A question on parishes

Quite some time ago (January 14th), a reader wrote in with a question regarding what she read in a Catholic periodical concerning the establishment of a parish "as a personal parish to serve the Hispanic community, rather than a territorial parish with geographic boundaries."

She wondered about the appropriateness of such a decision and how it fosters or works against unity in the Church.

It is an excellent question and one that I regret taking so long to address.

It is a question that is likely not new to our own day and was likely present, in one form or another, in the time of the Apostles.

First, we should consider the definition of a parish. The Code of Canon Law describes a parish as "a certain community of the Christian faithful stably constituted in a particular church, whose pastoral care is entrusted to a pastor as its proper pastor under the authority of the diocesan bishop" (c. 515 § 1). In short, a parish is a group of Catholics in a diocese that the bishop has entrusted to the ministry of a priest whom he has appointed pastor to shepherd the parish in the name of the bishop.

There are two kinds of parishes, which are alluded to in the periodical's description, though perhaps not fully explained.

"As a general rule a parish is to be territorial, that is, one which includes all the Christian faithful of a certain territory" (c. 518). This is something we often forget.

Typically, at least in the United States of America, we think of our parish as the one in which we have "registered." Canonically, such registration has no bearing whatever. We belong to the parish in whose boundaries we reside. We are obliged to attend Sunday Mass, but the Church does not tell us where we must fulfill the Sunday obligation. Registering in a parish is simply a way for the parish to know who and where you are.

Even so, "when it is expedient, however, personal parishes are to be established determined by reason of the rite, language, or nationality of the Christian faithful of some territory, or even for some other reason" (c. 518).

This was often the case in many cities in the USA when the Church was being established on these shores. This, regrettably, often led to rivalries between, as in the case in my home of Quincy, between the "German" and the "Irish" parishes. Sometimes parishes have managed to overcome this, remembering that in Christ "there is neither Jew nor Greek," and in other cases they have not done so (Galatians 3:28). This division among Christians, though not intended, has sometimes been a cause of scandal.

Personal parishes, though, are never set up in opposition to one another, but with the aim of leading all people closer to Jesus Christ and to help them grow in holiness, in faith, in hope and in love.

To say that we are all one in Christ is not to say that we are all identical or that our ethnic and national traditions disappear. The Church is universal - catholic; she is present in all cultures and nations and excludes no one who seeks a life of ever-deepening conversion. To belong to the Church also does not require that national customs be dropped.

In some cases personal parishes are established because the pastor a territorial parish cannot speak the language of a particular national group. If he cannot speak their language then the Bishop must find a way to minister to them; hence, the establishment of personal parishes.

With the passage of time, one might hope that personal parishes would no longer be necessary as national groups settle into their new country and culture, while retaining their own culture. Such was the case with the German and Irish immigrants in this country, but it took a good length of time.

Ah, the joys of the telephone

As you can imagine this holy season brings with it many joys for a priest as well as a few irritations (as it does, no doubt, for everyone).

Now that the vestments are prepared, the homily nearly finished, the prayers and chants prepared, comes the joy of the all-important telephone (because nobody wants to keep their bulletins or swing by the unlocked church to pick one up).

Ringing incessantly with callers seeking the times of the Christmas Masses, some of these callers are prepared to speak to a person and others are not. Some are prepared to listen to the answers given and some are not. Some know what to say, and others do not. Some are thinking as they speak and some are not. (I've just answered three calls in the last minute alone. It's hard to get anything done around here.)

Now don't get me wrong. Of course I'm happy they are calling and are seeking to attend the Holy Mass, but a bit of common sense is always helpful. For example:

• If you are calling to find out all of the Mass times, be sure to have a piece of paper handy and a pen or a pencil (or a marker, crayon, tube of lipstick, chalk, etc.) in hand when you call so that you can jot down the times as Father gives them.
• Please don't stammer away because you expected a recording. While the thought of not disturbing Father is kind, the thought that he might not answer his phone is a bit insulting, even if not intended. Father doesn't call your house not expecting you to answer.
• Don't call them "services." They are "Masses," or maybe even "Liturgies."
• Don't question the times of the Masses that Father gives you; he knows what he's talking about.

