UP FRONT
More Than Silver or Gold
Michael Carrano |  Spring 2009

A pastor writes of how the NPLC has helped him strive for excellence in his ministry.

“I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you” (Acts: 3:6). With these words Peter cures a crippled beggar. Instead of giving the beggar alms or food, Peter gives him much more—the use of his legs, his place in society, and immense joy.
As we celebrate twenty-five years of service to the church by the National Pastoral Life Center, I wish to applaud and congratulate the Center for all it has given and continues to give, especially to our parishes. The Center has given more than any silver or gold could possibly purchase.

Much of what I appreciate about the NPLC comes through CHURCH magazine. However, in the fall of 2004 I made a major decision regarding the parish where I am pastor. I felt it was necessary to move a vibrant, growing parish in Brooklyn Heights to a new dimension. Our diocesan bishop, Nicholas DiMarzio, had just written his first pastoral letter, The New Evangelization in Brooklyn and Queens.

Using this pastoral as a springboard, I decided to create a parish task force that would review all aspects of our parish life—worship, education, community, service, and leadership. The reason for this review was twofold: to evaluate those areas in order to find our strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth; and to use the talents of lay parishioners to plan for the future of our parish. This was to become a daunting task.

As I envisioned the work of this task force, I realized I had to find reliable resources to assist in our endeavor. I contacted the NPLC. During Christmas week of 2004 I met with Sister Donna Ciangio, op, then NPLC project area director for pastoral services. From the moment I met Sister Donna and the staff of the NPLC at their offices on Bleecker Street. I was impressed by the world of NPLC. Their hospitality and assistance were extremely helpful. Sister Donna provided endless resources (samples of other parish surveys, Web sites, and related pastoral articles, for example) and other materials that could be used by our task force.

After a two-hour meeting I was filled with energy and zeal to begin our adventure. The ten parish leaders who formed the task force found the resources of the NPLC invaluable. When our review document was being drafted, Sister Donna was of constant assistance in helping us revise, edit, and adapt it to the needs of parish life today. After five months of hard work, the task force created an inviting, professional, and useful document to plan for our future and, I would say, for the future of any parish. This could not have been done without the assistance of the NPLC. They gave more than silver or gold.
In the fall of 2007 I was invited by the Rev. John Hurley, csp, to a listening session that took place at St. Ignatius Church in Manhattan. There were over thirty participants from the metropolitan area. We were told that the NPLC wanted our input about the Center and CHURCH magazine. The gathering was inspiring and educational. At the end of it, I realized I had received more than I was able to give. The educational aspect of this session was finding out how much the NPLC has to offer and how willing they are to help parishes grow to meet the challenges constantly placed before us.

In fact, one of the things I considered necessary as a result of this listening session was to provide CHURCH for each member of our parish pastoral council because of what this magazine offers. Again, NPLC gave more than silver or gold.

From a pastor’s perspective, I wish to highlight what the lay leaders of our pastoral council and I believe are the ongoing gifts the Center provides mainly through CHURCH magazine.

First, the Center has been very faithful to the legacy of Msgr. Philip J. Murnion who asked that the Center “be attentive to the signs of the times.” The signs of the times one can see when one looks at the church in America include the shortage of clergy personnel; the merging, consolidating and closing of parishes; the question of immigration and illegal aliens; faithful citizenship; and the greater emerging role of lay people who are involved in more ministries than ever. The list can go on and on. The Center, through CHURCH, provides fascinating articles and aids for us to ponder as we address these challenges.

NPLC is willing to take the necessary risk to place before its readers articles that concern them regarding every aspect of church life that calls them to spiritual and ministerial growth.

CHURCH magazine does not address only one specific area of theology or ecclesiology. Articles delve into faith, Christology, faith formation, liturgy, morality, social justice, preaching, evangelization, and technology, just to name a few. What makes these articles interesting and inspiring is that the authors, who are well versed in their fields, make the message palpable. The articles provide practical wisdom for the reader to reflect on and ask the necessary questions as we journey—as church—into the twenty-first century.

After reading these articles one cannot but ask, “Where am I spiritually in this picture? How do I grow as a minister in my local community? Where can I best serve the needs of my brothers and sisters?” I think the articles are especially helpful to parish ministers because they continually encourage ministers to find new avenues to use their God-given talents for the good of all they serve.

The wealth of knowledge offered truly paints a landscape of church that aids the reader in trying to find her or his place in the picture. It makes us not only want to be a part of the picture, but helps us ask how we can make this picture of church come alive for the local pastoral community. On a very practical level I wish to add that the cost of CHURCH is really small in light of all the wisdom one receives from it. The wisdom and knowledge the magazine’s articles provide are truly worth more than any silver or gold because they touch the heart of one’s spiritual and ministerial journey.

Second, the various conferences and the Catholic Common Ground Initiative hosted by the NPLC are a means for all involved in church ministry to grow on all levels. Since I am the only parish priest in my parish and also teach at a local Catholic college, my schedule has not yet permitted me to attend any of these conferences.

However, each time I review their offerings, I find I have a deep yearning to hear the renowned speakers and learn more about my ministry. These conferences also challenge me to want to meet other pastoral leaders so as to share our experiences, learn from each other, and grow in the love of Jesus Christ. I believe that the Center is providing so much with these conferences that I hope their future planning offers more opportunities on the local level so that I and our parish leaders could benefit from them.

We in church ministry have been blessed. With a growing interest and understanding of all the avenues open to us by our baptismal call, many lay people are eager to learn more about the varied ministries. NPLC provides many published resources—pamphlets, leaflets, and books— for parents, catechists, pastors, and coordinators. I have given some of these pamphlets to our catechists and parents. The reviews were great. They found these concise resources to be very informative and helpful. These resources are another means by which the NPLC provides us with ways to read the signs of the times in our church world and to respond to today’s needs.

There are two emerging areas that are of concern for parish leaders. One is “the new evangelization.” The other is good stewardship. All involved in parish ministry automatically are, by baptism and the call to discipleship, responsible for evangelizing through our particular ministries. In light of this, parish leaders are interested in bringing the gospel message to the faithful person in the pew as well as to those “out there” who believe the good news but are not necessarily active participants in church life.

This necessitates finding new avenues of creative communication so as to be good evangelizers. The result is that many of our leaders and ministers will ask, “How can I really be a good evangelizer?” This “how” question is crucial because our culture is very much a culture that goes against many of the values we treasure. Parish leaders must witness to the gospel in the face of the secular attitudes and beliefs our culture manifests.

It is this “how” question that the many resources of the Center and CHURCH magazine help us answer.

Also, there is the concern about stewardship on all levels. In 1992 the bishops of the United States issued a pastoral letter, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response. The document states that “a Christian steward is one who receives God’s gifts gratefully, cherishes and tends them in a responsible and accountable manner, shares them in justice and love with others, and returns them with increase to the Lord.” On a pastoral level good stewardship becomes an increasingly necessary responsibility on the part of all. In the last few years the NPLC, on all levels, has provided pastors and parish leaders the means to look at this topic of stewardship and address it in very real terms.

Church leaders will always be faced with new challenges. In light of these emerging challenges and concerns it is good to know that the NPLC is there to help us, on so many levels, to understand the challenges and how to realistically and practically address them.

Congratulations to all at the NPLC on twenty-five years of care and concern for those of us in the trenches. Your vision, mission, and sense of giving have been truly worth more than any silver or gold.

The Rev. Michael Carrano is pastor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Brooklyn, New York.