This uncanonical structure, stemming from parish trusteeship, has in many cases relegated the priest to an employee contracted by the corporation to perform all the rites and duties associated with his office. Even with all that has been said and written these past 20 years about ministry within the parish framework, the priest is relegated to the position of one who is part of a group which makes up the leadership team of the community. The priest is not an employee of the parish. And, in spite of what has been said and published, he is more than part of the leadership mechanism within the parish. Skillfully Bishop Alexander uses the insights of Saint John to articulate a context from which the priestly ministry is to be understood and lived.
Parish life stems from the celebration of the divine services.
From this context of liturgical prayer, culminating in the celebration of the Eucharist, the priest strives to instill within his flock a yearning for the heavenly kingdom. From within the liturgical context, the priest is to be seen as the father of his parish who cares for the well-being and salvation of his flock. He is the one who blesses, who teaches and exhorts, who guides and corrects, and who co-suffers with those whom God has placed in his care. Without love the priestly ministry is reduced to sacramental functions. Without love the Gospel of new and eternal life is veiled in arrogance.