The parishes represented at another table were primarily small and rural. For them, the parish represents more than just the spiritual center of their lives. It also provides a social setting for people to get to know one another, and it is the location for many community activities. "My parish is 80% undocumented farm workers. If the Catholic church were not present there, there would be no place where Anglo ranchers and their farm workers can get together in a mutual setting of support. The faith is the only thing they have in common."

Another speaker referred to organizations, mentioned earlier, that effectively link parishes in practical ways to achieve certain goals. He explained that normally his parishioners only think about their own parish. Once they become involved with a broader organization, they begin to meet people from other parishes in order to work on larger issues. At the same time he recognizes a need to continue to develop the smaller communities "where people can know each other by name, where they find support, where they find healing."

One group reported that each person at the table came from a parish with distinctly different congregations that had differing sets of needs. One had a large immigrant community to whom the parish represented safety. One had a Cajun community, for whom the parish offered comfort and welcome for all. Another came from a suburban parish. Then there was a parish comprised predominantly of the upper middle class, for whom the parish was the center of life. Finally, a cathedral community was represented.

In reviewing these diverse situations, the group saw a response to need, whether that need be literacy, a sense of place for things to happen, or a place to address some of the community concerns. This response to need gives people a sense of belonging, and hence a bond with the parish. Therefore pastors have to identify the concerns of their parishioners "and give some space and room for people to develop. In the process of that, we see people growing in confidence."

In the midst of this, methods of service are evolving. For example, a pastor explained how parishioners from wealthy communities are beginning to be challenged to have truly hands-on experience. "Like at Christmas time, not just to send money to people who don't have enough, but to celebrate Christmas with them. Having a meal with them and realizing what they really ought to offer is not so much what they have in excess materially, but what they have in abundance spiritually."

Not only can parishioners offer from their spiritual abundance, they are also touched by the wealth of spirituality of the people they serve. Though the following citation from Gaudium et Spes refers to nations, the truth applies for a family or an individual. "Filled with wisdom man is led through visible realities to those which cannot be seen. . . . It should also be pointed out that many nations, poorer as far as material goods are concerned yet richer as regards wisdom, can be of the greatest advantage to others." (Gaudium et Spes, 15)

Responses to the reflection questions detailed various ways in which the parishes serve the community. Many participants referred to food pantries, clothing store-rooms, and services for support groups. The following responses list additional examples of community involvement.

• Two staff members are members of the school district's student Academic Review Board.
• The parish is involved in the "Hope in Youth" Campaign to combat the gang problem in the community, and is a vehicle for other community service programs.
• The parish is an active member of a private non-profit organization composed of parishes, congregations, synagogues, unions, employee groups, and community groups. Working at the grass roots level, it develops local leaders and empowers citizens to build basic civic and family life consistent with Judeo-Christian and democratic values.
• The parish organizes youth activities for youth of all religious affiliations. Surrounding communities check with the parish before scheduling youth activities.
• The parish provides a focal point for Catholics as well as non-Catholics through:
  • various workshops (finding employment, writing rŽsumŽs, etc.)
  • a special collection each Sunday to assist the ministry of local agencies working to curb homelessness, hunger, illiteracy, etc.
  • an ongoing relationship with Habitat for Humanity.
• The parish worked with several churches and the United Way to open a shelter for battered families.
• The parochial school provides a good education in a city with a poor and unsafe educational setting.
• The parish provides open gymnasium hours for the community, resources and meeting space for Al-Anon, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Red Cross and other community organizations. In time of civil emergency the parish serves as a shelter for the community.
• The parish and a number of Protestant Churches provide food once a month for 500 families. The parish has a Community Store that provides clothing for low income families.

Offering another example, one pastor referred to the emphasis that the Catholic Church places on the sacrament of marriage. He said the Church offers pre-Cana, Engaged Encounter, Marriage Encounter, and ministries to divorced and separated. For the most part, these are conducted by lay people. Another said the Catholic Church is a force for social change. He pointed to the leadership of the Church in the 60's and 70's that helped to bring about confrontation with racial prejudice. Others spoke of the impact the parishes have on people who can influence the environments of business, education, and civic government.

Finally, a priest whose parish includes a large immigrant population explained that a bilingual parish gives a witness to the community, "a witness to the local government that the Spanish speaking people [or other non-English speaking people] are a large and needful group." Worshiping together gives the people a heightened visible presence and identity.

In addition to the specific services provided by the parishes, a pastor said an important outlet for civic services would also be removed. "Everyone in our group provided some kind of social outreach to the community. For those of us who network with civic or secular organizations to distribute or to provide services, the impact would be great because we can provide those services in a family setting, in a place where people feel comfortable to receive the services of the state. They don't feel that [comfort] if they were to go to another agency. It would be a big impact on pride and dignity and all the things we are able to offer that others can't."

Another person added that his parish is a refuge for the homeless, the hungry, prostitutes, and drug users, where they know they can be who they are without being branded. As Jesus reached out to the lepers, prostitutes, and tax collectors, the parish can reach out and minister to groups that others may shun.