| Renew the
Face of the Earth
To the Clergy, Religious and Laity of
the Church of Pittsburgh
In the Lord's Prayer we pray "Thy Kingdom Come."
It is the plea that the whole spiritual dimension of life
which Jesus proclaimed with such insistence might unfold in
our lives. Truth, justice, peace, understanding, kindness,
patience, wisdom, holiness, love are signs of the kingdom
among us. We pray daily: "Thy Kingdom Come."
The kingdom is the Father's gift to us in his Son, Jesus
Christ, through the working of the Holy Spirit. As we pray
in the preface of the Eucharistic prayer at Pentecost: "Father,
you sent the Holy Spirit on those marked out to be your children
by sharing the life of your only Son, and so you brought the
paschal mystery to its completion."
We, as followers of Jesus, are aware that the kingdom will
arrive in its fullness only when Jesus returns in glory. In
the meantime, that same kingdom unfolds in part, in shadow,
in its beginnings in every thing we do. When we pray "Thy
Kingdom Come" we also recognize our own personal commitment
to help to bring about the kingdom in our day.
Aware that God's people can share only a limited yet essential
part of building the kingdom, the ancient Church prayed for
Jesus' return. The New Testament closes with the shout "Come
Lord Jesus!"
You and I together continue that prayer today. "Come,
Lord Jesus", "Thy Kingdom Come!"
I. THE THEME OF THIS LETTER
This letter is about how we live out our hope and prayer
that Jesus will be with us, among us and in us. These reflections
are on how the kingdom of God comes to be within us and around
us. Another word for the effort to strengthen the presence
of Christ in our hearts is "renewal". The Psalmist
sang centuries ago: "Lord, when you sent forth your Spirit,
they were created; and you renewed the face of the earth"
(Ps. 103). Renewal is a holy action that goes on constantly
within the community of the faithful. Our salvation involves
our effort. We work at it. God gives us grace. We respond.
We are continually working at being more true, more authentic
in our reply to the divine call to love God with all our heart
and strength, and mind and soul, and to love our neighbors
as ourselves (cf. Matt. 22.38-39). To love so completely is
a constant challenge for all of us--both as individuals and
as members of the Church. Renewal is part of our call to be
perfect as is our heavenly Father (cf. Matt. 5.48)
Reasons for This Pastoral Letter
Why a reflection on spiritual renewal now? There are several
reasons why I have chosen this moment to reflect with you
about our diocesan efforts at renewal.
First, since becoming chief shepherd of the Diocese of Pittsburgh,
I have had occasion to talk to the clergy, religious and faithful
about many things that are dear to you and form your concerns.
We meet in a variety of situations, including church celebrations,
ecumenical gatherings and events involving the wider community.
Usually, in the parish setting, when I visit for the sacrament
of confirmation, or for a parish celebration, or for a normal
parish visitation, we speak of things spiritual and we pray
together. This is as it should be. A major part of my ministry
among you is to pray with you and encourage your own use of
the talents and gifts God has given each of us to help build
up the Church. I like to think that this letter is a continuation
of those visits. It is my way of reaching out to take your
hand in unity of prayer and work as we carry on the task of
building up the kingdom of God in the six counties that comprise
the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
The shepherd is to watch over the church entrusted to his
care. The Second Vatican Council teaches that bishops receive
the charge over the flock of which they are to be the shepherds
in that they are teachers of doctrine, ministers of sacred
worship and holders of office in governance (cf. Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church, LG 20). "The sacred synod
consequently teaches that the bishops have by divine institution
taken the place of the apostles as pastors of the Church,
in such wise that whoever listens to them is listening to
Christ and whoever despises them despises Christ and him who
sent Christ (cf. Lk. 10.16)" (LG 20).
Centuries ago Saint Basil in his Homily on Psalm 28 describes
the teaching task of bishops. As shepherds they are the leaders
of Christ's flock. "They lead them to the blooming, fragrant
nourishment of spiritual doctrine, water them with living
water with the help of the Spirit, raise them up and nourish
them until they produce fruit" (PG 29.284).
I take this charge to include the very real task of encouraging
your efforts in every setting the brings us together. Yet
there are only so many institutions, schools, parishes, programs,
hospitals, centers for the young, the aged, the needy and
the lonely that I can physically reach each year. There are
only so many hands I can actually touch, and only so many
persons with whom I can share some presence each day. My hope
is that this letter will touch many more who are the Church
of Pittsburgh and who carry on daily the challenge of building
the kingdom of God. It is true that this letter remains words.
But they are words that speak of our faith in Christ, our
hopes and aspirations for the future of this Church and our
love for God and neighbor. They also speak of my union with
you as we pray for and build among us the kingdom of God--
Together
This letter is a way of reaching, touching and talking to
all of you who are the members of this diocesan family. I
shall still continue to visit parishes and programs, institutions
and people around the diocese. This letter, however, enables
me to speak to all of you at once.
Another Aspect of New Beginnings
Another reason for this letter is to build upon my 1988 pastoral
letter, NEW BEGINNINGS. In that letter I spoke about our more
immediate needs which included the establishment of a diocesan
deficit task force, of a diocesan pastoral council, of several
diocesan commissions as well as the appointment of a task
force to develop a plan to serve as a basis for the discussion
of possible parish reorganization and school consolidation.
All of this is well underway. Our structures and programs,
finances and resources are being addressed. But we cannot
give the impression that because there was an urgency about
these matters, they in any way take precedence over our diocesan
ongoing spiritual renewal. Structures, programs, finances
and resources exist for the spiritual life of the faithful
so that we can carry out our mission. The Church uses institutions
and money to help foster, share, develop and enrich the spiritual
life of the Church. Our first priority, personally and together,
must always be our spiritual life...how close are we to the
Lord. We must continually ask ourselves to what degree does
the Church of Pittsburgh resemble the kingdom of God.
Many things have happened since NEW BEGINNINGS. Later I shall
mention just a few of them. NEW BEGINNINGS was meant to be
and continues to serve as a guide and outline for some of
our more immediate responses to urgent needs that touch the
structure and stability of our diocese. I think we all admit
that if the house is on fire, it is more important to put
out the fire first and then talk about the love among the
family members that is the reason for the house. We have gotten
the fire under control. We can now turn our attention to our
love of God and love of neighbor.
Anniversaries
A third reason for writing is the special moment we have reached
in the life of the Church. This coming year, 1990, we mark
the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of the Second Vatican
Council. For nearly a quarter of a century we have worked
to implement the teachings of this great pastoral council
of our day. Much has taken place. Great changes have occurred
in the Church. Yet an anniversary of this importance offers
us a moment of reflection, consolidation and consideration.
