In January, this year, Bishop Michael inaugurated a new model of Pastoring for the Parishes of the Central West.  Over the years the diocese has creatively sought to minister across the vast distances of this area.  Bishop Wallace introduced the use of a light aircraft to access those in remote areas.  Today, Sr Mary Farrelly sm continues this ministry with a Prado and the internet.  In the past twelve months, senior priests of the diocese have taken turns, on a monthly basis, serving the Parish communities.  

Now, something new has begun.  Fathers Raj and Shaiju, Loretta McKeering (the Pastoral Coordinator), the Central West Regional Pastoral Council, through its chair, Andrew Wachtel and Sr Mary will be co-ordinating sacramental and pastoral care through the entire region of the Central West. 

Frs Raj and Shaiju have been appointed in solidum which means that they will work together pastorally and sacramentally for the good of all parishioners.  They will initially reside in Longreach mid-week and on Friday travel to the various communities of the Central West for Eucharist and Baptisms.

This new model has been proposed following extensive consultation with the priests, religious and laity who have worked together to form the Central West Regional Pastoral Council. 

Fr Andrew Hogan has provided the following explanation of this type of ministry as it is offered in Canon Law.

Priests in Solidum

Under normal circumstances a parish is entrusted to a pastor who has all the rights and duties necessary to care for the people of the parish and a pastor only has responsibility for one parish (Canon 526 No.1). Due to a variety of reasons including vast distances to be travelled, financial constraints, and a lack of available clergy this normative arrangement is not always possible.

Further to this, a bishop has the responsibility of ensuring that all the people within his diocese are adequately cared for. When the normal arrangements are not possible, the Church provides, albeit it extraordinary and temporary, other possibilities to ensure the proper pastoral care of the people of God. One avenue available to the bishop is to group multiple parishes and entrust them jointly to a group of priests – in solidum.

When priests are appointed ‘in solidum’ the communities of each parish under their care is entrusted to each of them jointly so that each priest has all the rights and duties necessary to care for the people of the parishes. While in the day to day ministry of the priests, this distinction between priests in solidum and a parish priest and his associate pastor may not be overly evident it is an important distinction that ensures that each priest involved in the particular mission is able to do what is necessary to care for the people of God entrusted to his care. “In solidum they are bound to the duties of teaching, sanctifying, and governing the individual parishes. … In solidum they also are obliged to fulfil the functions which are performed by a pastor and which can be performed by others only with the pastor’s permission” (John P. Beal ed New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, p 682).

 When priests are appointed in solidum, one of them is nominated as the Moderator. It is the role of the moderator to ‘direct’ the joint action of the priests in a collegial manner and it is him that is responsible and answerable to the bishop.

Fr Andrew Hogan