited, Catholic
school affiliated with the Archdiocese of Atlanta, seeks an outstanding educa
tional leader to begin in July 2001. The principal oversees daily operation and
provides spiritual leadership for the school community. Saint Mary’s enrolls
207 students in grades K-8, plans growth to 400 students in five years, and
will upgrade and add facilities through a major capital campaign.
The ideal candidate should be a practicing Catholic and talented communi
cator, and have experience both as a teacher and administrator in elementary
and/or middle school. In addition, applicants should possess certification as an
elementary school administrator and have a passion for working with children,
teachers, and parents in a positive school environment. The principal must
have not only the educational leadership qualities to sustain an excellent
school, but he or she should also possess the vision to guide the community in
growing and strengthening Saint Mary’s. Candidate review will begin in
October and continue until the appointment, ideally by mid-January 2001.
Qualified prospective candidates should send, in confidence, an application
that consists of the following materials:
1. Elementary School Principal Application Form
(Archdiocese of Atlanta); download the form from ISC’s web site
(www.isc-erh.com)
2. Cover letter explaining interest in the position and qualifications
3. Resume showing all relevant educational experiences
4. Statement of educational philosophy
5. List of five references
Please use FAX ONLY in sending applications to: Fax Number: 770-220-1926
Nominations and questions should be directed to:
Edward C. Lingenheld, ISC Consultant
Phone 919-844-7093
Email: eclingenheld@isc-erh. com
To see the full text of the Position Profile, consult ISC’s web site: www.isc-
erh.com/ or the Saint Mary’s School web site (http://members.aol.com/stms97).
and restores dignity to both sides.
Violence, they realized, simply
breeds distrust and violence.
Jesus tried to break through the
cultural and political barriers that
separated people. He invited all to
join him at the banquet table within
the Kingdom of God. If we are to
participate with God in the building
of the Kingdom, perhaps we could
learn from our most recent past by
choosing actions that bring people
together and not actions that tear
apart the family of humanity. Those
who resort to violence too often have
learned the meaning of Proverbs
11:29, “he who upsets his household
has empty air for a heritage.”
Stephen Wilson teaches reli
gion at Pacelii High School,
Columbus.
The eight-voice a capella sensation
from England
Chapelle du Roi
will present
"A Millennium of
English Sacred Music”
on Friday, October 27, 2000
at 8:00 p.m.
at Sacred Heart Catholic Church
1707 Bull Street
Savannah
Tickets: $20 adults / $10 students
To purchase tickets or for more information,
call the church office at 912-232-0792
or Stacie O'Connor at 912-353-8819.