Bishop Wester addresses DCCW leadership

Intermountain Catholic

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Bishop John C. Wester and Amy Kennedy, president of the Salt Lake Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, joke at the end of Bishop Wester's presentation at Blessed Sacrament Parish on Dec. 14. IC photo/Marie Mischel

SANDY — Meeting with members of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women leadership, the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, described the diocesan pastoral planning process that is now underway.

Also present at the Dec. 14 meeting were representatives of the diocesan deaneries and DCCW affiliates, as well as Monsignor Robert Servatius, the DCCW’s spiritual advisor and pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish, which hosted the meeting.

This is the third year that Bishop Wester has had such a meeting, which not only gives him the opportunity to "express issues of concern and special projects that he would like us as the Council of Catholic Women to address," but also gives the women "an opportunity to have a one-on-one encounter with the bishop," said Amy Kennedy, the DCCW president.

During the meeting, Bishop Wester focused on the diocesan pastoral planning process that will begin on a large scale next fall to gather input from Utah Catholics about the diocese’s goals.

Already, diocesan committees are meeting to outline how to go about the process, which is meant to result in a prioritized list of goals for the diocese, how to implement them and a timeline in which to achieve them, Bishop Wester said.

"It’s an exciting time for our diocese," Bishop Wester said. "I think it will be a time when the Holy Spirit will be working in us, and I’m looking forward to it."

The planning process will allow the diocese "to take a reflective look at ourselves. We’re going to say, ‘Good Lord, here we are, this is who we are; what do you want us to do?’ The Lord will tell us in prayer, and then we go do it."

In the fall, meetings will be held in the parishes and with members of Catholic organizations like the DCCW to "hear what people have to say," Bishop Wester said.

Already, the diocese has identified five issues for discussion: how to handle being a multi-cultural diocese, growth, vocations, youth ministry and stewardship, but "there are many, many, many other things we could look at," he said.

While laypeople’s opinions will be valued, Bishop Wester stressed that the Church is not a democracy but rather is guided by the Holy Spirit, the magisterium, divine revelation, sacred tradition, doctrines and dogma. In addition, Church traditions such as celibate priests won’t be addressed because that’s "not within our purview" as a diocese, he said. "We’re not going to be spending time on things we can’t do anything about; it’s not a grousing session, it’s not a time for me to expound on my personal agenda, but it’s a time for us to do what we can do."

Bishop Wester said he sees the planning process as "Christ gathering us together as a local Church … that we are open to the Spirit and wherever Jesus leads us. … We’re not clinging to our own desires but we’re open to wherever Jesus leads us."

He encouraged the women at the meeting to participate in the planning process as members of their parishes as well as DCCW members.

Kennedy said the DCCW, which sees itself as an organization that is of service to the diocese, "is very excited to see that the bishop wants our perspective not only as a diocesan council but also for the many roles that we take on in our home parishes."