St Patrick Papal Synod Listening Session
Date: March 27, 2022
Speaker: Lisa Dennison
Listener: Michelle Lirette
Scribe: Michelle Lirette
What breaks your heart about the Catholic Church?
· There is very little place for women to offer their full gifts as men have the opportunity to do (be ordained, become a deacon.
· Sadly, these are gifts the institutional church really needs.
· In our current Archdiocese of Seattle, women in the former decade had more ability to be involved in offering reflections, serving as pastoral administrators, etc. This role has been diminished but is still second to the role of men.
· Hierarchy of the church continues to hold power with a death grip with no understanding. IT is similar to the “I can’t breathe” racist situations here in our country; those perpetrating the power are disconnected from the destructiveness and harm of their ways.
· Because of the power dynamic, the clerics attracted to this are those who are attracted to power or martyr syndromes and are not necessarily servant leaders.
· Great sadness: message from the hierarchy is not relevant to young adults and/or to people with mature spirituality. People seek community but not a power dynamic.
Example: Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life runs w/out a hierarchy by anyone called to lead; there is no power structure.
· Except for this synod process, a high value is not placed by leadership on listening or responding to the laity; this seems to be a complete retraction and/or ignoring of the message of Vatican II where the intent is for clerics to serve the people and create a lay leadership. This dismantling of the intent of Vatican II is what breaks my heart the most.
Example: closure of St. Pat’s, a vibrant community, without any real dialogue with the people of the community about ways to sustain it; just assuming that is it’s small and there isn’t a priest, it should be shut down. Big disconnect of leadership from the people.
· The exclusion of the LGBTQ community as whole persons in the church also breaks my heart. Pope Francis says not to judge these persons and yet the Bishops here put out a position that being LGBTQ is immoral and/or abnormal. Is this the message of Christ, really?
· When power trumps compassion hypocrisy wins. EG. Church tradition over the gospel of Jesus.
What do I love/fills my heart about the Catholic Church?
· There is not a lot about the wider institution that currently fills my heart; it’s hard for me right now.
· I love the beauty of the liturgical ritual, it is nourishing (I don’t like the pomp: bells, bowing, etc. since it is not really accessible to all persons everywhere and is only for clerics to use/do.)
· I love Catholics that still speak out and live out the message and way of Jesus.
· The Ignatian way captures my heart; discernment, reflection, prayer, personal conscience.
· I admire the Jesuits and women religious orders who have begun to embrace that their own numbers are dying and how to include lay persons in their missions/communities.
How are we journeying together at St. Patrick church? How do you experience the Holy Spirit at work here?
· When reflecting on our parish, there is a culture that is “all about community.”
· The strong community builds intimacy, belonging, vulnerability, and strength that nourishes each person and develops organic leadership.
· When you know people deeply you can see and all out their gifts to contribute.
Example: this person was recognized as a leader and a person who could give reflections on the gospel and wound up organizing the committee of those giving reflections.
· Other parishes I have been to still rely a lot on the model of minister/priest giving all and community/lay receiving all.
What has been life-giving about this journey?
· Seeing the growth and unfolding potential in many parishioners at St. Pat’s.
· Children who have grown up here have learned to embody the Word in the choices and work that they choose to do in the world.
· The sister parish relationship with El Salvador has been transformative for our family and for our youth who have participated.
· Lay leaders cultivate lay leaders here. Some examples include: Children’s Liturgy of the Word (all lay persons), Betsey’s ministry including all ages of persons and our youth, dancing in the liturgy. These inclusions are leavening for involvement in social justice issues.