These past two years, you have seen next to my name the title “Administrator”. To my knowledge, every priest who has been assigned to St. Stephen in recent memory has been assigned as Pastor. So is there a difference between the two titles and, if so, what is it? To start, the functional difference is minimal. As the Code of Canon Law states of my position, “A parochial administrator is bound by the same duties and possesses the same rights as a pastor” (CIC 540). To know what I ought to have been doing these past two years, it’s important to examine the role of Pastor.

   As the opening line of Canon 519 states, “The pastor (parochus) is the proper pastor (pastor) of the parish entrusted to him, exercising the pastoral care of the community committed to him under the authority of the diocesan bishop in whose ministry of Christ he has been called to share, so that for that same community he carries out the functions of teaching, sanctifying, and governing, also with the cooperation of other presbyters or deacons and with the assistance of lay members of the Christian faithful, according to the norm of law.”

   Stated simply, I am a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee who has been given a parish, that is a pastoral community, by the Archbishop of Milwaukee. I share in the Archbishop’s mission of teaching, sanctifying and governing God’s people within the parish of St. Stephen. Each of these responsibilities was entrusted by our Lord to his first apostles who in turn conferred them to their successors the bishops and their helpers the priests. In teaching, I am called to make sure the word of God is proclaimed to all the faithful, from the youngest in Religious Education to the adults through continuing formation. In sanctifying, I am called to celebrate the sacraments with devotion and offer opportunities and instruction in prayer so to lead the faithful to holiness. In governing, I am called to exercise leadership over the pastoral staff, councils and committees of the parish in order to enable the faithful to fulfill the Church’s mission. In this respect I am also entrusted with administering the material and financial goods of the parish to ensure their proper use for our mission. The Code goes on to state quite intimidatingly, “[The Pastor] is to be outstanding in sound doctrine and integrity of morals and endowed with zeal for souls and other virtues” (CIC 521). Outstanding sounds like the A+ range, so I’ll definitely continue to need your prayers to get even closer to that!

   The Code of Canon Law contains many beautiful challenges for the Pastor: to ensure the proclamation of the Word of God, to celebrate devoutly the Most Holy Eucharist and penance, to teach families to pray in their homes and in church, to know the faithful entrusted to him (including visiting “families, sharing especially in the cares, anxieties and griefs of the faithful” CIC 529, so dinners are required by Canon Law!), to seek out the poor and lonely, and to promote the mission of the laity. A tall task, but one I look forward to continuing for years to come! Thanks for your prayers and know of mine for you!

    -Fr. Stephen