QAC calls on team of priests

By Lenore Christopher

DAYTON DEANERY - At Queen of Apostles Community (QAC) Parish, on the campus of Bergamo Center/Mount St. John in Dayton, similar to other churches, parishioners are being encouraged to take more responsibility for the operation of their community.

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Queen of Apostles Community Parish celebrates liturgy of the Feast of Christ the King on the campus of Bergamo Center/Mount St. John in Dayton.

The new approach is the outcome of a pastoral task force, coordinated by Steve Nordmeyer this past year, which reviewed the parish's plan for the future in light of changing demographics and the declining number of priests.

The goal was to renew the parish ministry and encourage more members and pastoral leaders. There were also discussions about the need for a revitalization of what seemed to be perceived as an aging community, said John Fay, member of the pastoral task force. After considering a number of options, the idea of a pastoral team surfaced and was approved.

The pastoral team, each of whom has other responsibilities away from Queen of Apostles, consists of Marianist Father Tom Schroer, psychologist with Pastoral Counseling of Miami Valley Hospital, pastor; semi-retired Marianist Father Don Cahill, chaplain for Mercy Siena Retirement Community; Marianist Father Gene Contadino, former University of Dayton (UD) rector who now works to further UD's mission to alumni and friends; and Marianist Father Chris Conlon, UD campus minister and professor of religious studies. The four Marianist priests are even assisted, on some holy days, by some retired archdiocesan priests.

Fay, who has been a member for about 30 years, sees the change as unique. Using part-time pastors, he said, can assure that "the community will live and go on."
The pastoral team approach is "working well for us," Father Schroer said, especially because the community also has a deacon (Deacon Gregory J. Cecere) who, in many ways, is a core person and coordinates a lot, along with Nordmeyer.

"I began as a part-time secretary in 2000, then retired from the base (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base) in 2001 and was working with (former pastor) Marianist Father Jim Bartlett," said Deacon Cecere. Having been assigned as a deacon by the archbishop in 1999, he is now there performing the duties of secretary and pastoral associate.

"It has been a lot of fun," said the deacon, who also assists the pastoral team, especially by channeling communications to Father Schroer and lay coordinators and he does see more vitality in the community, which also collaborates with nearby St. Luke Church in Beavercreek.

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The stained glass in the Queen of Apostles Community Chapel at Bergamo/Mount St. John in Dayton illustrates the importance of lay participation in the life of the parish.

QAC is an "impressive faith community," said Father Schroer. "The liturgy and music are always well prepared and well done" and the relationship Father Schroer said he has with parishioners has been "supporting and energizing."

In the plan, the community looks to the priests to primarily perform the sacramental duties and homilies on a rotating basis. Priests also participate in general meetings and some educational sessions, although the pastoral associate and the lay coordinating teams handle most of the work, Fay said.

Although the plan has yet to celebrate a one-year anniversary, parish leaders already see the benefits that increased lay leadership and the vitality of four pastors and their individual styles can bring to a community.

"We have had no conflicts and no day when a priest was not available," said Fay, who has also noticed a renewed interest in the community to assume new leadership roles.

"It is very exciting," said community coordinator Nordmeyer. "As with most parishes, our community has always been very diverse and what they are looking to take away from Mass varies considerably. For some, it is the emphasis and emotion that shows in the liturgy of the Eucharist; for others, it is a homily that is witty or touches them. Still others may just be looking for a general charismatic presence throughout the Mass. Parishes with one priest learn to adapt or accept the strengths and weaknesses of their priest. Indeed, QAC thrived for over 10 years with our latest pastor."

However, he said, "Now, we have four diverse priests providing their skills and talents to the community through the Mass and all other areas of our church life.

Nordmeyer said, "This blending of skills and talents brings variety to each Mass. It makes each Mass unique and keeps it from becoming too rote. It feeds different hungers each week, while bringing an appreciation of different styles at the same time."

Nordmeyer said, with the conversion of a pastoral team approach, he has noticed, "I don't hear any complaints about 'I wish the Mass was shorter' or 'I wish the priest wouldn't rush through Mass . . . ' "

And, he said, minus critiques of the celebrations, community members seem to focus on ministry issues. "How we can better fund our social justice committee; What can we do to bring more awareness of and interaction with St. Luke Parish, our regional partner for the Futures Project; How can we encourage our teens and young adults to be more active and bring their energy to the liturgy and parish life; How can we incorporate stewardship into our daily life so we can show God our gratitude for the gifts he has given us."

Nordmeyer said he sees more people in the pews each week, which he believes is a result of the priest-team approach. "We aren't bringing in extra seats to go against the back wall yet, but it is exciting to consider that possibility for the future," he said. "Bringing more people to Mass each Sunday helps build energy and enthusiasm for the community, which brings in more money to fund charities both local and global."

And, he added, "It is because of the generosity of our growing community that we have been able to help support Marianist Brother Peter Daino, a missionary who is working with children in Malawi who have become orphans due to Malaria and AIDS. A community member has left to spend the next two years helping to set up education curriculum and teach children at various schools."

Nordmeyer believes the change has made his job easier in some ways and more difficult in others. "It is easier knowing that the different styles help keep everyone interested and satisfied with the Mass experience" and "easier also because with increased attendance, funding problems tend to dwindle."

However, the job becomes more difficult because "with more people and more energy, we can take on bigger projects and tasks and help address the more serious issues of our faith and how we live it. The good news is that it makes the position more rewarding overall because addressing issues of stewardship, social justice and faith renewal help us all to be the holy people that God calls us to be."