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Address of new NFPC President Father Richard Vega at Installation Mass
April 25, 2006 | Cathedral of St. Paul | St. Paul, Minnesota
Greetings to my friends, the members of La Purísima Concepción in Lompoc, my brothers priests, the House of Delegates, members and friends of NFPC and the bishops who gather with us to celebrate this joyous moment in the life of the National Federation of Priests’ Councils.
Desgraciadamente mis padres y familia no pudieron acompañarme este día debiendo a la edad y enfermedad de mis padres. Agradezco el amor y apoyo que me han brindado y mostrado en el ejercer mi ministerio sacerdotal; aunque a veces no siempre entienden o conocen claramente las puertas que el Señor me habré en servicio de su pueblo.
As I begin my service to the National Federation of Priests’ Councils, I recognize that the events of the last four years have caused to deviate from our primary mission and to provide advocacy on behalf of many of our brothers in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal. As the events of the last four years subside, we as an organization need to refocus our energies on our primary mission: the effectiveness of Presbyteral Councils at the local level. To this end, I will continue the work begun by our current President on the document: Essential Element of Presbyteral Councils and its implementation at the local level.
Concurrently all of us recognize the shortage of personnel within our dioceses. As a result of this, many of our Ordinaries have sought assistance from the International Community of Presbyterates. Our recent publication: International Priests in America: Challenges and Opportunities highlight the struggles and joys that exist within our ranks. It is my intention to continue the conversation between all of us who serve in presbyterates within the United States and to promote not only a conversation but also to attempt to create a climate of hospitality and welcome. In addition, I would like to promote within our councils a means of inviting our coworkers to participate fully in the life of our local communities and to encourage their participation in the leadership within our presbyteral communities. While recognizing the contributions that those of the international community offer our local communities, we recognize that this will never fully or adequately satisfy the needs of God’s people as their numbers increase and there is restructuring within our dioceses. We need to begin dreaming and visioning a new model of church that will allow us to effectively respond to God’s activity among us.
In an attempt to dream and craft a new vision and models of pastoral leadership the Lilly Foundation has give to a group of five national organizations a two million dollar grant to begin this dream. Our collaborators in this project called: Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project are the National Association of Lay Ministers, the lead agent in the project, National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association, the National Association of Church Personnel Administrators, Council for Pastoral Planning and Council Development, National Association of Diaconate Directors and ourselves. The discussions that have already taken place across the country demonstrate that there is new energy to dream and vision. It is my hope that we as a presbyterate can enter into an in-depth conversation with these partners and collaborators to offers the pastoral leadership that is ours as presbyteral councils. We cannot forget that our mandate as presbyteral council leaders is to provide our bishops with counsel on the pastoral care in the governance of our dioceses. Here is an opportunity to provide the leadership that is needed in these challenging times for all who provide pastoral leadership to the People of God.
It is impossible in the brief period of time to fully outline my vision and what I see as the future direction of the NFPC. Be assured that I am humbled by your confidence in entrusting the NFPC presidency to me. I look forward to working with the National Board and the Executive Committee as we begin to vision new directions for the National Federation of Priests’ Councils. In the words of the great pioneer of the California Church, Fray Junípero Serra, ¡ Siempre Adelante! Let us journey forward together.
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