The anniversary of the Second Vatican Council seems an ideal
time for us as a local Church to reflect on how well the goal
of the council is being attained among us.
Nine days after the Second Vatican Council opened, the council
fathers addressed these words to all as they stated the purpose
of the council as they understood it: "In this assembly,
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we wish to inquire
how we ought to renew ourselves, so that we may be found increasingly
faithful to the gospel of Christ" (Message to Humanity,
October 20, 1962). As we celebrate the silver jubilee of the
closing of the council, we return to its theme and "inquire
how we ought to renew ourselves".
In a very short time, in 1993, we shall celebrate the 150th
anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
We shall mark a special moment in our lives as a faith family.
Since it will be a time of reflection, thanksgiving, celebration
and renewal, we can begin the preparations for our sesquicentennial
festival now. 1993 will give us an opportunity to look back
at our past, take stock of where we are, and plan for the
future. Our present program of renewal will lead us into that
historic moment.
The spiritual dimension of life
Finally, I would also note that our own attention to the spiritual
dimension of life mirrors what is taking place all around
us. I am convinced from what I hear and learn from those with
whom I meet every day, both within and outside our faith family,
that a real and true thirst for the things of the Spirit exists
in our day. Every segment of our society, with few exceptions,
seems to recognize, whether in an articulated manner or not,
that we do not live by bread alone. We need the Spirit and
the hope that the Spirit brings. For too long, too many have
accepted the secular gospel that "It doesn't get any
better than this". The "What you see is what you
get" theologies have pretty well demonstrated to the
people of our day a basic emptiness. The very addiction of
our society to chemicals, fads and self-indulgence challenges
us to look more closely at the ultimate meaning of life. Perhaps
we are recognizing the human phenomenon that Saint Augustine
described over 1500 years ago: "You have made us for
yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you"
(Confessions, 1.1.1, PL 32.661).
Looking around, I see many signs, particularly in the faces
of the young men and women who in such increasing numbers
are returning to the sacraments, that the needs of the human
spirit cry out to be met. In spite of all the noise around
us, noise from all the loud voices competing for the allegiance
of human hearts, noise raised by every sector of our secular
world, the quiet and soft voice of the Spirit has not been
stilled. It continues to speak to human hearts. Not by bread
alone do we live!
A better world
As believers, our hope for a better world is rooted in our
faith that God will help us make this happen; hence, our perennial
optimism... and the source of our social activism and involvement.
If we work and work hard enough, God will be with us to bring
about that world of peace, justice, understanding, wisdom,
kindness, respect and love that we call the kingdom of God.
Such optimism does not ignore pain and suffering. We are
all too familiar with sin to pretend it does not exist. Yet
our faith rests on the conviction that with God's grace we
can overcome even sin. Nor does this type of faith inspired
optimism mean that we will never feel fatigue, exhaustion,
frustration, or all the other human reactions to an imperfect
world---beginning with ourselves. But it does mean that we
see far more than these unfortunate realities and have reason,
even in failure, to be optimistic and joyful.
Maybe that is what Jesus meant when he said, "Peace
I give you, my peace I leave with you" (John 14.27).
Maybe that is why so many of this age and generation seek
an interior peace,--a peace that the world cannot give.
II. THE THEOLOGY OF RENEWAL
God renews us in the mystery of Christ
At the very beginning God sent forth the Spirit who made life
possible. This life includes what we call the spiritual. There
is that part of us that cannot be reduced to flesh and blood.
Each of us recognizes that there is more to being human than
we can touch, hear, smell or taste. The realm of the Spirit
is as much an aspect of human life, aspiration, hope and satisfaction
as are the body and physical needs.
Jesus began his public ministry with both the announcement
of the kingdom of God and the call to repentance and faith.
"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at
hand; repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mk. 1.15).
Christ's preaching was a call to renewal through personal
reform and reconciliation. The gospel continues to challenge
us to accept Jesus as Lord and his way as our own.
The great renewal that Jesus taught came through his death
and resurrection. The Catholic faith firmly teaches that Jesus
truly saved us by his obedient love and patient endurance
and by offering "his own life as a ransom for the many"
(Matt. 20.28). Jesus freed us from our own selfishness, from
sin. The tragic consequence of Adam's sin had no other remedy
than the merit of the one Mediator, our Lord Jesus Christ,
who reconciled us to God in his Blood. It is Jesus who renews
once and for all. He earned for us justification by his most
holy passion on the wood of the cross, and made satisfaction
for us to God the Father. Our humble recognition of this reality
accounts for the presence of the crucifix in our schools,
churches, institutions and homes.
Christ's passion was a work of renewal and of reconciliation.
Because Jesus' saving love atoned for our sin, it made possible
a healing for all the divisions and hostility that had been
created by sin. Now, it is possible even for us continually
to make a new effort to be what we know we can be---daughters
and sons of God, treating each other as brothers and sisters
in Christ. Ultimately, this is what being a disciple of Christ
is all about. This is the essence of renewal. To live each
day more closely united to Christ in his death and resurrection.
The risen Lord
From the first day that the apostles preached the gospel (cf.
Acts 2.14-36) the resurrection of Jesus has been the core
of the kerygma, the proclamation of the good news. "This
Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses"
(Acts 2.32). The power that restores us to life is the "power
of his resurrection" (Phil. 3.10).
Christ's death and resurrection is the fountain of renewal
that is carried on in each of us by God's Spirit. Hence, we
pray "Send us your Holy Spirit to live in our hearts
and make us temples of his glory" (Prayer, Mass for Confirmation).
Knowing that our God stands always ready to give us a new
heart, and to place a new spirit within us (cf. Ez. 36.26),
we plead in the liturgy for Confirmation: "God our Father
complete the work you have begun and keep the gifts of the
Holy Spirit active in the hearts of your people".
Renewal is our ongoing task
When we speak about renewal in any of its forms we are talking
about our every active effort---the ongoing action---to bring
about more faithfully the paschal mystery in our own lives.
We share in the death and resurrection of Christ. Through
the Eucharist, Christ makes it possible that we not only celebrate
his death and resurrection but truly enter the mystery now
in sacramental form. Renewal for us is the mystery of death
and resurrection continually taking place within us.
This is not a poetic image to stir the imagination. It is
the very center and core of the Catholic faith. In the Eucharist
we enter and share the paschal mystery of Jesus' death and
resurrection in our life. That is why at the Eucharist we
cry out: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come
again!
Sacraments
The paschal mystery is the heart of God's saving plan for
us. The word "sacrament" comes from the Latin word
for the Greek "mysterion", the mystery of God in
Christ in which St. Paul sees the vast unfolding plan and
action of God among us. In this mystery, Christ poured into
the Church, the great sacrament that came forth from him,
all the riches of grace and truth gained through his death
and resurrection. The Church was born "from the side
of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross"
(Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, SC 5).
