[Magdalen] Retired clergy (was Re: Epiphany)

[Joseph Cirou]

David,

That is a major difference in polity between the RC and Episcopal Churches ( and I presume Byzantine Catholics)

RC's actively encourage retired pastors to become pastors emeriti and to remain active in their parishes but not on an administrative level.

I saw a service from Trinity Wall Street for Christmas and was happy to see the recently retired and formally titled rector emeritus sitting in the first pew with his spouse.

Maybe things have changed. At least they have become more human. The rector may not be on staff (as the pastor emeritus for Rc's is, if he wishes) but he may still be a welcome visitor to his retired ministry.

At St, Jude's in Marietta, where I substitute de temps en temps. I played for a wedding of the daughter of the Senior Warden w ho had inherited his position from Noah.

The rector emeritus was present with his wife as a guest in the congregation. He is still listed on the masthead as rector emeritus. St Jude's now has PIC.

In Chicago things were a little testy in the 60's when Cardinal Cody instituted mandatory retirement. At that time some pastors had been entrenched for well over 25 years and resisted retirement as late as their 90's

Joe

Joe

-----Original Message-----
>From: Cantor03--- via Magdalen <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
>Sent: Jan 13, 2016 1:00 AM
>To: magdalen at herberthouse.org
>Cc: Cantor03 at aol.com
>Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Retired clergy (was Re: Epiphany)
>
>
>
>In a message dated 1/12/2016 11:50:53 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
>wmmah at stoneledge.net writes:
>
>I am  sorry.  I was far less than clear.  I was thinking about the  diocesan
>policies that dictate how a retired rector and spouse must  separate
>themselves from the community in which they have lived for forty  years or
>more.>>>>>>>
> 
>A Dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Eau Claire had been such for
>26 years when I began attending that church in 1970.  After a  couple
>of years, he retired.  He had not lived in the deanery, and bought  a
>home in Eau Claire.  There was a small suburban Episcopal Church
>in Altoona, WI, but it was not his style, and he wound up attending  the
>8 AM Low Mass at Christ Church by default.
> 
>The trouble was, he experienced the rapid onset of Alzheimer's, and
>began mumbling comments about the sermon from his vantage at the
>back of the cathedral nave.  The volume of these mumblings  increased
>to the point of being very disturbing as he shouted such as "Lies!"  
>'Impossible!" and "Wrong, wrong wrong!"
> 
>It took the bishop and Standing Committee to get him to church in
>nearby Menomonie, WI.  He lasted there another ten years.
> 
> 
>David Strang.
>
>
>