For the past thirty-nine years I have shared in the priesthood of Jesus Christ. In doing this with my life, I have served in five parishes of the Archdiocese of Boston. These have been in Roxbury, Dorchester, Peabody, Quincy, and now, Roslindale. The most stressful time I have found has been the last seven years. The news of the scandal of sexual abuse of young people by some priests has been, and continues to be, a cause of shame and anger for all good priests. However the feelings of the priests are a small personal matter when put up against the betrayal and violation of innocence of these young people.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley asked that the priests begin to look into a way for them to be evaluated and to evaluate each other. In times past, priests received supervision and evaluation with a pastor in a parish. We have begun a new way called a “Review of Ministry” (the “Review”). I am one of the priests who have begun this in late spring. This will be completed in the fall of this year.

The Review asks a dozen parish members to respond to a questionnaire concerning the priest’s ministry. Then, the priest himself uses a self-appraisal tool with similar questions. All this information is gathered together by a confidant, a priest or lay person whom the priest chooses. The priest and the confidant discuss the evaluation and reach an understanding about one’s ministry. They look at the strengths and weaknesses of the priest’s ministry in order to determine possible improvements.

There is an old Irish ditty which sings that the people “speak in a language the clergy does not know.” That is quite true! We expect that the Review of Ministry can assist our people to speak to the clergy in a language they do know. We can learn and grow in our ability to serve our people only if we discover our own strengths and weaknesses.

A second benefit to such a Review of Ministry is to encourage the priests. Whenever a group of clergy has undertaken this Review around the country, the priests discover that people are very encouraging and supportive. The parish priests need to hear what they are doing well and not so well. And when these messages are spoken with encouragement and love, they are an enormous source of new life for the priests.

Thank you to those parish members who have taken the time for this Review of Ministry. I am grateful to you for your directness and your encouragement. And to all of the parish members of Sacred Heart, thank you for your steadfast faithfulness. Saint Paul says it so well, “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him.” (Ephesians, Ch. I)