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| June 15, 1999 Key to Developing Lay Leadership in Church Rests With Average Catholic/Symposium Outlines Catalytic Role for Foundations San Francisco ----- Fifteen speakers and panelists advising FADICA June 4-5, agreed that vast numbers of Catholics in the pews held the key to expanded roles for lay ministry and leadership. "Ordinary Catholics need to change their expectations for the future", declared Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, a keynote speaker at the symposium. "The 1960's, when there were plenty of priests and religious running Catholic institutions and parishes," Cardinal Mahony told FADICA, "was an aberration", indicating that their declining numbers has yet to catch up with the consciousness of average Catholics. Stressing his excitement over the growing field of lay ministry, the Cardinal decried lingering attitudes among many Catholics who have as yet "not fully accepted the laity" in their new roles as church ministers. Commenting on what several symposium speakers noted was a lack of funding for the theological education of laity, FADICA board chairman, William F. Raskob, told the assembly: "The funds don't exist right now because the general population of the church has not as yet been sufficiently engaged in responding to this challenge . . ." It may be time, said Mr. Raskob, "to appeal in some special way to their stewardship for the church's future." Fr. William Cieslak, President of the Franciscan School of Theology, another guest speaker, told FADICA "right now there seems to be no place in the Catholic imagination for laity who are actively leading and ministering in the church." Fr. Cieslak reported that many laity engaged in graduate studies lack scholarship resources and employment prospects. The daylong symposium included over sixty foundation members and preceded FADICA's twenty-third annual meeting. The program sought to clarify how foundations might help the Catholic church cope with historic change where multitudes of lay people have begun to replace retiring clergy and religious and respond to a new call to service. Speakers were insistent that more conscientious preparation and high standards should be followed in preparing the laity for their new roles. Father Mark Poorman CSC, Vice President of the University of Notre Dame, reported that more Catholic dioceses appear willing to offer competitive salaries for laity with solid graduate theological education. "We need to train the laity to stand shoulder to shoulder with clergy in terms of their theological formation," he said. A number of presenters thought that the foundation community could play an influential role in the movement to prepare lay leaders. "Your role as stewards of the church is critical," said Dr. Dolores Leckey, an advisor to the U.S. bishops and a scholar at the Woodstock Center at Georgetown University. Dr. Leckey urged Catholic philanthropists to work together to help focus efforts nationally. Citing the late Jesuit philosopher, Bernard Lonergan, she said there is a real danger within the church to drift instead of moving decisively to shape the process of lay education and formation. "It is a moment of grace for the church," Dr. Leckey added. Transcript of Forming Lay Leaders: Church Ministry in the Twenty First Century will be available through FADICA. Return to List of News Releases | Back to Top |