It is through the sacraments, the seven sacramental actions
instituted by Christ, that we cling to Christ and draw from
him both grace and life. For this reason all renewal must
find as its point of reference and source of energy the sacraments.
Baptism
Baptism makes us members of the Church. But to become a member
of the Church is to be radically changed; it is to be grafted
on the vine (cf. John 15. 4-6) and joined vitally to the body
of Christ. Through an all pervading bond of life we become
members of God's convenanted people. Our baptismal character
is a sign at once of our permanent vocation, of the call by
Jesus Christ, and, of God's initial and never failing love.
Baptism obliges us to share in the ongoing work of the Church
and to become always more open to the love of God in all we
are and do.
Each baptized person has a responsibility to help evangelize
and sanctify the world. If this is done in the company of
many priests and religious, all the better. If the challenge
must be met with fewer priests and religious, so much the
clearer is the task of lay persons. The involvement of laity
in the life of the Church in the recent years after the council
is not solely a reaction to the drop in vocations. I believe
it is the living out of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
found in the pages of the documents of the Second Vatican
Council. In one sense, it is institutional, communal, ecclesial
renewal. It certainly is the ongoing presence of the Spirit
in the life of the Church.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
The major renewal of the Church's process of initiation of
new members is found in the Rite of Christian Initiation of
Adults. A significant feature of the RCIA is emphasis on the
community aspect of baptism. Each parish should have by now
an RCIA program. The growth of the RCIA program throughout
the diocese should be a sign of our overall renewal. All of
us can take justifiable pride in the efforts of all who have
worked to make the RCIA program the success it is in so many
of our parishes. The Rite of Election celebration each year
at Saint Paul Cathedral not only helps to illustrate the importance
of the rite both for those to be baptized and for those to
be received into full communion in the Catholic Church, but
also serves to underline the vitality and ongoing renewal
that is so much a part of this diocesan faith family.
Confirmation
"When the Apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had
received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John
who came down and prayed for them that they might receive
the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them,
but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy
Spirit" (Acts 8. 14-17).
To the laying on of hands there was added an anointing with
oil. Thus the oil came to symbolize the coming of the Holy
Spirit, as a sharing of the gift sent first to the apostles.
In time it became clear that confirmation was a distinct part
of Christian initiation and, in fact, a separate sacrament.
The joyful and solemn celebration of the sacrament of confirmation
remains one of the special moments in parish life and a time
which brings the bishop into immediate contact with so many
of the faithful.
A sign of our renewal includes our efforts to coordinate
the celebration of this sacrament so that the communal dimension
of it becomes more apparent. One effort at this is the annual
solemn confirmation celebration at the cathedral for those
parishes that wish to participate.
The Eucharist
The Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life. In the
Eucharist Christ himself is present to his people in the paschal
mystery. Rich in symbolism and richer in truth, the Eucharist
bears within itself the reality of Christ, and mediates his
saving work to us.
"At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our
Savior instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of his Body and
Blood. He did this to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross
throughout the centuries until he should come again, and so
to entrust to his beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of
his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of
unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ
is received, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of
future glory is given to us" (SC 47).
Only by realizing that in the liturgy the victory and triumph
of Christ's death are made present, can we understand the
statements of the Second Vatican Council: "The liturgy
is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed;
at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows"
(SC 10), and, "It is the primary and indispensable source
from which the faithful are to draw the true Christian spirit..."
(SC 4). Christ redeemed all of us "principally by the
paschal mystery of his passion, resurrection from the dead,
and glorious ascension, whereby 'dying', he destroyed our
death, and, rising, he restored our life'" (SC 5). Hence,
all Christian renewal is rooted in the paschal mystery.
Ongoing conversion
I have used in conversations, with parish groups to describe
our diocese, the image of a suit of clothes. We as a Church
have changed size and so we need to tailor our clothes to
fit us as we now are. Changing is a sign of life. If we have
changed size and need to redo our outfit, it is a sure indication
that we are very much alive and well. New churches are being
planned. New parishes in some areas obviously are needed.
People have moved to the suburbs. Just as in other parts of
the diocese, we have clusters of underpopulated parishes where
once there were many more people.
In keeping with our image of the suit being tailored, so,
too, we need to make sure that our clothes, whatever the size,
are kept fit and clean. Institutional renewal takes on the
aspect of cleaning our clothes. The fabric of our Church is
a rich, solid, sturdy, good cloth. Out of it has been cut
the diocese that you and I love and serve and call our own.
But even the best of cloth picks up the grit and dust of the
day's work. None of us passes through the events of life without
some of the dirt sticking to us. Our clothes need to be cleaned
and mended from time to time.
The spiritual life is much like our daily walk through life.
Pray God, we do not have great tabloid type sins that cling
to us like flaws in fine fabric. But each day we do pick up
some dust. At the end of the day we are just a bit more grimy
than when we started out fresh and alert in the morning. Our
daily lives take on the same stains from daily life and our
less than perfect response to every encounter we have with
others. On the personal level when we address this condition,
we dust off our spiritual cloak through an examination of
conscience and the sacrament of reconciliation.
Reconciliation
Sins are not forgiven in an automatic way. In the sacraments,
especially reconciliation, it is Christ who works by his mighty
power. Still, the sacraments presuppose our quest for God,
a personal response to the grace of God and, for the forgiveness
of sins, contrition, confession and satisfaction. Devout penitents
very frequently are guilty of no grave sins; but they may
fruitfully bring before Christ all the sins and imperfections
that mar their lives and limit their charity. The celebration
of the sacrament of reconciliation is an integral part of
personal, ongoing, spiritual renewal.
It is no secret that the use of the sacrament of reconciliation
has fallen off dramatically in recent years. Yet its use by
all in the Church, clergy, religious and laity, and the encouragement
of it by priests in homilies and personal counseling would
be a sure sign of the Spirit led renewal in the Church.
Sacrament of the Sick
One of the blessings of the renewal of the liturgy has been
the focus on the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. This
rite is clearly recognized, as the words of Saint James make
clear, for the sick and infirm. "Is any one among you
suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise"
(James 5.13). Then: "Is any among you sick? Let him call
for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer
of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him
up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven"
(5.14-15).
The faithful, especially the elderly even when not dangerously
ill, should be encouraged to ask for the anointing and to
receive it with faith and devotion. Parish celebrations of
the anointing of the sick only enrich the communal and family
aspect of this sacrament.
