Wisconsin bishops plan for lay preachers

National Catholic Reporter, Sept 30, 1994 by Robin Edwards

Wisconsin's Catholic bishops unveiled last week their manifold remedy for the priest shortage -- one that in effect will allow women to assume roles as preachers, at least in the Milwaukee archdiocese.

The bishops' document, "Making Do With Less: Sunday Worship Without a Priest," is touted as the first such effort by a state conference of bishops.

"Our age is now experiencing an acute shortage of priests. It would seem that the situation will not be improving for some time," the bishops said in the eightpage statement. "It is our duty as bishops ... to find ways of helping you maintain the vitality of your faith and the strength of your parish life in light of that shortage."

Fewer than a dozen of Wisconsin's nearly 1,000 churches are without a priest on any given Sunday. The LaCrosse and Superior dioceses are most susceptible to the shortage, according to the statement by the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state's bishops. In the Superior diocese, comprising 115 parishes and only 77 priests, there are about 250 Sunday worship services annually without a priest.

"As the shortage continues, we will also have to make some adjustments so that our priests will not suffer burnout and our parishes will not become less vital for lack of ministry," the bishops said.

The bishops of the five dioceses that compose the WCC are developing tailormade norms in response to this mandate, said John Huebscher, WCC executive director.

Archbishop Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee already has established such norms and disclosed the archdiocese's regulations last week. "Norms for Preaching in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee" is an eight-page booklet based on recommendations developed by a specially formed preaching task force.

The governing document outlines the qualifications and the authorization requirements for preaching in the diocese. The booklet, signed by Weakland, states that some of the norms already exist in liturgical books "but an expanded role is envisioned because of the many circumstances that now present themselves both because of the decreased availability of ordained ministers and because of the growing competency of lay persons in this ministry."

The document points out that in recent history, liturgical preaching has been almost exclusively reserved for bishops, priests and deacons. Weakland states: "When lay persons are authorized to preach at a sacramental liturgy, they either preach in addition to a brief homily by a priest or deacon or in place of the homily when there is a serious reason. The preaching is not called a homily."

That last statement is in keeping with what the state's bishops clarify in their recent pastoral letter. The letter states that nothing is to be done by the lay leaders during Sunday worship services "to give the appearance of a Mass." Off limits are the presentation of gifts and the use of the altar except during the distribution of Holy Communion. Lay leaders are urged to sit outside the sanctuary. "all of these regulations are meant to avoid confusion and to remind the people gathered they are not attending a Mass," the bishops said.

The bishops emphasized the importance of keeping Sundays holy and of gathering and worshiping as a community. They add however that these gatherings should not be viewed as a "celebration without a priest but as a celebration in expectation of a priest."

And just who will now be allowed to preach and under what circumstances? It is up to each diocese to decide who will be allowed to preach. The bishops urge that preference be given to deacons for the preaching role in the absence of a priest. As for lay preachers, the bishops outlined their limitations, right down to deciding what they will be allowed to wear during worship services. They should see themselves as "supplying a need in the absence of the priest and not as performing a stable and new ministry in the church."

Under Weakland's guidelines, the preaching privilege is now open to lay pastoral directors -- who can be women or men -- who "under normal circumstances" will share this ritual with an assisting priest. Weakland, considered among U.S. bishops most sympathetic to women's issues, makes no reference to gender in his guidelines.

In Weakland's archdiocese, "authorized" lay preaching will be allowed at Sunday and weekday Eucharist and communion services and at funerals. Such preaching may also take place during the sacraments of baptism, marriage, communal penance and anointing.

To promote high-quality lay preaching, Weakland's guidelines include the formation of an Institution of Lay Preaching, which will also assess the qualifications for preaching.

It is now rare to see women preaching in Catholic churches, But Bill Ryan, a spokesman for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, said both the conference and Vatican have issued norms stating that a bishop can authorize a lay person "whether male or female" to preach when no priest is present.