By MARY STADNYK
Associate Editor
After Mass, Bishop O’Connell greeted convocation attendees. Here the Bishop chats with presenter Tom Corcoran and Roni Schulze, co-interim director for partner development on the Rebuilt staff. Mary Stadnyk photo
Updated Oct. 4, 2024
The list of ministries in just about any parish reveals the critical importance of volunteers and how necessary they are for keeping the ministries up and running.
The challenge for many parishes, however, is building a large enough base of volunteers to keep their ministries active and vibrant without burning out those who are willing to serve.
PHOTO GALLERY: 2024 Parish Pastoral Council Convocation
At the diocesan Convocation for Parish Pastoral Councils, speaker Tom Corcoran focused on ways in which to generate volunteer interest.
“Volunteers are the lifeblood of the parish,” Corcoran said. “We simply cannot fulfill the mission of the Church to make disciples without raising up volunteers in a parish. To raise up volunteers, parish leaders must think of ministry as a system and not just the single area of recruiting or getting people to volunteer. There needs to be a more holistic view of volunteerism in the Church.”
Drawing parish pastoral council reps from around the Diocese, the second annual convocation Sept. 28 at St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton, included Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and presentations by nationally known speakers: Dan Cellucci, CEO of Catholic Leadership Institute, who spoke on how to think about parish vitality, and Corcoran, coauthor of “Rebuilt” and lay associate to the pastor of Nativity Parish, Timonium Md.
Bishop’s Encouragement
In his homily, Bishop O’Connell reflected on the day’s Readings in which “we are reminded of the essence of Christian leadership” and linked it with the day’s purpose.
“Jesus, our ultimate model of servant leadership, teaches us that true greatness lies in serving others. This call to servanthood is at the heart of our mission as members of the parish pastoral council,” Bishop O’Connell said, then added that, as parish leaders, “We are called to emulate Jesus’ example of humility and service.
“Our role is not about wielding power or authority, but about serving our fellow parishioners with love and compassion,” the Bishop said. “We are here to listen, to support and to guide our community in their spiritual journey.”
Bishop O’Connell emphasized that working together to build a strong, faith-filled community is a collective effort, and “it involves fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging active participation in the life of the parish.”
Parish Vitality and Volunteerism
Corcoran cited three points about building volunteerism in a parish. The first is to remember that their leadership is needed.
“A parish not only needs volunteer ministers to accomplish tasks but to lead and organized ministries,” Corcoran said.
Second is that parish pastoral council members should encourage parish staff to view volunteer ministry as a system. Third is that Rebuilt Parish, an organization he leads, has a resource and course to help parishes wanting to build and grow a sustainable volunteer ministry.
Cellucci centered his topic on the need to understand the realities and opportunities in parish ministry as they relate to vitality. He recommended that pastoral council members understand the larger context of parish life in the United States as well as some of the drivers and metrics of vitality, so that they could be better equipped to help build awareness among their parish leadership and fellow parishioners.
Two of the most significant trends that every parishioner needs to know, Cellucci said, are the “major generational shifts we are experiencing as Baby Boomers (who are doing most of the volunteering and giving) get older and Gen X and Millennials move into significant moments in their lives.”
A second statistic he shared is that the average parishioner is 11 times more likely to recommend their parish and four times more likely to say the parish is helping them grow spiritually if they recommend their pastor.
“That’s a tremendous burden on our priests as their numbers decline, and we have to all make sure we are forming people in their discipleship of Jesus Christ, not in any one priest, as great as he might be,” Cellucci said.
He urged the audience to remember that “we all need to be witnesses to hope, because Jesus promised he would always be with us.
“Despite how our parishes might need to change, we will never be alone,” he said. “We need every pastoral council member and every Catholic to build their confidence in sharing the Good News.”
In The Trenches
Wendy Marano, parish council member at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Maple Shade, said one of the biggest takeaways from the convocation was the importance of talking with people from other parishes.
“It’s nice to know that you have shared goals and challenges, and you have a huge body of believers supporting you,” she said. Noting that she can relate to the challenges in encouraging volunteerism, she said Cellucci’s presentation “helped put the Church community in a larger perspective.”
Tom and Mary Anne Altobelli of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish said they appreciated Corcoran’s saying that, when asking for volunteers, “it is not what you want from them, but what you want for them,” and “don’t ask [for volunteers] because of need; ask because of parish vision.”