Participation in the work of Jesus
We not only pray for the renewal promised by Christ, we actually
help to bring it about. We are not idle bystanders watching
the mystery of the kingdom of God unfold around us. We share
in the mystery of how the kingdom comes. That is why the Church
never hesitates to call on the Lord to return, to send forth
the Spirit, to renew the face of the earth, to make the kingdom
come. We know that is also part of who we are as God's people.
We are a community that believes that we can actually help
to make the kingdom of God unfold in our midst---in our world--in
the place where we live---in our inner being. As Christ's
sisters and brothers, as instruments of his very action, we
help carry on his work, united with him who alone can make
the kingdom come.
Whatever we do to further the fulfillment of God's plan,
we must do it together--as Church. We are meant to live with
others and form community. In fact, the Church is our coming
together in grace and faith as a community of people called
by God. As a spiritual family bonded together in the Spirit
we have obligations to each other and to all others.
The Church's social gospel
The social teaching of the Church is an essential part of
its message. From Christ the Church learned that we should
not selfishly seek earthly treasure, but that as children
of one Father we should share property generously, to show
special solicitude for the poor and afflicted, and seek to
structure our earthly life in such a way that the kingdom
of God may begin to appear in our midst. The Church's social
teaching is a working out of Christian faith, hope and love.
It is an integral part of Christian renewal.
Our society calls out for attention and help in specific
areas. We face social problems: alcohol and drug dependency,
abuse of spouses and children, the breakdown of the family,
unemployment and underemployment, homelessness, the special
needs of our growing aging population, increased cases of
AIDS. Our efforts at spiritual renewal should call us to greater
attention to these needs. We recommit ourselves to these concerns.
But we do so, as we wish to do all things, as followers of
Jesus--- as Church.
Not every means is justified to solve a problem. Violence
is not a solution to violence. Immoral action is not a way
to resolve social ills. A quick fix cannot be our reply to
a deep rooted human difficulty. The Church's teaching on social
justice, peace, human sexuality, and respect for life comes
out of nearly two thousand years of lived experience of the
gospel message and the presence of the Holy Spirit. It may
be at times a "hard saying" as Jesus cautioned us
it would be. But it is his response we are asked to follow
not our own. The Church's answer to human ills must always
reflect its Savior who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Every time we pray "Thy Kingdom Come", we proclaim
that we pledge ourselves again to live out the mystery of
love of God and love of neighbor in our actions. We renew
our own commitment to be better so that we can do better,
to love more so that we can love all, to respond to the urging
of the Spirit within us so that we can touch those around
us with the healing, saving love that is Christ.
Renewal: personal and communal
Renewal takes place in many ways. It happens within our hearts
and within our faith community. The Spirit moves us as individuals
and as members of the Church. In this sense we speak of renewal
as an action that is both personal and communal. It touches
aspects of our lives that are at the same time interior and
institutional. Renewal is reflected in what we do as well
as who we are. Because this is so, our reflections on renewal
as a diocesan family will touch many aspects of our lives
together, individually and collectively.
Firmly, renewal speaks to us of our need for closeness to
God. There is an intimacy with God in love and prayer that
cannot be satisfied apart from God. We are called to believe
in God's power to make and remake anything, including ourselves.
Our God is the Lord of a new creation, a new covenant, a new
world, a new person, a new temple, a new life, a new time.
Surely our God, who makes all things new (cf. Rev. 21.5) will
renew us and help us to share in the wondrous task of renewing
our lives, our homes, our communities, our Church--- the very
face of the earth.
Personal renewal and prayer
Our renewal as a community and as individuals involves prayer.
Prayer is the language of the Church. It is our conversation
with God. Sometimes we come together as God's people to prayer
as Church---in the liturgy. Other times we need to talk quietly
with God alone.
Private prayer
There has to be space in our life to follow Jesus' reminder:
"When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and
pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who
sees in secret will reward you" (Matt. 6.6). In our ongoing
renewal there must be time for personal prayer. How else can
we come to know Christ as friend, savior, brother and redeemer
except in conversation with him. Private prayer is the time
we give ourselves to step aside and listen and speak to God,
quietly and personally. It also prepares us for a richer and
more authentic participation in the public prayer of the Church,
the liturgy. Our private prayer can take many forms.
Various forms of private prayer
One of the most time honored and recognized effective prayers
is the Rosary. Countless generations have found in the simple
formula that brings us to reflect on the mysteries of the
faith a powerful spiritual help. Personally, I have found
this the single most convenient and adaptable form of disciplined
personal prayer in my life along with the Divine Office.
Families praying together
Prayer with others is a living testimony to our faith. At
the same time it creates a special bond among those who pray
and quietly nurtures the faith of that praying community.
"Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in
the midst of them" (Matt. 18.20). This promise of Jesus
is particularly evident in family prayer. We should seek moments
as a family to pray together. This can take the familiar form
of grace at meals, evening prayer, the reading of a psalm
or prayer together on special occasions such as a birthday
celebration, anniversary, completion of some special project
or the outcome of some particular concern. Praying with the
sick is also a special form of family prayer that bears unique
fruit. Certain seasons, such as Advent or Lent lend themselves
well to moments of organized family prayer.
Meditation/Contemplation
Not all prayer is vocal. Mental prayer is characterized by
the absence of external words and gestures. A form of mental
prayer is meditation or the thoughtful reflection on some
aspect of our faith. During the course of the Christian centuries
various methods and techniques were developed. All of them
have the same general purpose of helping us become closer
to God through regular, quiet time given to prayerful reflection.
The highest form of mental prayer is contemplation which
itself has many stages. Contemplation is God's most generous
gift in this life to those who have loved with great faithfulness.
In its highest forms, this prayer draws one as near to God
as it is possible to come before one reaches the beatific
vision.
The Second Vatican Council speaks of religious orders of
contemplatives as a "glory of the Church and an overflowing
fountain of heavenly graces" (Decree of the Renewal of
Religious Life, PC 7). We are blessed in this diocese with
such a community, the Passionist Nuns of Our Lady of Sorrows
Convent. To the special attention and prayers of the Passionist
Nuns, I commend our diocesan effort at renewal and plead for
your prayers. You have chosen the "better portion"
(Luke 10.42). Ask God to help us complete our task.
Sacred Scripture
Our personal, interior renewal should also include a recognition
of the place of God's word. God has revealed to us through
the written word what otherwise would remain always beyond
us. "For in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven
meets his children with great love and speaks with them; and
the force and power in the word of God is so great that it
stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength
of faith for her children, the food of the soul, the pure
and perennial source of spiritual life. Consequently, these
words are perfectly applicable to Sacred Scripture: 'For the
word of God is living and efficient' (Heb. 4.12) and it is
'able to build up and give the inheritance among all the sanctified'
(Acts 20.32; cf. 1 Thess. 2.13)" (Dogmatic Constitution
on Divine Revelation, DV 21).
