Parishes must feel like a 'church family,' pope tells Polish bishops

Published: 2005-12-19

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- To make parishes real communities, priests must get to know parishioners, listen to their advice and welcome their initiatives to serve the parish and the local community, Pope Benedict XVI said. Meeting Dec. 17 with a group of Polish bishops making their "ad limina" visits to Rome, the pope said he was pleased that the reports about diocesan life that the bishops give the Vatican every five years showed a high-rate of attendance at Sunday Mass and participation in parish life. Each parish must be a "church family," he said. "Even if the parish is very large, every effort must be made to make sure it is not reduced to a crowd of anonymous faithful." Priests "must know the sheep of their flock, maintain pastoral contact with every sphere and try to know the spiritual and material needs of their parishioners," he said.

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