6 Northeastern Mo. parishes agree on emergency Mass schedule
To go into effect when a priest is sick or away — Hailed as a good example of cooperation among parishes, clergy and laypeople
What happens when one of two neighboring pastors is away and there are more Masses scheduled than the remaining pastor can or should offer?
Father Robert Fields and Father Boniface Nzabonimpa asked parishioners in several neighboring counties that question and helped them find an answer.
The priests met with representatives from St. Joseph Parish in Canton, St. Michael Parish in Kahoka, Shrine of St. Patrick Parish in St. Patrick, Queen of Peace Parish in Ewing, St. Joseph Parish in Edina and St. John Parish in Memphis.
They worked out and agreed upon an emergency Mass schedule for the six parishes serving five counties, to be activated in the case of an emergency, sickness or vacation for one of the priests or possible substitute-priest coverage at other parishes within the diocese’s North Deanery.
The emergency schedule went into effect Oct. 1, after parish pastoral council representatives from the affected parishes joined their pastors in signing the agreement.
“When necessary, we’d be asking people to make a bit of a sacrifice and drive as far for Mass as they often do for other things,” said Fr. Fields.
The emergency Mass schedule for Clark, Knox, Lewis, Schuyler and Scotland counties is:
- Saturday: 4 p.m. in St. Joseph Church in Edina, 5:30 p.m. in St. John Church in Memphis.
- Sunday: 8 a.m. in Queen of Peace Church in Ewing, 10 a.m. in Shrine of St. Patrick in St. Patrick.
Members of St. Michael Parish in Kahoka and St. Joseph Parish in Canton are asked to attend Mass in St. Patrick, which has the most seating, on these days.
Word would be sent out by noon on Saturday that the emergency schedule was being put to use.
Fr. Fields noted that when he was first assigned to northeastern Missouri, he had six parishes in his charge.
This changed a few years later when the bishop assigned a second priest to the area.
At that time, Fr. Fields and Father Callistus Okoroji, who at that time was ministering in Lewis County, agreed to a preliminary abbreviated Mass schedule to be used in those six parishes whenever one of the priests was sick or out of the diocese.
When Fr. Okoroji was summoned back to his home diocese in Nigeria, Fr. Fields conferred with Fr. Nzabonimpa on creating a similar emergency plan.
They put together a workable schedule — one that could be handled by one priest when necessary — that included minimizing the amount of redundant travel time for that priest.
Mass locations for the emergency schedule were chosen based on central locations and their seating capacity.
Fr. Fields noted that the emergency schedule might be used if one of the priests is called on to provide substitute priest coverage elsewhere in the North Deanery.
Such instances are likely to become more common in the diocese as fewer priests become available.
The emergency schedule has not been put to use yet.
“We may need to tweak the process as we go along,” said Fr. Fields.
He said he’s grateful to the people of the parishes for understanding that some situations require having one priest cover all the Masses.
“Otherwise, none of us would be able to spend any time outside the diocese or attend to our health if we get sick,” he said.
Fr. Fields sent a copy of the approved emergency schedule to Father Christopher Cordes, diocesan vicar for priests. Fr. Cordes said the agreement seems like a good model for other pastors and parishes in terms of the goal it achieves and the process that went into it.
Bishop W. Shawn McKnight hailed the agreement as a good example of pastoral collaboration and co-responsibility among the priests and the faithful of neighboring parishes.
Fr. Fields believes similar arrangements could be made for other parishes in the diocese.
“But, only if everyone is willing to keep the welfare of the priest in mind and understand that things sometimes need to change so we can best serve the people,” he said.
