Meeting focuses on challenges to priests heading more than one parish

Published: 2006-02-14

CHICAGO (CNS) -- For five years, Father Pat Lee has served as pastor of both St. Joseph and Immaculate Conception parishes on Chicago's near North Side. The two churches are six blocks apart, and Father Lee can make the walk in six minutes. But that doesn't mean the two communities are -- or want to be -- the same. "The biggest challenge is to lead people to a broader vision of what church is," said Father Lee, who participated in a Feb. 7-9 symposium on Multiple Parish Pastoring at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein. "I do bring the resources of two places to the broader mission of the church. That should be an advantage." Father Lee joined pastors, pastoral leaders, researchers and planners from about 20 dioceses across the United States at the symposium. The group of about 50 priests, religious and lay men and women discussed developing training resources, guidelines and recommendations for having a priest pastor more than one parish.

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