Enhancing Igbo Catholic Community Chaplaincy Standards in the USA

1. Igbo Catholic Community, USA (ICCUSA):Chaplaincy StandardsAn Address presented to Chapter Leadership Delegates8th Annual ICCUSA ConventionApril 23 – 25, 2010ByRev. Baaju Izuchi, CSSp, PhD, BCC(Ifemuonso!)Founding President, African Pastoral Ministers (USA), Inc.Residence Inn by Marriott2410 West El Camino AvenueSacramento, CA 95833

2. Greetings:My fellow Catholics and compatriots of the Igbo Nation resident in the United States:All Protocols Observed! Nke onye chili-nu ya zelu!I wish to start by congratulating all you delegates to this 2010 ICCUSA National Convention holding in Sacramento for the fantastic job we hear you all are doing in our various ICCUSA Chapters across the United States. I had the privilege of reading through all your reports and I’m deeply impressed with the good news you bring. I want to personally thank Dr. Jude Iheoma, ICCUSA national president whose persuasive leadership added my name to your agenda for this year’s preconvention discussion. I had extensive telephone conversations with him and I agree completely with his ideas for ICCUSA. He has great insights and great leadership qualities for this organization. And I thank you all for inviting me to this gathering and for giving me this opportunity to share with you my thoughts on Igbo Catholic Community Chaplaincy Standards.

3. Objectives of this Address:At the end of this address every Chapter delegate will be better able to:1. Identify the essential structures of a good ICCUSA mission statement2. Distinguish between the role of the Chaplain and the role of the laity in Igbo Catholic Communities3. Discuss five areas of Lay Leadership for the smooth running of ICCUSA4. Mention five areas of Conflict in ICCUSA and discuss how to resolve these conflicts; and5. Review Guidelines for establishing viable Igbo Catholic Communities in the United States

4. Matters of the moment:1. Following the surge in Igbo migration to the United States in the 1980s the need arose for the formation of Igbo Catholic Community2. Most of these Communities were formed by Igbo priests in the United States; however, some were initiated by lay persons too.3. Some of these Communities have been very successful; and some have been ridden with conflicts and protests over several issues; and some have even been closed down entirely after they started.4. ICCUSA needs to have these conflict resolved as soon as possible, and reopen or refresh communities that have had setbacks.5. ICCUSA also needs to establish more Igbo Catholic Community Chapters across the United States in those places where none existed before.How do we do that and what is our goal?We are not trying to recreate Igboland in the United States, are we?So, what are we trying to do?

6. We start with our Mission StatementA good mission statement:… defines what the organization is all about and what it aspires to be;… must be specific enough to exclude undesired ventures, but … must be broad enough to allow for creative growth and development within the organization;… must distinguish the organization from others and serves as a framework for assessing and evaluating the activities of the organization. From a good mission statement flows - the visionary goals, and - the core values of the organization.Every endeavor that the organization is going to embark upon must be weighed against the impact it will make on the mission of the organization.

7. Problems with inarticulate Mission Statements:There is a wide variation in the names and mission statements of ICCUSA Chapters- African Catholic Community; - Nigerian Catholic Community - Nigerian/Igbo Catholic Community - Igbo Catholic CommunityProblem # 1: If the name does not say “Igbo” it is not specific enough.Problem # 2: If the mission statement does not include “Mass” or “Liturgy” or “Eucharist” it has missed an essential part of the mission statement Problem # 3: If the mission statement does not say “Igbo language and Culture” it is virtually empty Problem # 4: If the mission statement does not mention our visiting parents and family members who don’t speak or understand the English language, there is a major omission.; and Problem # 5: Similarly, If the mission statement does not mention “our children” or “our youths,” it is seriously deficient.

8. Sample Mission Statement and Template:This sample Mission Statement contains all the elements of a good mission statement and could actually be used in founding future ICCUSA Chapters by just adding the name of the city and state in the space provided.Igbo Catholic Community, (city, state)We, the Igbo Catholics resident in (city, state) area, are a faith community committed to preserving, developing, and promoting our Igbo language and culture for our children, our youths, and for our visiting parents and family members who do not speak or understand the English language, by celebrating our liturgy in Igbo language and organizing and arranging other cultural, educational, and social events and activities to propagate our Igbo language and culture.

