The future of Eucharist was the focus of a 10th anniversary pre-conference day for Cleveland-based FutureChurch led by sacramental theologian Bernard Cooke and liturgist-theologian Miriam Therese Winter. The threat to Eucharist posed by the priest shortage was further examined in a workshop by FutureChurch co-founder, Fr. Lou Trivison, and director, Sr. Chris Schenk.
“The Bishops have chosen to preserve celibacy instead of the Eucharist,” said Father Lou Trivison, quoting a 1990 Dolores Curran article that galvanized his parish to vote for married and female priests rather than lose the Mass. “We have a right to the Eucharist. We need enough presiders so that we’re not denied the Eucharist .” He quoted Belgium's Cardinal Danneels making the same point in Europe, where 43,000 parishes have no priest, and African Bishop Lobinger’s new book, “Like His Brothers and Sisters,” calling for trained Eucharistic presiders, both men and women, to lead Sunday Mass where there are no ordained priests.
The workshop was standing room only, perhaps because CTA co-director Dan Daley in a plenary session cited figures released last June at the U.S. bishops’ meeting: 27 percent of U.S. parishes now have no resident priest, up from just 10 percent five years ago. Schenk said the Future of Priestly Ministry (FOPM) project, which is partnered with CTA, can take some credit for the bishops’ landmark decision to finally discuss the priest shortage publicly. In five years FOPM has generated nearly 100 media articles and local presentations on the priest shortage. Schenk said FOPM (see ad, page 6) has copies of the bishops' new priest-shortage data, and urged CTAers to use them to launch a new dialogue with diocesan lay and priest leaders. Now even dioceses in the Northeast, historically loaded with priests, are finally feeling the shortage. Articles appeared in November in the New York Times about Brooklyn, and in the Boston Phoenix about Boston.
Cooke: Fewer, better Eucharists
In the short run, said Bernard Cooke, the quality of Eucharistic celebrations is more important than the quantity: “One really carefully prepared liturgy per month is worth more than four Sundays poorly done. We are being challenged to make the Eucharist what it ought to be.” He spun out a rich theology of Eucharist. “All of Christian life is meant to be Eucharistic: God revealed in Jesus sacramentalized in our life through the action of God’s Spirit. Saying ‘Amen’ at communion is a profound commitment: Do you want this Risen Christ or not?”
 |
| Dancers lead entrance procession at conference Eucharist. |
Winter revisited her theme at CTA’s 1999 conference: the biblical basis for celebrating “small e” eucharist to fill the gap between Sundays. It involves breaking bread together in ways that complement rather than replace official Eucharist. “It's small e but big grace,” she said. “Eucharistia means ‘to give thanks.’ Whenever we give thanks we are already moving into the heart of the Eucharistic tradition.”
Small e eucharist rituals were led at morning prayer time by CTA Next Generation leaders. FutureChurch concluded its mini-conference with one developed by Winter herself. For a copy, e-mail info@futurechurch.org