Bishop Mayne on non-ordained ministers
Bishop Geoffrey Mayne died
on 14 September 2003.
He seemed to take unordained
ministers particularly seriously, as reflected in his 2000 media release:
"... Considerable time was spent in deliberating upon ministry in the future given the inevitable decline in numbers of ordained ministers. Strategies for the placement of non-ordained ministers within the Australian Defence Force - which includes programs for their endorsement, selection and training - were also discussed. ..."
Not many people would use the term "non-ordained ministers" but
I think its a good one, taking them more seriously.
I remember meeting him about
a week after there was considerable publicity in 1998 about him and Ann Nugent,
a leader of a group Ordination of Catholic Women. Apparently he told her
that she should not be a lector, on the parish council or receive communion.
His willingness to take this
stand highlighted that he took lay ministries seriously. If the publicity
worried him there was no reflection of this in his good humour and enthusiastic
homily.
By J.R. Lilburne, 17 September 2003. I give what I have written on this page to the public domain.
Other sites:
cathnews.com report of 16 September 2003