Catholic Pastoral Center - Tema

Since the controversy over the circumcision of the Gentiles was resolved by Simon Peter in Jerusalem (Acts II), the church has had series of council meetings (synods) to resolve controversies on acts of faith or dogmas and issued out doctrines to its faithful. The council of Nicaea, Ehpesus, Constantinople, Trent to name but a few, all had such basic objectives. The second Vatican council is considered as one of the most influential councilor documents the church has issued in recent years. It is sometimes described as a WATERSHED. The council which was opened in 1962 by Pope John XXIII before his dead was closed by Pope Paul VI in 1966. As an influential council in the church’s history, the documents issued at the end of the council has transformed and continues to transform and is transforming the universal churches perspective as regards the world and its mission in the world. Decrees in Ecurnenision, the Apostolate of the lay people, pastoral constitution on the church in the modern world are but a few. One of the gratifying and exciting decrees was that on the Apostolate of the lay people. The formerly redundant lay people have been empowered by mother church to execute certain roles in the church which were a reserve of the priests and religious. The delivery of homily or sermons, baptism of infants, administering of holy communion are but a few. The active involvement of the lay in liturgical celebrations has also been enhanced. The administration of the church is also an area that the lay faithful have been encouraged to partake. This statement from the Apostolate of the laity decree (Ad Gentes 21) states: “The church has not been truly established, and is not fully alive, nor is it a perfect sign of Christ among men, unless there exist a laity worthy of the name working along with the hierarchy”. This places a lot more premium on the role of the laity in the conception of evangelisation in the modern world. The increasing new role of the laity which has been decreed by the second vatican council calls for a totally new framework for its implementation. By this we mean a new psychological, sociological, economical and architectural framework in the development of the laity. This is a critical transition in this history of the church. For centuries, the formation of the clergy has been characterised with formation houses such as monasteries, convents, novitiates, seminaries etc. These are formation houses for the clergy. These have really helped in the building of the church, the spreading of the gospel message and the transformation of the community. With the advent of new roles in the church for the laity, there is the need for structures to be put in place in the formation of the laity. This is a totally new area of architecture in the church history. This formation house unlike most formation houses will not accommodate people for longer periods, it is one that will to a greater extent train the lay people of the church. There will be short those training programmes and also long term training programmes which will last for just about a week at most. This aside, the facility should Offer lay people in a locality to undertake spiritual retreats, research and also offer the diocese an administrative help. The role of the youth in the church coupled with the fact that they form the future church calls for a proper formation of that group. This dissertation is an attempt to set out proposals for the realization of this laudable dream of mother church.

Source: KNUST