Thursday, November 12, 2009

Bishop Clark writes book on lay ecclesial ministry

A book on lay ecclesial ministry written the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester will be released Nov. 22.“Forward in Hope: Saying Amen to Lay Ecclesial Ministry” by Bishop Matthew Clark will be available at local bookstores and online at www.avemariapress.com and www.amazon.com, according to a news release.

“I offer in this book my personal thoughts on lay ecclesial ministry and stories from my 30 years experience as bishop, 47 as a priest, and a lifetime of being a Catholic because I believe we can build a better understanding and wise embrace of lay ecclesial ministry,” Clark said in the release.

Ecclesial ministers are not ordained but serve as pastoral associates, directors of religious education, youth ministry, liturgy and music, school principals and in many other roles, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Currently, there are more than 30,000 lay ecclesial ministers serving the Catholic Church in the United States, the release says.

Additionally, another 16,000 are studying in ministry formation programs – nearly five times the number of men preparing for ordination to the priesthood, according to the release.
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