Our spiritual reading can also find a focus in the writings
of the saints and also in the lives of the saints. A source
of such literature includes the spiritual masters of the Christian
tradition. Our history is rich with examples of those who
have grown in the spiritual life and have written about their
spiritual experiences. They are recognized by the Church as
trusted guides.
Retreats
The definition of a retreat, as we all know, is the withdrawal
for a period of time from our usual surroundings and occupation
to a place of solitude for mediation, self-examination and
prayer in order to make certain necessary decisions about
our life and to nourish and cultivate our spiritual life.
Perhaps a more graphic way of describing a retreat is that
we move ourselves out of the fast lane in the headlong rush
of the traffic of life, and pull over to the rest stop on
the side of the road for some quiet, peace, and time to check
the road map.
The whole purpose of a retreat is to step aside and let the
rush of life go by so that we can focus on the map--God's
plan for us, and our response--without having to fight the
traffic. There are always those, myself included, who object
that there is just too much going on to take time to make
a retreat. And yet, once we step out of the fast lane and
move off to the side of the road to make a retreat, we are
constantly amazed at how everything goes on very well without
us.
Communal renewal/the Church at prayer
Worship for the Christian has a public dimension to it. We
are a community of God's people and we pray as a family. The
liturgy, the sacraments are our communal, ecclesial prayer.
Liturgical prayer is the prayer of the whole Church, of the
family of God united together in Christ. "The sacred
liturgy is the public worship which our Redeemer as Head of
the Church renders to the heavenly Father and which the community
of the faithful renders to its Founder and through him to
the Eternal Father. It is, in short, the entire public worship
rendered by the Mystical Body of Christ, that is, by the Head
and his members" (Mediator Dei, 20).
Liturgical prayer
The excellence of liturgical prayer comes not only from the
devotion of persons united in it, but especially from the
fact that this is the prayer and action of Christ and of his
Mystical Body, the Church.
The Mass, the sacraments, the Liturgy of the Hours and public
ritual are all part of the church's liturgy. It is the spiritual
patrimony of the Church and is the expression of the Church
at worship.
The liturgy is "the outstanding means by which the faithful
can express in their lives, and manifest to others, the mystery
of Christ and the real nature of the true Church" (SC
2). "Christ is always present in his Church, especially
in her liturgical celebrations" (SC 7). "Rightly,
then, the liturgy is considered as an exercise of the priestly
office of Jesus Christ. In the liturgy...full public worship
is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is,
by the Head and his members. From this it follows that every
liturgical celebration, because it is the action of Christ
the priest and of his Body the Church, is a sacred action
surpassing all others. No other action of the Church can match
its claim to efficacy, nor equal the degree of it" (SC
7). The liturgy is "the summit toward which the activity
of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the fountain
from which all her power flows" (SC 10).
Hence, renewal in any lasting sense within the Church includes
the continual renewal of our liturgical life so that it is
always alive and in tune with the teaching of the Church.
Parish liturgy, particularly the Sunday Eucharistic liturgy,
is the primary expression of the people of God at worship.
Throughout this diocese in over 300 parish and mission churches
Sunday Mass brings together each week hundreds of thousands
of Catholics who join as one community, one family of faith,
to praise God and to confirm each other in the faith. Each
of these liturgies should help every believer obtain an ever
deeper grasp of the mysteries which we celebrate. The quality
of our parish Sunday Eucharistic liturgy should reflect the
significance of what we do.
In private prayer, individuals or groups approach God as
their own fervor and their own personalities urge them. In
liturgical prayer, the individual participates not as a private
person but as a member of the Lord's Church. Because liturgy
"belongs" to the Church as such, and not to individuals,
clerical or lay, the celebration of the liturgy follows a
public ritual and rubric that is not open to change or manipulation
according to personal preference. It is not our property to
use as we see fit. Rather, it is the worship of the whole
Church entrusted to our care to pray to God together united
in Christ.
Apostolic Letter on the Liturgy
In his apostolic letter of December 4, 1988, On the 25th Anniversary
of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Pope John Paul
II wrote that "The Liturgy of the Church goes beyond
the liturgical reform. We are not in the same situation as
obtained in 1963: a generation of priests and of faithful
which has not known the liturgical books prior to the reform
now acts with responsibility in the Church and society. One
can not therefore continue to speak of change as it was spoken
of at the time of the Constitution's publication; rather one
has to speak of an ever deeper grasp of the Liturgy of the
Church, celebrated according to the current books and lived
above all as a reality in the spiritual order" (14).
Liturgical renewal within the parish and within the diocese
includes a personal and interior appreciation of the need
for teaching on the mysteries that the liturgy re-present.
This is to be joined with an ever attentive eye to fostering
good, participative, joyful and devout celebrations of liturgy
in the parish church or other chapels where the faith community
gathers.
Fruit of renewal...our unity
Our faith in Christ, our membership in his Church, our share
in its sacramental life, and our active participation in the
life of this diocesan faith family make us one in a very deep
and profoundly spiritual sense. Faith does that. It does not
destroy our beautiful diversity in heritage and ethnic origin.
But it touches each of us in that core of our being, as first
and above all else, followers of Christ and members of his
body, the Church.
Saint Paul speaks about this wonderful unity in which we
all become sisters and brothers in the faith--a unity that
goes far beyond the limits of blood ties and national allegiance.
"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the
same Lord is Lord of all and bestows his riches upon all who
call upon him" (Rom. 10.12). He goes even further in
writing to the Galatians: "For as many of you as were
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither
male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus"
(Gal. 3.27).
Obviously Saint Paul is not speaking about biology or ethnic
heritage. But he is teaching us a great truth. Once we are
baptized and become members of the Church we take on a new
and special relationship that is far deeper than any other
we experience. We become sisters and brothers in the Holy
Spirit. We share the life of God. We are no longer divided
into separate groups of people. We are now ONE family. "There
is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the
one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and
through all and in all" (Eph. 4.5).
We are made a people of God formed by baptism into the risen
Lord. We are all members of his one body, the Church. If that
unity is not present and functioning--whatever else we might
be we are not Catholics.
Leaders of unity
The unity of this local Church is reflected in a particular
way by the unity of the ministerial priesthood. There is a
unique sacramental bond that makes priests one through ordination.
At the same time, that unity finds living expression in the
practical and concrete ways in which we come together and
work together. Priests who serve within the diocese recognize
their responsibility to support and implement diocesan policies,
goals and programs. Priests participate in the overall ministry
of the bishops to shepherd a portion of God's flock. Priests
are called to exercise individual responsibility and to take
the initiative in their own particular assignments. In doing
so each priest enjoys great freedom that brings with it responsibility
and accountability. It is because of this that priests recognize
the need to initiate programs within the parish but also to
seek appropriate assistance, consultation and advice when
necessary. Diocesan guidelines are normative in that they
reflect the practical unity of this local Church.
