Priesthood today: dancing around wolves In response to requests, from many readers who enjoyed Father William W. Norton's summer 1991 series of articles, the pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Woods Hole, has agreed to write another series. In the planning since the beginning of 1992, it will consider the roles of priest and laity in the contemporary church. The Editor Priesthood in the 90s: "Dancing Around Wolves." My father is now 86 but I remember among his many talents his ability to dance at weddings and other family gatherings. He danced every dance, entering Into the celebration with gusto. I feel that the priesthood is a dance around the ballroom floor of a changed culture. And, ever so carefully, priests must dance around wolves. Since my ordina. tion in 1967, the dance changed in
the sixties, seventies, eighties and now again in the nineties. Consider the deaths of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, the Vietnam War, Kent State, Watergate, the Beatles, Woodstock, the Chicago Democratic convention. Humanae Vitae, a man walking on the moon, the [birth control] Pill, SDS, pot, LSD, cocaine, rampant increases in alcohol consumption, Daniel and Philip Berrigan's protest sentencing to Danbury Federal Prison, the Watts riot, the Attica prison riots, approval of legal abortion. The deaths of Paul VI and John Paul I, the elevation of John'Paul II, the emergence of married deacons, eucharistic ministers, lectors, parish councils, the "age of the laity," God is dead theology. The papal visits to the V.S., the American hostages in Iran, the increase of violent crimes such a~
rape in all American cities; the gay movement, the S&L and Iran Contra scandals, the feminist movement, the yuppies of the 80s, the murders of Archbishop Romero and the six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter in El Salvador, Tiananmen Square, the fall of the Berlin Wall and Communism, release of Nelson Mandela, the Persian Gulf War, the Rodney King verdict and the riots in South Central L.A. How does the priesthood stand up to and dance around these momentous events? The"Going My Way" BingCrosby priest role model does not fly in the face of such realities. The priest is a product of the culture from which he comes and to which he dares to minister. People want spiritual answers and expect their priests, as men of prayer, to have a spirituality that will speak to 1992 Catholics.
St. Thomas Aquinas said "You cannot give what you do not have." Spirituality flows from spiritual men, men in love with God, with life and with people. Recent press releases have shaken many Catholics. But it must be remembered that priests, like the professionals, are subject to mental illness and in competency are, like all in the church, "Christians under Construction." We are poor, mortal, weak and human, not angelic and superhuman men. Nevertheless, the priesthood will always be on a collision course with the culture! Why? Priesthood speaks of self-giving, of celibacy for the sake of single-heartededness. It speaks of truth, the truth of Christ, the truth that flows from the Gospel. It speaks of loving one's enemies and justice for all no matter what their race, color or creed. Priesthood demands sacri-
FATHER NORTON fice, spirituality and, always, dispensing of the holy sacraments. Priesthood is dancing through it all with gusto.
Chaplain serves students' at university for deaf WASHINGTON (CNS) - Father Gerard Trancone, Catholic chaplain at Gallaudet V niversity in Washington, usually allows 90 minutes to take walk across the campus. Not that he's a slow walker, but the popular priest at the only V.S. liberal arts college for the deaf always bumps into students or teachers who want to chat. He acknowledged that carrying on a priv~te convention in sign language is sometimes difficult. He gestured to a dormitory 100 yards away and said someone could look out a window and "listen in" on the conversation by watching the gestures. , He gets not only the typical questions from college students about dating and the like, but at
Gallaudet also gets questions about the challenges faced by deaf students in a hearing world. "There was a girl in my office last week who said she didn't believe God understood sign language," Father Trancone, who is not deaf, told the Catholic Standard, Washington's archdiocesan newspaper. His response: "You don't have to have a voice to talk to God, to have your heart talk to God's heart." Father Trancone, a New Jersey native, has been chaplain at Gallaudet since 1978. His hands glide through the air effortlessly as he signs the Gospel and his homily at campus Masses. The assembly stare intently at his every move. "I've been a priest for 23 years," he said. "The attention at a Gal-
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. FATHER TRANCONE celebrates Mass gua'ge. (CNS photo)
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sign lan-
F ATHER GERARD Trancone, chaplain at Gallaudet University for the deaf in Washington, converses with students. (CNS photo) laudet service is probably the most intense I've ever experienced." Father Trancone said about 25 percent of the 2,400-student school's registered Catholics take part in community activities, compared to an average of 10 percent at non-Catholic campuses nationwide. ing church, I feel lost," said accounting student Ma~t Schwemler. At Gallaudet, though, "we're able to understand God's word." "We support each 'other," said social work major Theresa Baumgartner. "You feel a part of it, you belong, you're not left out. It's like a family here." Gaum native Fina Perez asserted, "The church needs to have people who can sign so the deaf can understand more and feel more connected." She added she knows deaf paople who have stopped going to church out offrustration. Rowland Yeo of Singapore said that after graduating he hopes to become his country's first deaf priest. After ordination, "I'll go back to Singapore to help them '[deaf people there] learn catechism," he said. Training deaf leaders has long been part of Gallaudet's mission, and Father Trancone noted it also applied to the school's Catholic community. In recent years, dozens of graduates have gone on to lead programs for the deaf in dioceses and parishes. In 1988, Gallaudet students made history by protesting until the school's board ofdirectors selected I. King Jordan to become the university's first deaf president. The
protest was "one of the major turning points in deaf history," Father Trancone said. To have a deaf man reign as president of this deaf university says there really are no barriers based on deafness that within reason can affect your professional choices," he said. During the university's Catholic Student Day in 1990, Jordan told
the students, "The only thing a hearing person can do that a deaf person can't is hear." "It路s probably the best biessing God has given me, to be here at Gall"audet," Father Trancone said. "These people persevere [in their faith]. No, matter what the past has been, these people still love God and believe God loves them in return."
Making Spiritual Connections for the developmentally disabled Spiritual Connections, founded als, direct care staff, clergy, health in 1988, is an interdenominational care providers and family members, organization serving the Greater the 'more recent session addressing Fall River area to facilitate rela- the grieving process in the develtionships between developmentally opmentally disabled. Spiritual Connnections is based disabled and the religious communat Day Spring Ministries, 117 ity. Middle St., Fall River 02720. It is Members seek out persons in institutions or group homes and affiliated with the Fall River Counassist them in becoming involved cil of Churches; the Association with the religious denomination for Retarded Citizens; Adsum, Inc.; and church of their choice. Trans- People, Inc. and the State Department of Mental Retardation. portation to services is provided. "The important thing is relationships, getting them out into the community so they are not in ALBANY, N.Y. (CNS) - Holy an isolated environment," said Cross Father David Farrell has Sister Kathy Murphy, OP, a par- been named interim director of the ticipant in the organization. Family Theater Productions, minRelationships are strengthened istries started by Holy Cross Fawhen members of the church com- ther Patrick Peyton, who died munity then visit the disabled per- June 3 at age 83. son or invite him or her to particFather Farrell has been involved pate in social activities, she said. with the ministries since his elecSpiritual Connections also pro- tion in 1988 as provincial of the vides support for persons who Holy Cross order's路 Eastern proassist the developmentally disabled. ,vince. He will meet with other Two annual conferences have been congregational leaders to select held for human service profession- Father Peyton's successors.
Interim director