In Time of Need: Parishes and Canon 517 §2 by Therese Guerin Sullivan, SP, Gary D. Yanus (review)

book reviews 607 IN TIME OF NEED: PARISHES AND CANON 517 §2 by Therese Guerin Sullivan, SP and Gary D. Yanus. Washington, D.C.: Canon Law Society of America, 2005. In Time of Need: Parishes and Canon 517 § 2 derived from a seminar presented by Therese Guerin Sullivan, SP and Gary Yanus, at the 2004 convention of the Canon Law Society of America. The authors revisited a topic first discussed in Pastoral Care in Parishes Without a Pastor: Application of Canon 517 § 2, published in 1995 by Barbara Ann Cusack and Therese Guerin Sullivan, SP. The Canon Law Society of America’s Committee on Lay Ministry Research produced this later work. This small text (sixty-nine pages, including several appendices and a selected bibliography) could not have come at a better time in the history of the church in the United States. Many dioceses, experiencing a shortage of priests, need to reorganize parishes to reflect the changing times. At the same time, the Church offers to the Christian faithful the pledge that fewer priests does not mean less ministry. How can a diocese fulfill both of these seemingly contradictory statements? This work on the role of the parish life coordinator and the provisions of canon 517 § 2 of the Code of Canon Law contributes to this important and imperative discussion regarding the service of the Christian faithful in parishes without pastors. The Introduction to the text clearly articulates its purpose: the text addresses the situation in which, due to a shortage of priests, the diocesan bishop finds it necessary to entrust a share of the pastoral care of a parish to someone not a priest. In a general sense the work has two important new dimensions not found in the earlier discussion of the topic. First, the authors speak from their lived experience in dioceses that have already implemented canon 517 § 2; and secondly, the text draws from the interdicasteral instruction, “On certain questions regarding the collaboration of the non-ordained faithful in the sacred ministry of priests,” published on August 15, 1997. The authors present a compelling but rather typical case study of a parish (Saint Procop) that is in need of pastoral care and the inability of the diocesan bishop to provide a priest as the pastor of the parish. While this situation may seem to present a grave problem for the diocesan bishop, the authors articulate in a clear and concise way the provisions of canon 517 § 2, that participation in the exercise of pastoral care of a parish can be entrusted to a person who is not a priest. From this vantage point the authors present the work in two related parts. The first part outlines the role and responsibility of the presbyteral moderator and the parish life coordinator. The ability of the presbyteral moderator and the parish life coordinator to collaborate in providing the faithful with their rightful pastoral care is critical. The text emphasizes that the two roles have distinct dimensions; nevertheless, they must be seen as a collaborative effort. Without collaboration, the application of canon 517 § 2 cannot function as outlined in the Code of Canon Law. Specifically, the presbyteral moderator provides for the sacramental needs of the parish and teaches the faith to the people entrusted to his care. The parish life coordinator’s responsibilites are divided into four principal areas: the ministry of worship, education, pastoral services, and administration. The authors have an extensive commentary on canon 517 § 2 which is an invaluable assist to those understanding these new roles. The second part examines the role of the parish life coordinator. The authors, in order to be faithful to the instruction, distinguish between the concept of full pastoral care in the parish (which can only be entrusted to a priest) and the collaboration or participation in the exercise of the pastoral care entrusted to a deacon or a layperson. The distinction made by the authors is critical to the understanding of the application of 517 § 2. Most noteworthy about this small work are the sample documents included in the appendices. They touch on matters such as: an application form for the position of parish life coordinator, a sample of an appointment...