How Religious Communities and Diocesan Clergy Work Together to Build Up the Church
Have you ever wondered why some priests belong to a religious community and others do not? Or why are there multiple religious orders active in our diocese, some of which are connected to parishes and others that are not? These can be causes of confusion for many in the Church, but the answers lie in the foundational idea of vocation.
First, we must speak of the vocation to the religious life, or more properly, the consecrated life. People in this vocation are called to give a total gift of themselves to the Lord through their community. They make vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, by which they forsake private ownership, renounce their right to marry, and pledge obedience to their religious superior. When they pronounce their vows and are received by their order, they belong to the sisterhood or brotherhood of that community. These vows are sacred and transform their state in life in the Church.
Religious life is further specialized because religious communities are not interchangeable. Each has its own unique mission, apostolic work, and way of praying and living. We call this the charism of the community. When men and women begin discerning the religious life, they explore different communities to discover where the Lord may be calling them. Sometimes their choice is shaped by the type of work they feel called to do. Other times, they are drawn to a community's rule of life, its pattern of prayer and work. It is common for men and women to visit different communities, learning how each one lives for Christ and discerning where God is calling them.
In communities for men, some members may be priests while others are not. Both share the same vocation as religious brothers in that community. Among the brothers, however, some are ordained priests. These men are ordained primarily to provide sacramental support for the community and to assist in its apostolic work. All belong to the religious vocation, but some live it through priestly ministry while others serve in non-priestly roles.
For example, if a religious order serves in a parish, some of its members will need to be ordained so they can celebrate Mass, hear Confessions, perform Baptisms, and witness marriages. Other members may teach, engage in social work, or serve as directors of parish ministries. These important forms of service are not strictly priestly and do not require ordination. Whether an individual man studies for priestly ordination depends on the needs of the community and the role he is called to fulfill within it.
In our diocese, some parishes have been entrusted to religious communities to assist with the sacramental needs of the people of God. In these parishes, the priests who serve are members of religious orders and answer primarily to their own religious superiors. Other religious communities serve the diocese without being attached to specific parishes. It is best to understand us all as one Church, with a variety of ways of serving her.
As for priests who are not members of religious orders, their vocation is to the diocesan priesthood. They make promises to the bishop and commit themselves to serving wherever they are needed in the Diocese of Norwich throughout their active ministry. They do not belong to a religious community, but directly to the diocese.
By Fr. Jeffrey Ellis