The 1973 publication of Spiritual Renewal of the American Priesthood preceded my ordination to priesthood by one year. During my first year of ordained ministry I received a copy of this publication as a gift from my ordinary. He considered it a precious God-graced gift to the American priest.

This document was "a call to face the challenge of a new world." It was an invitation to brother bishops and brother priests alike to sit down and reflect on their common life to see where the Spirit is moving in us and our times. Based on the experience of priests, this study was directed towards understanding and enriching that experience in a practical ways.

On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary year of the publication of this monumental document, the question has been raised: Shall we revisit the Spirituality of the American Priesthood? August 18-19, 1998 (Belleville, IL), the NFPC sponsored the assembly of a Project Task Force to answer this question. This team gathered in an effort to discover if there have been shifts in the assumptions, issues, and reality of priesthood since the document was written. This team dared to explore where priests are experiencing the life and death of Jesus today. This group would have to decide if the spiritual renewal of the American priesthood is a viable topic to pursue.

There are many issues identified in the 1993 document that the task force believes to remain relevant. At the same time, many shifts have occurred in assumptions and realities relative to culture, ministry, relationships, and spirituality, for example:

• the declining number of clergy;
• the priests' ability to balance activity, ministry, and prayer;
• the affirmation of priesthood and priests;
• the image and morale of priests;
• the development of an appreciation of the diverse ways to be a priest and church;
• mutuality among priests of differing age;
• formation of priests in light of societal changes;
• a healthy Catholic identity;
• psychological and sociological dissonance in priesthood;
• the cultivation of a sense of the mission of the church that offers greater opportunity for accountability, diversity, and more common ground;
• polarization in the church;
• a constantly increasing diverse society;
• the need to develop an environment embracing ultimate trust in God;
• develop systems that enable one to live effectively with ambiguity;
• complementary dimensions of religious and diocesan priestly life;
• complementary relationship/roles of the ordained and the non-ordained minister;
• the role and ministry of women in the church;
• the development of positive and fair systemic supports;
• the centrality of prayer;
• sincere, honest, sensitive responses to the intimacy needs of priests;
• the birthing of a vibrant multicultural interactive church, magisterium, and clergy;
• Scripture knowledge and centrality of the Word;
• Scripture-based and effective preaching in addition to catechesis.

Is there a need to address with new understanding and new insight the questions that were raised twenty-five years ago? Where are we today? Permit me to share a sampling of the Project Task Force's observations on the past twenty-five years in respect to American priesthood:

• Vatican II provided new freedom and responsibilities to an American audience generally caught off guard;
• the reality and jolt of lay ministry were not understood;
• collaborative ministry would replace autocratic authority;
• the civil rights, women's and other liberation movements have impacted church and state in unique ways;
• several models of priesthood exist at the same time;
• the need for priest accountability;
• declining numbers of clergy challenge priests' ability to balance activity, ministry, prayer, etc.;
• tensions to have a balanced life is more acute with fewer clergy and more tasks;
• polarization is a societal and church reality;
• the church has to change itself in order to be a vital source of energy in people's lives;
• Christian spirituality cannot be fully named (defined).

To understand Christian spirituality, it is essential that one have an adequate understanding of self.

For centuries the world has been dominated by the tenets, traditions, values, and world-view rooted in ancient Greece. This culture developed a normative definition of God, humanity, relations, the church, and the state as well. Through the years preceding the Second Vatican Council, the church was a great preserver and reservoir of classical culture.

Today's world is quite different, however, as we live in a world that is clearly diverse in culture, race, and ethnicity. This pluralistic situation gives way to multitudes of differing values, symbols, systems, and traditions -- what many experience as confusion. Organizations, structures, ideologies, and institutions once regarded as stable have undergone radical reorganization and reinterpretation. Likewise, religion, faith, and the church have not escaped this experience.

The Roman Catholic Church in the United States and elsewhere has been a major preserver and protector of classical culture. However, today the Roman Catholic Church takes its place alongside scientific, social, and artistic movements and developments, as well as other ecclesial bodies in bringing meaning to people's lives. What many once experienced as church (symbols, rituals, etc.) is now ambiguous at best as a result of this reorganization and reinterpretation. This is expressed in stress, disorientation, and "dis-ease" with the institution. What is occurring in the American priesthood is not detached from the global experience of creating a new world order. Frightening to many is the realization that nothing in this world remains the same for all time, not even the church.

How do we work creatively and inclusively to establish an identity that incorporates the culture and ethos of the ordained (and the larger ministerial community)? We have a plan. the NFPC will sponsor three colloquia to provide for open dialogue and conversation. The ultimate goal of each meeting is the finalization of key issues that affect the life of priests.

The first colloquium was held March 1-3, 1999 at the Oblate Renewal Center, San Antonio, Texas. It was designed to define sociological and psychological themes relative to American priesthood. Participants included ethnically and racially diverse diocesan and religious representatives, theologians, vocation personnel, vicars for clergy, seminary professors, and caregivers. The aim of this gathering was three-fold: (1) to define issues and critical elements affecting the life of the American priest; (2) to arrive at a diagnosis of how to achieve equilibrium by making applications to life and (3) to utilize the results of this dialogue in the structuring of the second (next) colloquium.

The second colloquium in the series was convened on October 23-25, 2000 and focused on theological concerns from the perspective of relationships in ministry: e.g., priest-bishop, priest-priest and priest-lay minister. It provided content for regional spirituality symposia. Group composition included members of the task force, bishops and other NFPC invitees who represented diverse priestly experience.

On March 12-14, 2001, a third colloquium focused on the mission of religious and diocesan priests and complete the series. This conversation will be co-sponsored by the Conference of Major Superiors of Men.

The NFPC's 2001 Convention theme focused the outcomes of these various colloquia.  A writing committee was established to study all the feedback collected and prepare a report for release in mid 2002. For more information, click "In Quest of a Life-Giving Spirituality" found in the NFPC 2001 Convention web-page.

Proceedings documents will be published after each colloquia.


REV. DONALD J. STERLING is a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and pastor of All Saints Parish. He has served on the NFPC National Board representing the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus. He is also a past president of the NBCCC. Fr. Sterling was a member of the task force that oversees the development of the Spiritual Renewal Project.