ARTICLES

Plan goes into effect Aug. 31
OJP reorganization seen as help to parishes

By Steve Neill
Of The Catholic Virginian

The ultimate goal of the restructuring plan of the diocesan Office of Justice and Peace is to give direct support to parishes and serve as a resource as they carry out the Church’s mission to help the poor and embrace the dignity of the human person.

So said Joanne Nattrass, executive director of Commonwealth Catholic Charities, about the plan which goes into effect Aug. 31.

Under the new plan approved by Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo, the Office of Justice and Peace will come under the umbrella of Commonwealth Catholic Charities which is based in Richmond and has satellite offices in other areas of the diocese.

“The goal is to have real decentralization,” Ms. Nattrass said of the restructuring plan. “There will be a staff person for each of the offices in Norton, Roanoke, Richmond, Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore.”

Commonwealth Catholic Charities is seeking a new director of the Office of Justice and Peace. Michael Stone, who has served as director of the diocesan office for five years, will be leaving the position Aug. 28.

The new OJP director could conceivably work from an office in Roanoke, Richmond or in Hampton Roads, Ms. Nattrass said, adding that new technology such as the webcam would allow the director to be in close contact with the diocese if he or she worked primarily from an office other than in Richmond.

“The idea is to have direct support to all the parishes throughout the diocese,” Ms. Nattrass said, adding that each parish sets its own vision of what its social ministry should be.

For example, she pointed out that there are several prison facilities in southwest Virginia, making prison ministry a high priority in that area.

The restructuring plan is a result of Bishop DiLorenzo’s mandate that all diocesan offices be reappraised every five years. The reorganization was recommended by a diocesan Task Force last April at a joint meeting of the Diocesan Priests’ Council and Diocesan Pastoral Council.

“Since I’ve been here over the past five years, we’ve reviewed the mission and the operation of every office at the Pastoral Center and it was time to review the mission and operation of the Office of Justice and Peace,” the Bishop told The Catholic Virginian.

“Periodically, it’s a good idea to review all of our offices, making sure they serve the ever changing and developing needs of our parishes,” he continued.

“The revised configuration of Justice and Peace is the result of an extensive review and sometimes spirited discussion on how the office can best serve the needs of the parishes.

“I am most grateful to all who worked so hard in this process.”

Under the revised structure of the diocesan office, parishes will be able to seek guidance from their regional coordinator of Justice and Peace who will be available to parishes of the diocese’s local planning areas in that region.

The reorganization plan has clarified the priorities of the Office of Justice and Peace.

The main priorities will be Respect Life issues and Catholic social teachings. Other ministries which will continue include Haiti ministry, migrant ministry, eradication of domestic poverty, global solidarity, prison ministry and ministry to persons with disabilities.

The Office of Justice and Peace will continue to work closely with the Virginia Catholic Conference, other diocesan offices and ministries.

“Social justice ministry doesn’t happen in isolation,” Ms. Nattrass said.

While Mr. Stone is leaving his position as director of the Office of Justice and Peace, several current OJP staff members will remain under the restructured plan.

Jim Albright, director of migrant ministry, will be the office’s Eastern Shore regional coordinator.

Nita Grignol will remain as part-time coordinator of ministry to persons with disabilities, although her ministry will likely be part of another diocesan office. She will continue to have an office in the Diocesan Pastoral Center.

Colleen Barranger and Patrice Schwermer, both of whom were associate OJP directors, will continue under the new plan. Ms. Barranger has been hired as a regional director and Ms. Schwermer will join Commonwealth Catholic Charities through December.

The diocese’s Marriage and Family Life ministry will continue but will no longer be part of the Office of Justice and Peace. Jim and Sandy Dyk, volunteer coordinators of that ministry, will continue to have an office in the Diocesan Pastoral Center.

The Natural Family Planning ministry, which had been a component of the Office of Justice and Peace, will now operate separately from that office and will likely be incorporated as part of Marriage and Family Life.

The Priests’ Council has been asked to explore how marriage and family life ministry might be better served in a separate diocesan office.

Under the new plan, the regional coordinators will report to the OJP director, and the director will report to Ms. Nattrass, executive director of Commonwealth Catholic Charities.

Ms. Nattrass and the OJP director will meet periodically with Bishop DiLorenzo to review the status of their goals and objectives.

The plan of having a diocesan Office of Justice and Peace as part of the diocese’s Catholic Charities program is not unusual. Ms. Nattrass pointed out that other Catholic dioceses with this plan include the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Dioceses of Raleigh, Charlotte, Wheeling-Charleston, Rochester, N.Y., St. Paul and Stockton, Calif.

One cost-cutting benefit of the new regional offices will be that OJP regional coordinators will have access to the support staffs of the Commonwealth Catholic Charities offices in which their offices will be located.

Father Gaudencio (Gaudy) Pugat, pastor of four cluster parishes in Southwest Virginia, feels the reorganization of OJP will strengthen collaborative efforts in the diocese.

“What I like most is the fielding of a full-time staff person of OJP in Southwest Virginia and the reassurance that the OJP exists to provide support and information to parishes in social justice and will collaborate with parishes in terms of justice and peace education,” Father Gaudy said.

“It is also a fresh start, giving us an occasion to recommit ourselves through constant searching for newer and better ways to do justice and peace ministry.”

Jesuit Father Shay Auerbach, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in South Richmond which serves a large number of Hispanics, also sees the reorganization of OJP as a help to parishes.

“The plan will enable OJP to enhance its mission and identify and strengthen its regional outreach, especially supporting parishes,” he said.

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