Priestly leadership on both the parish and diocesan level,
as well as the devotion of our priests to Christ and his Church,
continue to be for all of us a great witness of self-sacrifice
and service and also a challenge to imitate. We have come
this far in the program of New Beginnings in no small part
due to the cooperation and collaboration of our priests. That
same unity in faith, love and practical ministry sets a standard
for all of us as we begin this moment of diocesan-wide spiritual
renewal.
We are Church
Renewal in the Church on the communal level reminds us that
we are a people joined around the bishop in faith, service
and love. We are Church. We act as Church. We respond to events
as Church. Our appeal is to our brotherhood and sisterhood
in Christ, as children of God gathered in one Church. When
decisions are made each of us is called to respond out of
our sense of unity and love that bonds us together as a faith
community. We are called to reflect that decisions which are
contrary to our own personal preferences and ways can be an
occasion for sacrifice for the common good, for the unity
of the Church, and at the same time be a source of spiritual
renewal. This has been so in the Church even from the beginning
as we know from the Council of Jerusalem in the Acts of the
Apostles (cf. Acts 15) to our own day.
What we are doing is not just for our moment in time. It
is our firm conviction that what we do helps to bring about
the kingdom of God among us and within us---in our lives---in
our institutions---in our parishes---and contributes to the
ultimate coming of God's kingdom in glory.
Saint Paul writing to the Galatians faced this issue and
reminds us, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;
against such there is no law" (Gal. 5.22).
III. A PLAN FOR RENEWAL
Implications of renewal for the Diocese of Pittsburgh
Renewal, while ultimately a personal conversion and re-conversion,
is nonetheless also institutional. We live out our faith in
an organized manner. Parishes are the local faith communities.
The Church was made a visible reality when Christ sent the
apostles to preach the kingdom in his name. He made it evident
that their work was his: "And they went forth and preached
everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed
the message by the signs that attended it" (Mark 16.20).
The early growth of the visible Church is traced in the Acts
of the Apostles and in the epistles. Its established reality
is celebrated in the work of the earliest Fathers, like St.
Ignatius of Antioch, who in the first century wrote so forcefully
of the duty of a Christian to be united visibly with the visible
Church (cf. Ep. ad Phil. pr.).
The ancient Church
The description found in the beginning of the Acts of the
Apostles of the earliest Catholic community might well be
a description of any of the hundreds of parish communities
that make up the diocese. Scripture paints a picture of the
ancient Church as a group of baptized who come together so
that in community they might listen to the word of God, the
teaching of the apostles, might build up their sense of unity,
pray together and above all else celebrate the Eucharist (cf.
Acts. 2.41-42).
I never cease to be thrilled at the vitality of the parishes
of this diocese. Day after day, weekend following weekend,
as I celebrate liturgy with the priests, religious and faithful
of our many parishes I marvel at the strength of the faith
and the intensity of devotion.
Our Diocese
The 1989 Official Catholic Directory for the United States
notes that the Diocese of Pittsburgh is the 11th largest See
(archdiocese or diocese) in the nation. A quick look at the
statistics tells something of the story that is the ongoing
life of this particular church. The diocese includes well
over 800,000 faithful in hundreds of parishes, almost 2400
religious two thirds of whom continue actively serving the
church, 800 priests, religious and diocesan, in pastoral positions
as varied as pastor to prison chaplain; and 37,000 children
in our schools. God's people are served through hospitals,
colleges and universities, schools, social service ministries,
Catholic charities, CCD programs, homes for special care,
our central administration offices, RCIA programs. Added to
these are deacons, seminarians and a host of organizations
as diverse as the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, the
Knights of Columbus, the Holy Name societies, and the Ladies
of Charity. All combine to form one united diocesan family.
Yet these statistics do not tell the whole story. Behind
each number is a face and a heart alive with faith. I am told
that by actual count over 350,000 Catholics attend Mass each
Sunday in this diocese. Each face is a personal story of faith,
challenge, suffering, hope and joy. The same data also calls
us to renew our personal effort to reach out to those who
should be with us in the pew on Sunday and are not. They are
absent but should never be forgotten.
The best part of my ministry is spent with you in the parishes.
I try as often as possible, at least three or four times a
week, to get to some parish or institutional gathering of
the faithful. Your joy is my encouragement. Your faith is
my strength. There is no way to describe the impact of so
much belief and love concentrated in the faith communities
and parishes of this Church. At the same time, with you I
search for that balance among the demands of ministry, my
job if you will, and my own spiritual needs that include times
for prayer and quiet which are not so much time off from service
as they are the human conditions for doing it well.
Vitality of the faith
The vitality, unity and faith of this diocese are far more
a sign of its real condition than any head count of the general
population shift. The Catholic Church in Southwestern Pennsylvania
may be somewhat smaller and older than it was twenty five
years ago but it is a Church alive in the Spirit, with generous,
loving and faithfilled people. Together we have every reason
to be proud of this diocese. As we move to the renewal of
some of the institutional aspects of this Church, we do so
in a spirit of confidence and openness to the future.
Under the heading of institutional renewal, the single most
important item at this moment is the diocesan-wide parish
self-study. In April, 1989 I appointed a Parish Self-Study
Task Force which was commissioned to facilitate and to direct
a comprehensive study of every parish of the diocese. The
task force members include priests, religious and laity with
Bishop William J. Winter serving as chairperson of the task
force and Father Robert G. Duch as project director.
Faithfilled parishes
The importance of parishes in the life of the Church has been
confirmed time and time again in the universal Church and
in this local Church. During his pastoral visit to our land
in 1987, our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, in a meeting with
a group of the faithful, described a parish as "the place
and community in which you nourish and express your Christian
life...It is our family in the Church, and the Church is the
household of God."
The Diocese of Pittsburgh is blessed with many vibrant and
faithfilled parishes where God's people have nourished and
expressed their Christian faith. In NEW BEGINNINGS, I wrote
about the parishes of this diocese and explained many significant
changes including the number of laity, the number of ministers,
and the resources we have available to sustain our ministries,
services and programs.
These multiple changes require a diocesan response that is
both effective and comprehensive if the work of the Church
here is to prosper in the future as it has in the past. To
initiate this process of study and action, I appointed a task
force from our central administration to compile "hard
data" about our parishes. This initial stage was completed
last Spring and we have a statistical profile of the diocese
that arranges our parishes into geographic clusters.
