Information is power

• In 1995 and 1996, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, published a series of recommendations for women in leadership to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Their recommendations formed the underpinnings for the concrete benchmarks enumerated in the report card worksheets .

• Today, lay women and men serve the church in a variety of ministries that do not require ordination. The USCCB recently published important guidelines for developing lay ecclesial ministries. Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord

Did you know?

• The term "lay ecclesial minister" does not describe a new rank within the church, but describes a variety of functions that require professional competency, certification, and authorization by the bishop in order to serve in parish ministry. Lay ecclesial ministers include parish associates, catechetical leaders, youth ministers, directors of liturgy, and school principals. Increasingly, lay men and women staff diocesan offices, taking on even the role of chancellor. Today, more than 30,600 ministers work at least 20 hours a week in paid parish positions. Over 2,000 individuals volunteer their services. In 2005, 64 percent of the people serving as lay ecclesial ministers were women. Source: Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord.
  

• The Canon Law Society developed a model for administrative review of employee grievances? For a quick overview of facts about women and lay ministers in the Catholic church, click here.

• You have not only a right, but a duty, within your sphere of competence, to make your opinions about the good of the church known to the bishop? (Canon 212§3.)

• The participation of the laity in the governance of the church is increasingly important. Canons 492-494 provide for the establishment of diocesan finance councils, the preparation of diocesan budgets, and the responsibilities of the diocesan finance officer.
  

• Canons 1276-1278 discuss the responsibilities of diocesan bishops with regard to the administration of goods, consultation with the finance council and college of consultors and delegation of responsibilities to the finance officer. Canon 1284 enumerates specific duties of administrators of ecclesiastical goods.

• A broad majority—97 percent—of Catholics, across the generations, agree that the time has come for lay people to participate in parish governance. This means women and men in the church should have the right to help decide how parish resources are spent.

• The majority of all U.S. Catholics, 62 percent, support women priests, and 81 percent of all Catholics support ordaining women to the deaconate.