9. Chaplaincy StandardsNo matter their history how they started and no matter their current 501 (c) (3) status, every chapter of Igbo Catholic Community in the United States is a Chaplaincy under the authority of the Catholic Church.In other words:1. The ministry must be fully discussed with the bishop of the diocese and approval obtained before starting the chaplaincy;2. The chaplain must be appointed by the bishop; and3. The chaplaincy must be run following the norms and directives laid down by the diocese

10. Igbo Catholic Community Chaplaincy and Canon LawCanon law establishing Chaplaincies in the Catholic Church are Canons 264 – 572Canon 564 defines a chaplain as: “a priest to whom is entrusted in a stable manner the pastoral care, at least in part, of some community or particular group of the Christian faithful, which is to be exercised according to the norm of universal and particular law.”1. a priest – not even a deacon or nun, let alone a knight or layperson2. in a stable manner – by appointment over a definite period of time; not haphazardly or by a priest not fully committed to the ministry3. pastoral care – not any other mundane business4. at least in part – at least part time, if not full time5. of some community or particular group of the Christian faithful – like the Igbo Catholic Community; and6. according to the norm of the universal and particular law – what is this norm?

11. Canonically, therefore, the chaplain:- is appointed by the bishop. (Can. 565)- is to be given all the faculties which proper pastoral care requires. (Can. 566 §1)- could absolve from lataesententiaecensures but only in hospitals, prisons, and on sea journeys. (Can. 566 §2.)- is appointed to a house of a lay religious institute for the purpose of directing liturgical functions only after consultation between the local ordinary and a religious superior (567) - is appointed for those who are not able to avail themselves of the ordinary care of pastors because of the condition of their lives, such as migrants, exiles, refugees, nomads, sailors. (Can. 568) including the military. (Can. 569)- becomes the rector of a non-parochial church connected to the seat of a community or group, (Can. 570)- has the responsibility to maintain a good relationship with the pastor. (Can. 571); and - can be removed from office following the provisions of Canon 563.(Can. 572)

12. About removing a chaplain or any Priest for that matter from office:Can. 563: The local ordinary, i.e. the bishop, for a just cause and according to his own prudent judgment, can remove the rector of a church from office, even if he had been elected or presented by others.1. It must be emphasized that it is only the bishop who appoints priests, who also has the right to remove priests from office.2. We’re, however, aware of the many conflicts, contentions, and destructive criticisms going on in some of our Igbo Catholic Communities against their chaplains, (a). Clergy ChauvinismHe thinks he is still in Nigeria, He lords it over us (b). Clergy RivalrySometimes we hear of two or more priests struggling over what I don’t know. And sometimes the rivalry is between the chaplain and a layperson, or between two laypersons.(c). Clergy Sex ScandalThe chaplain is involved with somebody’s else’s wife, etc. (d). Outdated Theology and EcclesiologyHe rambles and rambles and rambles. At the end you can’t say one point you got from his sermon. These are serious weaknesses and if left unchecked could inflict a fatal blow on the Igbo Catholic Community.

13. How to improve the performance of our Chaplains:The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in 1999 issued Guidelines for Receiving Pastoral Ministers in the United States.A major emphasis of these Guidelines is that there must be proper and adequate cultural orientation for any priest coming to do pastoral ministry in the United States(a). There is a pre-departure orientation while the priest is still in Nigeria;(b). There is a pre-placement orientation after the priest arrives; and (c) . There is continuing mentoring many years after the chaplain arrives.I would strongly advise every Igbo Catholic Community to insists on their Chaplain doing a thorough cultural orientation for ministry in the United States before ever taking up assignment as chaplain. All priests, whether they have been in the United States for some time, and especially priests coming out here for the very first time, definitely need this cultural orientation

14. Board Certified Chaplain (BCC)I would also strongly advise that Igbo Catholic Communities choose their chaplains from board certified chaplains.There is a formal training for chaplains in the United States. It is called Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).Requirements for Chaplaincy Certification include:1. a Masters in Theology2. Four units of CPE; and3. a Board reviewThere are a number of chaplaincy certifying bodies in the United States but for Catholic priest I would recommend the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC).Perhaps, I need to disclose here that I serve on NACC Board and I am NACC State Liaison for the State of Texas, but there is no conflict of interest in my recommendations. I have mentored well over 100 African chaplains in NACC.

