By Rita McInerney

A covenant which commits Catholics and Lutherans to share more fully in the life and ministry of one another's parishes was signed Wednesday, Jan. 21 by St. Ann's Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection and the Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, all in Marietta.

The celebration of the covenant during the Week of Christian Unity, was the first to take place on the parish level since a covenant was signed last Nov. 2 by Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan, Bishop Gerald S. Troutman, of the Southeastern Synod, Lutheran Church in America, and Bishop David A. Wolber, of the Southeastern District, American Lutheran Church. The Church of the Resurrection belongs to the ALC while the Incarnation Church is LCA.

The covenant was signed by the pastors, Father Thomas J. Carroll, MS, VF, of St. Ann's; the Rev. Kent Lang, Resurrection; and the Rev. Darrel Peterson, Incarnation. Signing for the laity were: Joe Kelly, president of the parish council at St. Ann's; Dennis Dodson, council president at Resurrection, and Margaret A. Anderson, vice president of the church council at Incarnation.

Father Charles E. Hickey, parochial vicar at St. Ann's, was principal celebrant for the covenant ceremony, with Pastors Lang and Peterson as co-celebrants. They read this prayer adapted by Father Hickey from the Didache, an extra-Biblical Church source that refers to the Eucharist:

"For Roman Catholics the Holy Eucharist is the central celebration of our worship and identity as the Body of Christ. However, we cannot share this sacrament yet; there is room for greater reconciliation and mutual understanding. Nevertheless, we break unleavened bread (hence fraction) which expresses our longing while at the same time evoking the reality of our brokenness. The bread broken shall be brought to our Eucharistic liturgies this Sunday and used to celebrate God's gift in the body of Christ."

During a panel discussion which followed, Father Hickey discussed the history of the bread led by Martin Luther and Pastor Peterson talked about the ongoing dialogue between Roman Catholics and Lutherans.

Joe Kelly said he would go back to St. Ann's parish council and set up plans for a social activity with the two Lutheran parishes. The parish also has a covenant with St. Peter and St. Paul Episcopal Church in Marietta, he said, and has held joint meetings of the parish council and the vestry of the Episcopal church.

He said one of the questions from the congregation concerned when there might be a concelebrated liturgy, which is not possible at this time because that level of unity has not been reached in formal dialogue between the denominations.

Kelly also said that the people, in particular the women, seemed to like the fact that the Lutherans had a female associate pastor, the Rev. Lori Schifano, who read the Gospel during the Liturgy of the Word.

Pastor Peterson, in a telephone interview before the signing, said his congregation and St. Ann's have engaged in shared youth activities, and parishioners of St. Ann's reached out ecumenically when the Renew program began in the parish.

"I think it is a symbol of mutual affirmation. People remember the times of hurt ... the brokenness we will live with and recognize we've all undergone liturgical renewal."

"I see it as being a Lutheran, Catholic and Episcopal covenant. We are really all on the same wavelength," he said.

On the clergy level, Pastor Peterson said, he is looking especially for community ministry, adding that "our people are always very supportive to see their pastor involved with other Christians." Incarnation Church has 500 baptized members.

Pastor Lang said youth members of Resurrection and St. Ann's have held a dance and lock-in together, the choirs have performed at each other's churches, and Sister Lorraine Masucci, RSM, of the archdiocesan Office of Religious Education, was scheduled to speak at the church the Sunday after the signing.

Sister Masucci, a member of the Religious Unity Commission of the archdiocese which met monthly for one year with Lutheran representatives before the covenant was signed last Nov. 2 by the three bishops, moderated the panel discussion after the covenant signing on Jan. 21.

"We have been praying for one another for a long time," Pastor Lang said.

Pastor Lang said the merger of the LCA and ALC on Jan. 1, 1988, will probably not have much effect on the local level; in fact, most parishioners in both congregations will be unaware of any changes. "There will be no changes in worship materials," since both congregations already use common worship sources.

He said on the clergy level there has always been good interaction. The clergy at St. Ann's he added, "are extraordinary men, ecumenically minded," and he is confident there will continue to be interaction in the future.

The covenant begins with these words: "As communities of faith we believe that we are being called by the Holy Spirit to a commitment (Ephesians 4:3-4) to spare no effort to make fast with bonds of peace the unity which the spirit gives. There is one body and one spirit as there is also one hope held out in God's call to you. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all who is over all and through all and in all. To respond to this call for unity and with the encouragement of our bishops we will strive to share more fully in the life and ministry of our parishes in the following: spiritual life -- praying for one another, observing together the week of Christian Unity and World Day of Prayer, by seeking other opportunities throughout the year for joint worship and reflection upon Holy Scripture and by encouraging our clergy and laity to engage in common prayer on a regular basis."

Other areas of sharing listed were education, social justice and service, resources and social activity.

The covenant was drawn up, Father Hickey said, by a joint committee of members from the three churches. It was patterned after the covenant signed in November by the three bishops.

Father Hickey said the next step will be "to put flesh on the covenant with the Lutherans and incorporate them into the already established relationship we have with St. Peter and St. Paul Episcopal Church."

The music for the celebration was by a choir made up of members of choirs from the three churches under the direction of Mary Root, choir director at St. Ann's.