THE PARISH UNIT

How Do We Begin?
SLR,-I too have been much impressed by the article entitled " The Parish Unit by Captain E. Norfolk in the current miniher of "The Christian Democrat " to which you refer in your issue for February 2. And I wholly agree with your remark: " To read of the work of the Sevens:oaks Association is enough to see how admirably and it seems, almost necessarily, such an Association meets a vital Catholic need at the present time. You ask : "How far do we form part of a silent conspiracy never to change anything in our corporate Catholic habits ?" 1 would be interested to know what steps you propose might be taken by those who are in favour of the formation of a Catholic Association in their own parish. It is easy to sit back (as you suggest) and envy the lucky Catholics of Severe:mks their Association, or to thrust all the onus on to one's parish priest and say that its up to hire to make a move. (Incidentally, it would be interesting to know who made the first move in Sevenoaks.) But since Capt. Norfolk insists that ahhough " the parish pi icst must be the spiritual director of the parish unit " yet "at the same time, it is very important that the clergy should not be overloaded, and that preoccupation with temporal affairs should not be allowed to interfere with the discharge of their spiritual functions. . . The laity must therefore be prepared to take a leading part and to bear the main weight of the burden." (Italics are mine.) But this still does not answer the question of how to begin.
don't think that there is one single answer which would epees/
equally well in all parishes. For some parishes have many Catholic organisations in action hut without cooperation; and others have none at all, while some fall between the two. In the first case, it seams to me that it is up to representatives of each organisation to get together and approach their parish priest, and ask him if he is willing to arrange and preside over a meeting. But in the case of parishes having no organisations and where corporate Catholic life is limited to the parish Mass on Sunday. I ask you. sir. what can be done ? It is surely unnecessary at this stage to argue the necessity af Catholic Action, but I will simply quote a few words of Pope Pius XI " Today it is essential that all should be apostles. that is why the laity are bound to answer the call of the Church." Our Bishops are ever faithfully calling us to action, and we as individuals are offered countless opportunities every day to perfect ourselves and to help others; but as individuals.
Again. 1 think it is unnecessary to argue the case for corporate action, and more particularly parish action. This has been exhaustively done by Cardinal %shard, Abbe Godin, Abbe Michonneau. Pere Loew. 0.P., and now Capt. Norfolk, who in the article referred to writes: "The conclusion. . is that collective lay Catholic Action in this country should be organised on a regional pattern with the parish as the basic unit." (Italics mine.)
Surely the time has come for more organised Catholic Action in this country. We suffer from livine in a society of planners without unity of purpose. The parish is rightly called a microcosm of society: it equally needs a plan with a single purpose. It therefore needs guidance from its priest, direction from its Bishop. We must show them that we need their guidance wed direction.
KENNETH C. TODD.
" Sunnymead," Birkenhead Road. Meols, Hoylake. Cheshire.