And perhaps most important of all, remember how a clock works and that there are twenty-four hours in a day. What do I mean? Take this conversational gem from yesterday afternoon:

Caller: What time are your services on Christmas Eve?

Me: Mass is at four, seven, and midnight.

Caller: That's twelve, right?

Me (quite shocked and baffled): Yes...

Another bizarre call just came in: What time should I come for the four o'clock Mass to get a seat? I'm sure the same applies in every church in the United States today: the church will be full at least twenty minutes before Mass begins. If you want your favorite seat come an hour early and prayer. That's really a good idea for everybody.

A brief history

St. John the Baptist parish in Quincy, Illinois was founded on 15 May 1880, the fifth parish to be established in the Gem City.

The first parish in the Diocese of Quincy (which then became the Diocese of Alton, which became the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois), St. Boniface, was founded in 1837 to serve the German speaking parishioners of the newly established city. Upon their arrival in Quincy, the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) established St. Francis of Solanus parish in 1860. Two years later St. Peter parish was established to meet the needs of Irish immigrants who had come with the railroads. Immaculate Conception parish (St. Mary's, as it is more commonly named) was established in 1867 to serve the German citizens in Quincy's south side.

There was a recognition of the needs of the German Catholics in Quincy's north side toward the beginning of the 1860s. At the time of the dedication of Immaculate Conception parish, Bishop Henry Damien Juncker promised the established of a parish in the north end once St. Mary's and St. Francis' were in better financial situations.

These were, of course, difficult times financially for Catholics in the United States, as well as for most of her citizens. Bishop Peter J. Baltes succeeded Bishop Juncker, who learned in 1872 of a plan of the Illinois General Assembly to repeal legislation that granted the incorporation of churches. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, Bishop Baltes incorporated the future parish of St. John the Baptist on 24 May 1872, appointing at the same time two trustees.

Some months later, Mrs. Anna Cox, the widow of General John C. Cox, donated half a block of farm land for the new parish, which was accepted and deeded on 5 January 1874.

Even so, difficult times remained and monies remained scarce. The priests at St. Boniface parish remained sympathetic to the needs of the Catholics in the north side of Quincy and helped to organize a building committee and to collect donations for the new church. Formed in 1879, the committee collected $818 dollars from prospective parishioners. Once the boundaries for the new parish were established another collection was taken up. Yet the parish lacked the leadership it desperately needed.

Fr. Bruener, pastor of St. Boniface parish, requested Bishop Baltes to send help the struggling parish. His Excellency replied to the request on 15 May 1880 with a simple telegram: "Father Still is coming."

At only thirty-one years of age, Fr. Joseph Still, a native of Prussia, seemed just the man for the daunting mission that lay before him. One parish history book describes him thus:

"Father Joseph Still was the answer to many prayers and the cause of many more. His personal endowment seemed ideal for the hard task ahead. He was a young man, 31 years of age, strong, determined, enthusiastic, physically pre-possessing with a no-nonsense personality that matched his parishioners."

Fr. Still lived at St. Bonfiace while he oversaw the construction of an initial structure that housed both the church and the school and school began on 7 October 1880 even though construction was not quiete finished. In a just a few months, Fr. Still's leadership advanced the parish greatly. The church - located on the second floor - was dedicated on 21 November 1880.

The first rectory was completed and occupied on 4 August 1881, with the parish numbering 190 families.

After purchasing additional lands around the church, Fr. Still invited the Sisters of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ to open a home for the elderly. This they did, which eventually led to their teaching in the school.

By 1887, the parish numbered 250 families with 244 children in the school. To house the students, a three-story addition was built in 1891.

With the growth of parish a new church was needed to the provide the sacraments to the parishioners. With little effort of the convincing the parishioners, Fr. Still drew up plans for a new stone church with the help of the altar builder, Henry Schenk. The new church would be 74' by 166', while the original structure measured only 82' by 54'.

Construction on the new church continued through 1897, slowed down by a lack of funds. The cornerstone was laid on 13 October 1895. The local papers described the day as "outdoing anything of the kind ever attempted in Quincy unless it was the laying of the cornerstone of the Courthouse." Bishop James Ryan dedicated the new church on 13 February 1898.

This is enough for now of the history. I may post more in the coming days.