Clergy reshuffle

Shuffling of personnel and resources is an administrative prerogative that is used to maximize their effectiveness in the attainment of mission. In the usual justification of governments, it is done “for the good of the service.”

Every government, organization and institution undertakes reshuffling either periodically as mandated or occasionally to meet certain exigencies or circumstances. In our democratic system of government we call this as election.

In other human organizations they call this “movement” due to promotion, retirement, death, obsolescence, incapacity or need to reorganize or expand.

Reshuffling is also a normal leadership tool to put in place those who can be more effective to attain the mission of any entity, be it government, military force, business establishment and also of the Church as a vibrant institution.

There was a time in the history of the Church when parish priests stayed in their parish until they died. The case of Recollect Fr. Fernando Cuenca, for instance, is unique because he was parish priest of Talisay when the Recollect mission was established there in 1850 and he was still parish priest when he died in 1902. He had only two years sabbatical leave but he remained parish priest.

Our elders can tell us that they had the same parish priest who baptized and married them and baptized and married their children.

Some priests also refused to leave. We had a case of Bácolod and Silay where the two brothers, Fr. Roman Manuel Locsin and Fr. Eusebio Locsin, respectively, who defied the Royal Decree of the Governor General (at the time the appointing power of the parishes) to vacate their parishes and turn them over to the Recollects. They replied they will vacate only when they die. And so it was, the Recollects not wanting to disturb the peace took over their parishes only when they died.

But as Negros Church history tells us, the parish either stagnated or developed depending on the dynamism or sloth of the priest.

The reshuffling of the Bácolod Catholic clergy announced by Bishop Vicente M. Navarra last Sunday, the Feast of the Pentecost, has long been awaited. In fact, there had been plenty of speculations as to who will be assigned where but since this plan was classified sub secretum or under secret, the guessing game had been going on since January this year.

The reason for this expectation is that some priest’s assignment of six years term is about to or had already expired. This is not surprising because many priests had already served the usual six-year term.

There had also been changes in assignments during the period from the last reshuffling but these were partial. This time it is general in scope.

This reshuffle of the assignments will take effect starting next week although the actual transfer or turn-over of the parishes and chaplaincies may take some time and after the parties are ready for it.

There are matters to be decided upon by the parties, like accounting of funds and assets and other administrative matters, including the schedule of their actual takeover or in the parlance of the old tradition, toma posesion or the formal assumption of office.

I am not sure whether there will be formal installation of each parish priest as normally done as this assumption has a liturgy or ritual of its own, including a renewal of the vow of obedience to the Bishop.

Not everybody will be happy or satisfied with their new assignments. This is a normal reaction especially when a pastor had been highly appreciated by his flock; contrariwise, others would be happy because they would have a new one after their own hearts.

The transfer of a person to another post does not necessarily indicate favor or displeasure as many think because a new job is an important means to discover the potentials of a person that otherwise would have been subsumed in a long-held post.

The new assignments decided upon was made with much study, reflection and consultation considering the time that took the Bishop to finalize the list. He also talked individually with the priests involved and had therefore listened well to guide him.

There were some priests who do not or will not like their new assignments, but from a view of a person who is confident of himself a new post is a challenge and an opportunity to serve God in the best way he can. In him the Holy Spirit resides and the Spirit will not leave him unassisted.

The faithful must also learn to accept their new pastor. There might be negative talks about him but more so it behooves on them to help their priest with prayers and opportunities to lead him on to a life and service in accordance with Divine Will and their expectations.*

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