15. Lay Leadership in Igbo Catholic Communities:When we talk of lay leadership in the Church what exactly do we mean?How does this feature in the Chaplaincy? Who is in charge, and of what?Vatican II document, Lumen Gentium, a dogmatic constitution on the Church solemnly promulgated by His Holiness Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964 simplified the answer to this question for us. We’ll see what that document says briefly. Lumen Gentium # 30 says:1. We, the people of God, know there are certain things which pertain in a special way to the laity, both men and women, by reason of their condition and mission. 2. We know how much the laity contribute to the welfare of the entire Church. 3. We also know that priests are not ordained by Christ to take upon themselves alone the entire salvific mission of the Church toward the world.4. We understand that it is clergy duty to shepherd the faithful and to recognize lay miniseries and charisms, so that all according to their proper roles may cooperate in this common undertaking of the Church’s mission with one mind.

16. A Principle for Lay Leadership in the Church:The liturgy does not exhaust all the activities of the Church. There are many other areas where the laity in their own rank ought to take leadership. The laity live in the world, that is, in each and in all of the secular professions and occupations.a). They live in the ordinary circumstances of family and social life, from which the very web of their existence is woven.b). They are called there by God that by exercising their proper function and led by the spirit of the Gospel they may work for the sanctification of the world from within as a leaven.c). In this way they may make Christ known to others, especially by the testimony of a life resplendent in faith, hope and charity.d). Therefore, since they are tightly bound up in all types of temporal affairs it is their special task to order and to throw light upon these affairs in such a way that they may come into being and then continually increase according to Christ to the praise of the Creator and the Redeemer.

17. The Church is - not just the four walls of a building where liturgy is celebrated.- more importantly the entire Christian Community in the neighborhood.Thus, lay leadership in the Church is more with the outer community.(a). In their families, that everybody is a practicing Catholic(b). In their places of work, that everyone recognizes them as practicing Catholics(c). With the civil authorities that legislations are not made that are against their Catholic faith(d). In advocacy and concern for the poor, including the poor in Africa(e). In helping to build up the community by funding development projects.

18. Two Instruments s of the Church Administration requiring strong lay membership and participation:1. Parish Pastoral Council2. Parish Finance Council.- These two belong to the Parish and not to the Chaplaincy1. The Parish Pastoral Council is “an elected group of some active members of the Parish who serve as an advisory board to the Pastor and act as an intermediary with various groups and committees within the Parish.”The main purpose is to help the Pastor align the mission of the parish with diocesan norms and carry the church forward through changes in the community.Elections for Parish Pastoral Councils are held annually, usually with one-third of the members being replaced each election.

19. Another area of Church Administration for active lay participation is:2. the Parish Finance CouncilThe Bishop heads the diocese and appoints a priest as pastor to serve and manage each parish community on his behalf. The pastor is ultimately responsible for all parish finances. Church Law (Canon 1280 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law ) and diocesan norms recognize the tremendous responsibility given to pastors in the realm of parish finances. Accordingly every parish is required to have a parish finance council. The pastor is responsible for assembling the parish finance council. The parish finance council is an advisory body whose membership should include individuals skilled in finance, civil law, construction/engineering or business. It is important to note that both the pastoral council and the finance council are all advisory and not executive boards.

20. In summary:1. ICCUSA, the Igbo Catholic Community, USA has come to stay.2. There are, however, a number of issues to clarify and resolve for the Community to even blossom further:(a). Not uniformity, but some unity has to be maintained at least in the mission statements of the various chapters.(b). ICCUSA is not a lay movement. It is a faith community with the Chaplain fully in charge and accountable to the bishop who appoints him, and also can remove him from office.(c). It is strongly recommended that every chaplain appointed to serve the Igbo Catholic Community does full cultural orientation and professional chaplaincy training programs before taking up office.(d). The role and active participation of the laity in these communities must be fully recognized and acknowledged and properly channeled.

21. Thank you!