T o schedule media interviews or to request images or review copies, contact: Amanda Williams, Publicist • 800.282.1865 x206 • [email protected] Ave Maria Press, Inc. • P.O. Box 428 • Notre Dame, IN • 46556 A Ministry of the Indiana Province of Holy Cross Forest of Peace Catholic Bishop S ays “ Amen” to Lay Ecclesial Ministry Forward in Hope Saying Amen to Lay Ecclesial Ministry By Bishop Matthew Clark ISBN: 9781594711916 • 128 pages • $11.95 Available online at ww w.avemariapress .com, www.amazon.com, or at your local bookstore Matthew Clark is the bishop of Rochester, New York. He was born and rai sed in Waterford, New York, entered seminary in Albany and was ordained to the priesthood in 1962. Following ordination Clark served as a parish p riest and then as Vice-chancellor in the Diocese of Albany. He studied at the North American College in Rome, where he also ser ved as spiritual director, and at Gregorian Univer- sity, earning advanced degrees in theology and ca non law. Ordained a bishop in May of 1979 by Pope John Paul II, Matthew Clark was installed as eighth Bishop of Rochester in June of that year. Notre Dame, IN—Currently in the U.S., there are over 30,000 lay ecclesial ministers serv- ing the Catholic Church, and another 16,000 studying in ministry formation programs – nearly fve times the number o men preparing or ordination to the priesthood. A long-time advocate of and leading voice in lay ecclesial ministry, Bishop Matthew Clark (Diocese of Rochester) will release Forward in Hope: Saying Amen to Lay Ecclesial Ministry on November 22, 2009. Clark writes, “I oer in this book my personal t houghts on lay ecclesial ministry and stories from my thirt y years experience as bishop, forty-seven as a priest, and a lietime o being a Catholic because I believe we can build a better understanding and wise embrace o lay ecclesial ministry.” What do lay ministers actually do? According to the 2005 document fr om the U.S. Bishops titled Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord: A Resource for Guiding the Development of Lay Ecclesial Ministry , more than 40 percent are directors of religious education, one-fourth are general pastoral associates, and others are youth ministers, music ministers, or are involved in liturgical planning. The same document notes that two out of three U.S. parishes now have paid lay ministers on sta. Clark knows that the function and role of lay ecclesial ministers is still evolving, and is part o an ongoing dialogue within the Church. In the introduction to Forward in Hope, Clark writes, “The meaning, contexts, and distinctions of baptismal and ordained ministries, re- quirements or ormation and accountability, the acceptance o lay ecclesial ministers in the lie and mission o the Church, air employment practices, just compensation, and matters related to due process are but a ew o the issues with which we Catholics now must grapple as we seek to incorporate lay people working in professional Church ministries. ” Forward in Hope speaks to these issues, and many more, with the help of several other seasoned ministers including Patrick Fox, Charlotte Bruney, and Anne-Marie Brogan.

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8/14/2019 Forward in Hope Press Release

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/forward-in-hope-press-release 1/1

To schedule media interviews or to request images or review copies, contact:

Amanda Williams, Publicist • 800.282.1865 x206 • [email protected]

Ave Maria Press, In c. • P.O. Box 428 • Not re Dame, IN • 46556

A Ministry of the Indiana Province of Holy Cross

Forest of Peace

Catholic Bishop Says “Amen” to Lay Ecclesial Ministry

Forward in Hope

Saying Amen to Lay Ecclesial Ministry

By Bishop Matthew Clark

ISBN: 9781594711916 • 128 pages • $11.95

Available online at www.avemariapress.com,

www.amazon.com, or at your local bookstore

Matthew Clark is the bishop of Rochester, New York. He was born and rai sed in Waterford, New

York, entered seminary in Albany and was ordained to the priesthood in 1962. Following ordination

Clark served as a parish p riest and then as Vice-chancellor in the Diocese of Albany. He studied at the

North American College in Rome, where he also ser ved as spiritual director, and at Gregorian Univer-

sity, earning advanced degrees in theology and ca non law. Ordained a bishop in May of 1979 by Pope

John Paul II, Matthew Clark was installed as eighth Bishop of Rochester in June of that year.

Notre Dame, IN—Currently in the U.S., there are over 30,000 lay ecclesial ministers serv

ing the Catholic Church, and another 16,000 studying in ministry formation programs –

nearly fve times the number o men preparing or ordination to the priesthood.

A long-time advocate of and leading voice in lay ecclesial ministry, Bishop Matthew Clar

(Diocese of Rochester) will release Forward in Hope: Saying Amen to Lay Ecclesial Ministry o

November 22, 2009. Clark writes, “I oer in this book my personal thoughts on lay ecclesi

ministry and stories from my thirty years experience as bishop, forty-seven as a priest, and

lietime o being a Catholic because I believe we can build a better understanding and wis

embrace o lay ecclesial ministry.”

What do lay ministers actually do? According to the 2005 document from the U.S. Bishop

titled Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord: A Resource for Guiding the Development of La

Ecclesial Ministry , more than 40 percent are directors of religious education, one-fourth ar

general pastoral associates, and others are youth ministers, music ministers, or are involve

in liturgical planning. The same document notes that two out of three U.S. parishes no

have paid lay ministers on sta.

Clark knows that the function and role of lay ecclesial ministers is still evolving, and is pa

o an ongoing dialogue within the Church. In the introduction to Forward in Hope, Clar

writes, “The meaning, contexts, and distinctions of baptismal and ordained ministries, re

quirements or ormation and accountability, the acceptance o lay ecclesial ministers in th

lie and mission o the Church, air employment practices, just compensation, and matter

related to due process are but a ew o the issues with which we Catholics now must grapp

as we seek to incorporate lay people working in professional Church ministries.”

Forward in Hope speaks to these issues, and many more, with the help of several other seasoned ministers including Patrick Fox, Charlotte Bruney, and Anne-Marie Brogan.