Parish Self-Study Task Force
It is obvious, however, that the life of our parishes cannot
be measured only with numbers and finances, that there are
many other factors which must be evaluated. Thus we have entered
the next phase of this ambitious project, a phase which will
require the participation of every parish in this diocese.
The process to be directed by the Parish Self-Study Task Force
will utilize a very thorough process of consultation, a process
which I have consistently encouraged since becoming Bishop
of Pittsburgh. The cooperation of every member of our diocesan
family will be necessary if this project is to bear abundant
fruit. It is my conviction that what we accomplish through
this effort will affect the life of the Church in this diocese
for many years to come. This is renewal on the level of our
institutional and structural life. More than just a process,
I believe this effort to be the work of renewal for our whole
diocesan family in a way that will allow the Spirit of God
to guide us, touch us and to renew the face of the Church
in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Parish renewal
On the level of parishes and other local faith communities,
I ask that pastors together with the priests, religious, deacons
and laity involved in parish leadership positions undertake
a thorough assessment of the liturgical and sacramental life
of their parishes to see where it might be made more effective
as our means of public worship. Since each parish is already
preparing to begin a self-study as part of the Parish Self-Study
Program, the evaluation of the liturgy, which is a primary
part of any ecclesial study, must be an integral part of the
assessment process. In this manner we can accomplish some
of the parish liturgical renewal in the wider context of both
the diocesan-wide parish self-study and the call for renewal
both personal and institutional.
"The time has come to renew that spirit which inspired
the Church at the moment when the Constitution Sacrosanctum
Concilium was prepared, discussed, voted upon and promulgated
and when the first steps were taken to apply it. The seed
was sown: it has known the rigors of winter, but the seed
has sprouted, and become a tree. It is a matter of the organic
growth of a tree's becoming ever stronger the deeper it sinks
its roots into the soil of tradition...Thus the Liturgy on
earth will fuse with that of heaven, where...it will form
one choir...to praise with one voice the Father through Jesus
Christ" (John Paul II, ibid., 23).
Renewal as a community
As the Church of Pittsburgh attempts always more fully to
respond to the inspiration of the Spirit and the guidance
of Church leaders, we look for more and fuller ways of incorporating
the experience of the faithful. We seek always to find ways
to bring into our decision making process the voice, experience,
talent and faith of our lay women and lay men. In this way
my hope is that we also amply demonstrate the communal aspect
of our diocesan-wide renewal effort.
Diocesan Committee for Spiritual Renewal
To help us in the diocesan-wide effort at programmatic spiritual
renewal, I am establishing the Diocesan Committee for Spiritual
Renewal. It is the task of this committee to study and to
share information about effective means for renewal, to coordinate
such efforts and to collaborate with parishes and institutions
in this important endeavor.
Since it is my hope that each parish and program of the diocese
will undertake some systematic effort of spiritual renewal
for its members, the Diocesan Committee for Spiritual Renewal
will have the task of gathering and supplying information
about existing programs to those who ask for it. At the same
time, the committee is free, in collaboration with parishes,
various groups of faithful, and already existing organizations,
to design new programs for spiritual renewal.
The committee will be composed of priests, religious and
laity. It will be responsible for programs of renewal for
priests, religious, parishes and other efforts on the deanery
level. It will also provide guidance and coordination for
the renewal of non-parish faith communities such as are found
on campuses, in hospitals and other institutions.
While the Diocesan Committee for Spiritual Renewal has the
task of overall supervision and encouragement of renewal efforts,
the real task of making such efforts and programs effective
rests with those on the local level, e.g., pastors, parish
leadership, chaplains, religious leadership and the leaders
of lay organizations. My prayer is that each of us, in some
form and manner, will dedicate a great part of our collective
and personal energies into the effort required for personal
and diocesan spiritual renewal.
Parishes
Much of the life of the Church unfolds and is lived in the
parish. It is the Church in miniature. Here we receive the
sacraments, learn the Word of God, serve our neighbor and
carry out the works of Christian love and ministry. Hence
the logical place for renewal to begin is within the parish.
Each parish is asked to form a parish renewal committee to
work under the guidance of the pastor to select and to implement
some program of spiritual renewal. Parish programs would involve
coordinated efforts at prayer, apostolic works, and education
in the faith. The center of all such renewal is the Eucharistic
liturgy.
Deanery
To help share information and coordinate local efforts, I
ask that each deanery provide a deanery level director of
spiritual renewal. In this way, parishes can share resources,
programs and events to heighten the sense of spiritual unity
among the members of our diocesan family.
Priests
To assist all the priests in their own unique priestly renewal
I shall also designate to the Diocesan Committee for Spiritual
Renewal the task of overseeing an active and effective renewal
program designed for our priests. The Priest Council will
be closely involved in this aspect of the renewal process.
Religious
Aware that religious communities of women and men are continually
involved in programs of spiritual renewal, the Diocesan Committee
for Spiritual Renewal is charged both to offer assistance
in any way possible to our religious men and women, and to
learn from them what has been particularly successful for
them.
At the same time I offer my assistance to all our religious
as they seek to relate the fruit of the nationwide effort
sponsored by Pope John Paul II both to listen to and dialogue
with our religious. The Holy Father's letter of February 22,
1989 to the bishops in the United States offers us the results
of that process as a guide for our future work together.
Families
Just as on the diocesan and parish levels, we anticipate some
planned effort at renewal, so it seems very worthwhile for
each family to come up with its own program for a family effort
at spiritual renewal. I invite each family to look at its
own schedule and routine to set aside some time together to
devote to its own plan of spiritual renewal. As our Holy Father
reminds us in the apostolic exhortation On the Family, "the
family has the mission to become more and more what it is,
that is to say, a community of life and love... the family
has the mission to guard, reveal and communicate love, and
this is a living reflection of and a real sharing in God's
love for humanity and the love of Christ the Lord for the
Church, his bride" (17).
Encouragement
All of this may seem like a very ambitious undertaking. And
in one sense it is. But we are also reminded that what we
are beginning is a long process which, I expect, will unfold
over a good number of years. Yet it seems good to begin our
diocesan spiritual renewal now precisely because we are involved
in so many other projects of reorganization and restructuring.
To focus on the spiritual aspect of renewal in the midst of
all the other efforts and projects we are working with seems
to me to be an authentically Christian way to bring together
all our efforts.
Whatever we do, we do it in Christ and for Christ and through
Christ (cf. Rom. 14.8). "He is the image of the invisible
God, the first-born of all creation, for in him all things
were created, in heaven and on earth,...all things were created
through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him
all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the
church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead,
that in everything he might be pre-eminent. For in him all
the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him
to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in
heaven, making peace by the blood of the cross" (Col.1.
