toledo_jesus Posted June 20, 2004 Share Posted June 20, 2004 I have a few questions for you fine people. My home parish is run by a pastoral coordinator. Well, there is a lot of friction between the people who want a full time priest and the people who support this lady in her bishop appointed role. So she has pastoral duties, and gets up during Mass to do announcements and also to ask God's blessing on married couples, or whoever. Anyway, so after a huge blowup a couple months ago (real bad scene, priest used the word "fascistic machinations" to describe her admin. then quit during Mass) I believe that she wanted to show the parish that it was not she who was doing the blessing, really, but the parish, so she has this thing where she asks us to extend our hands towards the blessees while she reads a blessing. In short, we end up looking as if we're at the Reichstag in the thirties and I find it absolutely ridiculous. It was my understanding that when we pray as a community (such as the Our Father) there is no actual need for us to physically join hands because it is our mutual prayer that joins us, not handholding. Isn't this in the same vein? Not necessarily wrong, I suppose, but a trifle redundant. I myself usually fold my hands in prayer and pray right along with her. I just wanted to get an answer from a priest about this. I realize it's probably not wrong, but I like to get professional opinions in matters like this. If anybody has anything to say about pastoral coordinators, I'm interested in that as well. Honestly, I like to know what priests think because all I ever hear in my diocese is what uneducated lay people believe. I'm tired of the 'lay spin' on things and I want some meat and potatoes Catholicism... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLAZEr Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 It seems to me that you would probably be happier at a parish that has a priest appointed as pastor. If the visiting priests don't want to celebrate mass there because of this pastoral coordinator, it seems like she is doing more damage than good. I know this must be difficult for your parish. Let's pray for vocations so that we dont' run into more of these types of situations with parishes that do not have priests to lead them. Also, when you are all extending your hands, you aren't giving a blessing. You are only praying. Only a priest can give a priestly blessing. I feel funny doing it too, but it's more common than you might think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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