Pastors

Role of the Pastor

The pastor and the Holy Spirit direct the spirituality of the retreat weekend and the formation process. The presence of the pastor (or retreat Spiritual Director) is very important to most parishioners, and the pastor’s visible support of JOURNEY will encourage parishioners and give credibility to the process. While the pastor’s presence and involvement is critical, JOURNEY acknowledges the time constraints faced by most pastors and is designed for shared leadership. The pastor can choose how involved he wants to be and may designate an associate pastor or deacon to serve with a specific team. The Continuation Committee assists the pastor in the practical aspects of the program, such as room reservations, selecting Spiritual Guides, making changes in the retreat format or formation process to accommodate local parish sensibilities. The Spiritual Guide takes on the day-to-day responsibility of ministering to the spiritual needs of the team in JOURNEY with Christ. Three areas cannot be delegated: support from the pastor to ensure that space at the church is prioritized for JOURNEY weekends; assistance with the Reconciliation Service on the weekend; and support for invitations.

If the pastor designates an associate pastor or deacon to work with a team, it is critical for that person to be engaged with the team, participating as much as possible in The JOURNEY Begins, Evening with the Holy Spirit, team JOURNEY with Christ meetings and, of course, the retreat weekend. Specific responsibilities for the Spiritual Director:

  • Assist with invitations by encouraging and inviting parishioners personally

  • Work with Continuation Committee as needed re: changes to JOURNEY with Christ or the weekend retreat

  • Prepare and deliver reconciliation witness during JOURNEY with Christ and during weekend retreat

  • Work with Sacristan/Liturgist to arrange all sacraments, including reconciliation on Saturday night

  • Arrange for transfer of the Blessed Sacrament to and from the chapel

  • Celebrate Mass Saturday night (if separate Mass is included in the weekend) and Sunday afternoon

Pastor Responsibilities

The role of the pastor is critical especially during the introduction of Journey: New Life in Christ into a new parish. The role will change over time, but the continued active support and encouragement is crucial throughout the years in order to emphasize the importance of this ministry to the renewal of the life of the parish. The following has been provided by Msgr. Thomas Tank, former pastor at Church of the Ascension and first pastor to sponsor Journey in the Kansas City area. Additional comments are provided by Frank Wardega.

Prior to the initial weekend

  • Form a core team of 5-6 parishioners to assist in organization/promotion of the first weekend. Good to have leaders within the community. Try to meet regularly with this group.

  • If appropriate, appoint a staff person to work with Journey (this is to assist, not to take the pastor’s place).

    Make a weekend retreat in another parish so as to be available to be the Spiritual Director for the first parish retreat.

  • Set dates for the weekends. Good to go out a year and a half on reserving dates.

  • Personally invite people to make the initial and subsequent retreats.

  • Meet once with the Mission Team; the Mission Team will assign a co-spiritual director to work with the pastor in forming the first parish team.

During the weekend

  • Be present at the beginning of the retreat to welcome retreatants

  • Be present as you are able during the retreat especially during the witness talks

  • Give the witness talk on reconciliation Saturday evening – this is to be witness on reconciliation within your life as opposed to just a talk on the Sacrament

  • Arrange for confessors – number will depend on the number of retreatants – usually one priest for every 5-6 retreatants if possible.

  • Make sure there is a very BRIEF penance service to introduce the celebration of the sacrament

  • Celebrate the Saturday evening Mass which is always the Mass for the weekend

  • Get a good night’s sleep

  • Sunday morning you can celebrate your regular Masses and be present to the group as possible

  • Celebrate the retreat closing Mass on Sunday

  • If possible, be present for the wrap-up and sending forth

After the weekend

  • Attend the night of discipleship and conduct the closing commitment prayer service

  • Attend the formation meetings as you are able (maybe every two or three weeks, even if only for a short time or to offer a prayer).

  • Discern the co-spiritual director for the next weekend

  • SET UP THE CONTINUATION COMMITTEE FOR THE PARISH – Initial committee may not be the long term one; may want to include people from the core

  • Meet regularly (every 4 to 6 weeks) with the co-spiritual directors and, if you wish, lay directors for the next weekend. 

Pastor's Initial Ministry to Start Journey:

Journey starts within a parish because the pastor is convinced that the program will help him with his ministry as listed in Canon 519:

The parish priest is the proper pastor of the parish entrusted to him. He exercises the pastoral care of the community entrusted to him under the authority of the diocesan Bishop, whose ministry of Christ he is called to share, so that for this community he may carry out the offices of teaching, sanctifying and ruling with the cooperation of other priests or deacons and with the assistance of lay members of Christ’s faithful, in accordance with the law.

The pastor visibly and audibly supports the start of Journey by issuing the initial general invitation to Journey through all parish means of communication, praying for the spiritual renewal of the parishioners and the parish, and personally inviting key parishioners to participate.

In the initial weekend experiences and team formation for the men and women, Journey works best when the pastor or his designated representative is a participant on the first men’s weekend, and then serves as the spiritual director for the first parish men’s team. Such an action sets a powerful example to the people of the parish and serves as a statement of the parish's priority of spiritual renewal. It helps when there is an assistant spiritual director, usually chosen by the pastor, to assist him in the team formation process, lessening his need to be personally present at every formation team meeting. Please note that the ministry of spiritual director on a formation team and weekend is only a part of what might be included in the typical Jesuit definition of a spiritual director. The pastor or his designated representative does participate as a participant in the initial Journey Begins, Sharing Our Journey, and Discernment of Team Ministries. 

Pastor's Ministry to Continue Journey

Journey continues long term within a parish only with the continued blessing, support and presence of the pastor. The flourishment of Journey cannot be left only to the power of the Holy Spirit.

The pastor visibly and audibly supports the start of Journey by issuing the general invitation to the next retreat weekend through all parish means of communication, praying for the continued spiritual renewal of the parishioners and the parish, and personally inviting key parishioners to participate. Once the pastor issues the general invitation, the current team members will invite others.

The pastor establishes an ongoing Continuation Committee (see handbook, part five) to coordinate the ongoing work of Journey.  The pastor may have a designated representative on the Continuation Committee.

The pastor welcomes the new participants at the start of every weekend.  His presence and welcome speaks to the priority of spiritual renewal in the parish. 

He participates in the sacramental activities of the weekend as priest/celebrant/presider.

Associate/assistant/co/lay spiritual directors may share in his ministry of spiritual direction, and serve on the formation teams for subsequent weekends and during the formation time.  Such spiritual directors may be nominated by the Continuation Committee, but must have the pastor's approval and guidance.

In no way is the authority of the pastor abrogated or lessened in the Journey process.

It is the responsibility of all Journey leaders - pastor, Continuation Committee, spiritual directors, and lay directors - to assure that Catholic faith, doctrine, morals and practices are not compromised during the formation and retreat process.