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I had a great day on Wednesday with the priests who serve in the South Canterbury region of our Christchurch diocese. While we meet much more often informally this occasion was the quarterly meeting of the priests of the diocese in our smaller local groups.

Across the diocese groups of parishes are linked in five regional groupings, a couple in Christchurch, one in North Canterbury, one West Coast and the region that I have joined (Mid-South Canterbury) since I live on the boundary and do a good amount of Mass supply work in Ashburton (with Tinwald, Methven & Rakaia), Opihi (Temuka, Geraldine, Pleasant Point), Mackenzie (Fairlie, Twizel & Tekapo) and Timaru (including Waimate).

South Canterbury is the region in which I lived for ten years between ages 8 and 18. It’s familiar territory. I know the rivers well braiding across now fertile farmland, Rangitata and Waitaki especially, and the hills rising from the plains always a welcome sometimes a nostalgic homecoming whenever I drive south.

The landscape has visibly changed.

Irrigation has made a remarkable difference to the countryside. When I was a kid it was border-dykes but now most commonly RotorRainers and Central Pivot units bringing growth and grass with dairy cattle to what was just fifty years ago rather arid sheep country.

While the human population of the region has remained relatively stable over the last five decades the Church environment has changed significantly.

In my school years the area between the Rakaia and Waitaki was staffed by almost thirty priests — including half a dozen teaching Marists in Timaru — living in twelve presbyteries across the Canterbury plains.

Today across the same area there are five priests living in four houses. And before you make a judgement of decline I want to affirm that I don’t think the Church in South Canterbury has ever been healthier.

Why do I suggest that?

There is a danger that where there is abundance of priests the clerical caste is seen as the faith-professionals. Where there is a plentitude of priests people can be lulled into forgetting that it is the Sacrament of Baptism which makes professional disciples of Jesus Christ, not the Sacrament of Order.

If you had eavesdropped on our Wednesday gathering I think you would have been encouraged and even inspired. We are passionate about the life we feel called to and the possibilities for greater maturity of faith in every person both within and outside parish communities.

Certainly Jesus Christ is spoken about often and passionately whereas priests meetings and even homilies a few decades ago seldom mentioned Christ and rarely promoted a mature and adult personal relationship with Christ. Instead past parishioners were exhorted to live better and to pray more and to remain faithful to the directives and doctrines of the “one-true” Catholic Church.

While many ancient sermons did delve into the depths of the beauty and power of personal and communal relationship with Jesus Christ, such inspiration was not too common on Sundays until more recent years.

Sermons were too often pep talks for Church practices, programmes and other parish activities laced with warnings of the dangers of easing up on doctrines and disciplines.

That focus was not new.

The emphasis on religion over faith was also a characteristic of sermons I’ve read in diocesan archives given by bishops across the first century of our diocese from 1887, more about the religion of growing the Catholic Church with fund-raising and building projects with meagre encouragement for living in relationship with Jesus who leads us by the humble “poor in spirit” method through Gethsemane and Calvary to resurrection.

Thanks to our efficient meeting Chair we moved through the agenda quickly knowing that the real joy in being together is the spontaneous conversation helped along by good food and a Lenten glass of wine.

Thank you (from left above) Tien Cao & Tang Phan (Timaru & Waimate), me, Chris (Opihi), Lito (Mid-Canterbury), & Jolly (MacKenzie)

I’m already looking forward to our next meeting.

 

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Send your date and time to add to the list, and just turn up at at one of the advertised gatherings, just one hour, focussing on where we are encountering Christ.

Monday 30 March 10.00am
Moko Cafe Bush Inn Centre, Waimairi Road Christchurch
Trish