Pastoral Staff Day emphasizes teamwork throughout archdiocese

TIMONIUM – Parish leaders and staff gathered with the mission of building teamwork to bolster the work of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

More than 500 parish staff and leaders from 64 of the archdiocese’s pastorates attended the annual Pastoral Staff Day Oct. 25 at the Church of the Nativity.

Archbishop William E. Lori welcomes representatives from around the Archdiocese of Baltimore to Pastoral Staff Day October 25, 2023, at the Church of the Nativity in Timonium. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

The event, organized by the archdiocese’s Institute for Evangelization, featured speakers and workshops during a day of faith, fellowship and reflection.

“It’s important to get most of the parishes together to get them excited about our common mission,” said Edward Herrera, executive director of the Institute for Evangelization. “It’s a great way to communicate our common goals to our parish teams.”

The event themes for the annual event were “walk in the light” and “thriving teams.”

In his opening address, Herrera likened the event to a reunion or holiday family gathering.

“It is an opportunity to see so many friends and colleagues, some that I haven’t seen since last year and many that I saw last month or even last week,” Herrera said. “But regardless, it is an opportunity to share challenges, wins and hopes for this year. It is an opportunity to laugh and to pray. It’s an opportunity to learn a few new things and be encouraged and energized as we return to the busyness of parish life.”

Speakers, moderators and workshops focused on ways for parish staffs to collaborate more effectively.

“Organizational change must go through a door of culture,” said Deacon Keith Strohm (Archdiocese of Chicago) during his morning keynote address at the Archdiocese of Baltimore Pastoral Staff Day October 25, 2023, at the Church of the Nativity in Timonium. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

In his welcoming address, Archbishop William E. Lori acknowledged the challenges parishes face. The archdiocese recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. The filing is a result of the fallout from the Maryland Attorney General’s report on child sexual abuse in the archdiocese and the lifting of a statute of limitations by the state that opened the church to more lawsuits.

“… We are all deeply aware that this is no ordinary time in the life of the archdiocese,” Archbishop Lori said. ”And I am aware that you, my co-workers in the vineyard, are on the front lines.”

He noted the need to build “healthy, thriving pastoral teams” and called for a greater reliance on spirituality in parish work. He also said he was grateful for the work that parish staff members do “day in and day out.”

“If our ministry flows from Christ, so too our empowerment for ministry flows from the Spirit of Christ,” Archbishop Lori said. “When we engage in ministry, as you know so well, it takes all the love we can give. We can never go home at night and say, ‘Well, that’s that! I got the job done!’ It’s never ending. Every parish is a vortex of need.”

Holly Novotny, accounting manager at St. Mark in Catonsville, said parish teams, no matter what their role, parish staffers need to keep their work rooted in Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Keynote speaker Deacon Keith Strohm of 3M Ministries emphasized that the ability to work together “is the key to our mission.” The theme of his address was “From Avoidance to Accountability” and he stressed the need for parish staffs to communicate and collaborate in a way that is consistent with the church’s identity.

“The purpose of thriving teams is freedom and salvation,” Deacon Strohm said.

Father T. Austin Murphy Jr., pastor of the Christ the King and St. Bernadette pastorate in Anne Arundel County, places his hand on the shoulder of sacramental coordinator Airryn Sorto as they share their story on the importance of the pastor-staff relationshipm. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

He added that parish staffs needed to pay attention to the culture of their neighborhood and have a deep understanding of discipleship and evangelization while emphasizing the importance of trust among coworkers.

After eucharistic adoration and lunch, Deacon Strohm and Father Kevin Kennedy led workshops on healthy conflict and effective leadership and well-run meetings. The workshops allowed parish teams to share and discuss their local evangelization efforts.

Father T. Austin Murphy Jr. and sacramental coordinator Airryan Soto of Christ the King, Glen Burnie, and St. Bernadette, Severn, gave a brief talk on recognizing and addressing worker burnout.

“I encourage leaders to invest in people and not policies,” Father Murphy said.

Lorrie Winder, a parish assistant at Holy Family in Randallstown, said she enjoyed attending her first Pastoral Staff Day, which concluded with prayer led by auxiliary Bishops Adam J. Parker and Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., and an ice cream social.

“It was a great way to meet other people from other parishes doing the same work,” she said. “It was also a great way to renew my spirit for my work.”

Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org

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