15-20).
My practical efforts to build unity
For my part, I shall continue to visit the faithful, religious
and clergy of the Church of Pittsburgh in all of its diverse
and various ministries. This, as I have said at the beginning
of these reflections, is my way of sharing your ministry and
encouraging your efforts while at the same time strengthening
our unity as one flock, with one goal, gathered around one
shepherd. I shall also continue to develop those instruments
that we can all use to help us in our work together.
Diocesan Liturgical Directory
On the diocesan level, I have established a committee to renew
and revise for publication a new diocesan pastoral directory.
The directory will contain in one place, for the ready reference
of all who are interested, all the guidelines, norms and regulations
affecting the celebration of the sacraments within the diocese.
My hope is that such a directory, which will be updated as
needed, will provide all of us with an incentive to review
and to renew on the parish level our celebration of the liturgy,
and especially the Eucharist.
Since NEW BEGINNINGS
We can also take some encouragement from what has happened
in the past. Last year at this time NEW BEGINNINGS we spoke
about the effort that would be needed to address the many
needs we had to face. A year later I would like very briefly
to go over where we stand with those initiatives:
- In NEW BEGINNINGS, I announced my intention to form a
Diocesan Pastoral Council. On the Solemnity of Pentecost,
May 14, 1989, the Pastoral Council of the Diocese of Pittsburgh
was established and promulgated;
- Five new commissions (Theological, Justice and Peace,
Against Pornography, Ecumenism and Interfaith, and Worship)
are all functioning well;
- The Deficit Task Force has made its recommendations. It
has also become, with additional members, the body that
oversees the implementation of its report. This task in
several phases is well underway as, I am sure, you know
from the reports in THE PITTSBURGH CATHOLIC that listed
steps taken to reduce the diocesan deficit;
- In October, 1988, we held a diocesan-wide consultation
on our schools. Out of that has come the advisory committee
that helps with the implementation of the results of the
consultation;
- Every elementary school in the diocese has completed
a self-study program ("Verifying the Vision").
As a follow-up, all elementary schools have joined the Middle
States Commission on Colleges and Schools, and in a process
called Crosswalk will seek accreditation from that body;
- In April, 1989, diocesan-wide workshops were held to
instruct long-range planning committees of each elementary
school to apply the criteria for measuring the viability
of a school. These criteria were approved by the advisory
committee on the school consultation. The evaluation instruments
are now being analyzed in terms of the Reorganization for
Excellence Plan;
- A new diocesan high school has emerged from the consolidation
of two parish high schools, St. Paul Cathedral and Sacred
Heart high schools. The new entity is Oakland Catholic High
School for young women with an enrollment of over 650 students.
Because of declining enrollments and increasing costs of
operations Mon Valley Catholic and Immaculate Conception
high schools were closed. Many of the students have enrolled
in other Catholic high schools;
- In November, 1988, as part of the celebration of the tenth
anniversary of the U.S. Bishops' Pastoral Statement on Handicapped
Persons, I installed twenty persons with disabilities as
lectors or extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist for
service in their respective parishes;
- The adjustment of the size of the offices of the diocesan
central administration proceeds with a hiring freeze and
a reorganization of all the central offices;
- Every effort is being made through the new Secretariat
for Communications to share with the entire diocese and
the wider community the activities and efforts, needs and
concerns of the Church;
- Increasingly we have made concrete efforts to enlarge
the involvement of the laity in the mission of the Church.
In a special way this includes women and minorities, particularly
Blacks and the handicapped;
- The establishment of the Diocesan Committee for Parish
Self-Study has brought us to the next major task in our
reorganization effort.
I take heart from all that you and I have accomplished in
this past year working together. I thank God for the privilege
of being called to lead and to serve this vibrant and vigorous
Church. With great confidence in what we can accomplish I
look forward to our future together.
Hope for the future
Hope is a virtue that allows us to plan for great things even
though we are not sure of all the details that take us each
step toward our goal. It is something akin to the spirit that
filled the hearts of our ancestors--of recent or dated lineage--who
came to this part of the world to start afresh. The future
was not clear to them. They did not have prophetic visions
into the future to guide them day by day. But they had plenty
of dreams--dreams that stirred their hearts and gave them
courage.
Our look to the future includes a vision of ourselves personally
and as a Church growing every day closer to Christ. We see
ourselves living ever more attentively the challenge: "You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your
mind; and your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10.27).
"I call you friends"
The real challenge of living a Christian life begins when
we seem to hear the quiet voice of the Lord saying to us:
"I call you friends" (John 15.15). In one way or
another the call comes to us. God is patient (cf. 2 Peter
3.9), but because God loves us God is hard to ignore. Even
as we face the call and challenge of ongoing renewal we need
the assurance "My grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor.12.9).
We live our daily lives in the old familiar trials, weaknesses
and crosses. But in Christ we also know that we can find the
power of the Spirit to RENEW THE FACE OF THE EARTH--beginning
with our own heart.
Mary Mother of the Church
While challenging us to faithfilled renewal, the Church also
provides us a model of Christian response to the call of God.
Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, is for us an example of what
it means to be a believer. The quiet and gentle maiden is
the faithfilled, effective and loving lady of the New Testament
who speaks to us of how we translate Christ into our lives,
and what we as Church are.
The Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church was a woman
of great faith. When she was told that she was to be the Mother
of God she turned to her own resources, her own reserve of
faith to find the answer to God's question...Will you work
with me; will you walk with me in bringing about my kingdom?
Mary's answer remains a model for us. "Let it be done
to me according to your word" (Luke 1.38).
Because of her faith she accomplished great things and all
generations call her blessed. Her love manifested at Bethlehem
and Calvary was her free response to God who blessed her in
such singular and wondrous ways.
We entrust this Church and in a particular way our efforts
at spiritual renewal to Mary, our mother, and patroness of
the diocese. May she intercede for us with her Son that all
our efforts and aspirations, hopes and actions might be brought
to fruitful completion.
With grateful hearts
With gratitude for the many gifts God has poured out into
the hearts of all of us and in such abundance on this Holy
Church of Pittsburgh, I ask you to join me in prayer that
God will continue to bless all of us with the gifts and power
of the Holy Spirit as we attempt to RENEW THE FACE OF THE
EARTH.
May God grant you health, blessings and peace.
Donald W. Wuerl
Bishop of Pittsburgh
September, 1989
Come Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of your
faithful and kindle in them
the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit
and they shall be created
and you will renew
the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O God, Who did teach
the hearts of your
faithful people by
sending them the light of
your Holy Spirit,
grant us by the same Spirit
to have a right judgment
in all things, and
evermore to rejoice
in your holy comfort.
This we ask through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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