Print Issue: October 17, 2002

Priests, Bishops Of Atlanta Province To Meet Oct. 21-23

By Gretchen Keiser, Staff Writer

ATLANTA - Bishops and priests in the Atlanta Province are gathering Oct. 21-23 in Decatur for an assembly that will look at how different generations of priests approach ministry and how older and younger priests can better work together.

Father Jim Schillinger of Atlanta, coordinator of the annual provincial assembly, said he expects approximately 80 priests to attend, along with Archbishop John F. Donoghue of Atlanta, Bishop Robert Baker of Charleston, S.C., and Bishop Joseph Gossman of Raleigh, N.C.

The two other dioceses in the province are Savannah, and Charlotte, N.C., where Father Mauricio West is serving as administrator, while the diocese awaits the appointment of a successor to retiring Bishop William Curlin.

Father Melvin C. Blanchette, SS, a psychologist who directs the Vatican II Institute of St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif., will lead the assembly, which will meet at the Holiday Inn in Decatur.

Sessions are titled "The Intergenerational Priesthood," "Growing Up Is Hard To Do" and "To See Things as They Really Are." Topics include how a priest adjusts to the many incarnations of diocesan ministry; assessing his happiness and overall adjustment; personal development and its effect on the ability to work collegially; older priests appreciating the motives and zeal of younger priests and younger priests the experience and wisdom of older priests; developmental stages in life and ministry; personality types and personality disorders.

The annual assembly "started years ago," said Father Schillinger, who coordinates continuing education of priests in the Atlanta Archdiocese. "There was an annual provincial gathering of bishops and we said why not get the priests together as well."

One of the five dioceses hosts the assembly, which always brings in a speaker "to address some of the ministerial issues that impact the priests of the province."

"It is just nice to be together . . . It tends to be a very pastoral group of guys, a nice group of guys."

"I put a lot of stock in gatherings like this," he continued, adding "we've got a lot of work to do" to strengthen and unify the presbyterate or body of priests in the archdiocese.

"If the presbyterate of the diocese is gathering, you should be there," he said to his fellow priests. "Even if we may have different ideologies, different ecclesiologies, we should be coming together as a presbyterate and making a concrete effort to understand one another . . . A presbyterate is nothing if it is not unified."

Father Schillinger said the just concluded convocation of priests in the Atlanta Archdiocese drew a diverse group of about 75 priests, including some of the archdiocese's younger priests and Hispanic priests. It was "just outstanding" due to the speaker, Father Canice Connors, OFM Conv., the president of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, who is a former director of treatment centers for clergy.

A comment he has heard repeatedly from priests since the convocation was "how good it was to be together," Father Schillinger said.

Priests interested in the assembly can contact Father Schillinger at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta, at (404) 636-1418.