Collegeville Lay Ecclesial Ministry Symposium

240 pastoral leaders and theologians gathered in Collegeville this week to continue the conversation on lay ecclesial ministry.  Brought together by St.John's University, the USCCB, and 43 supporting organziations, these leaders spent three days in conversation about what we are growing to understand about this critical role in the life of the church.  Essays were penned by seven authors and sent out as pre-reading. The authors then were engaged by participants with questions about their ideas.  The areas included the theology of LEM, ritualization, authorization, Scripture, and Canon Law.  Participants then dialoogued with the authors and one another, wrote recommendations. and then voted on them. 

Cardinal George, addressing the gathering, confirmed that lay ecclesial ministers do, in fact, minister publicly 'in the name of the church.'  While careful to say that the clergy maintain the visible roles of proclamation, sacraments, and governance, calling ordination a sacrament of governance, he also talked about the "pastoring" role of lay ecclesial ministers.

Bishop Blase Cupich, in closing the gathering, thanked the participants for taking seriously their participation in the teaching office of the episcopate as they gathered to keep the conversation about LEM alive and open.  He reminded them of the work still flowing from the National Ministry Summit in Orlando in 2008.  He also spoke of sharing in the pastoral role of the bishops. 

In addition to gaining clarity in our discussion on LEM, the presence and role of the new faces of diversity were significant.  From prayer - sometimes entirely in Spanish - to recognition that cultural and age diversity are the key questions of our time, participants clearly are recognizing the changes among us.

At the end of the gathering the authors posted a revised list of 8 statements about LEM. They were careful to say that, while the statements may not be complete or extensive, they believe them all to be true. 
Here are the eight statements:

1. Spirit: Lay ecclesial ministry is the work of the spirit.
2. Baptism: Baptism is the foundational sacramental source that empowers the lay ecclesial minister.
3. Vocation: Lay ecclesial mnistry is a genuine vocation to ministry discerned within the ecclesial community.
4. Relationships: Lay ecclesial mnisters enter into a distinct set of relationships within the life of the Church. Their ministry is characterized by appropriate formation, the authorization of the hierarchy, leasership in a particular area of ministry, and mutual collaboration with the ordained and other ministers. These characteristics distinguish the ministry of the lay ecclesial ministers from other ministries and the broader participation of the lay faithful in the ocmmunion and mission of the church.
5. In the Name of the Church: Lay ecclesial ministers serve in the name of the Church.
6. Authorization: The bishop of his delegate authorizes the lay ecclesial minister for ministry in the name of the Church.
7. Ritual: Public rituals provide an opportunity for the ecclesial community to receive, affirm, and celebrate the ministry of the lay ecclesial minister.
8. Structural Support: The presence of lay ecclesial ministry calls the Church to provide systems of support and adjust parish, diocesan, and national structures and policies to more fully integrate this new reality in the ministerial life of the Church in the United States.