It was no accident that illustrations of women and men gathered in circles at worship and work were used as the graphics for the brochure announcing the San Gabriel Pastoral Region's March 18 workshop on "Parish Leadership: A Shared Responsibility."

As more than 150 parish leaders from 27 parishes in the region gathered at San Gabriel Mission for a morning dialogue and development session on parish leadership, the task of meeting the challenges facing the Church today prompted those attending to ask important questions as they engaged their parishes in looking at collaborative models.

San Gabriel Region Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala welcomed those attending and spoke first about the many important changes that have taken place since his installation as bishop 15 years before that he likened to a sort of "quinceanera." He said terms such as "a synod initiative" or "parish life director" or "priest minister" were not yet reality in the archdiocese when he was installed, but that huge changes in leadership styles and collaboration have taken place.

"We didn't talk about these things 15 years ago," he noted. "There has been a big change in what we call emerging models of parish leadership in our archdiocese. And I think that has been a wonderful vision and it has added a lot to who we are as a church."

"Some," he continued, "would say that we have to do all this because we do not have enough priests. That may be true, and we don't have enough priests. But my own personal vision is that we do this because we are a church that acknowledges the gifts that a community has. We need to acknowledge them, and even if tomorrow our seminaries are full and we ordain 50 men every year, we still need the gifts of the community. We need your gifts. We as priests do not have all the gifts that are needed for ministry in our church."

'Joint responsibility'
At the gathering, leadership models and approaches that parishes can take "to enhance church, joint participation and responsibility" were not only discussed and examined, but encouraged. Panel members shared their insights and experiences as team members. Pastors, parish life directors, deacons, pastoral associates, DREs, youth ministers and other parish leaders sat in circles to hear panel presentations from the leadership teams at Dolores Mission Church, Boyle Heights, and St. Stephen Martyr Church, Monterey Park.

In an example of collaborative leadership that collectively addresses community needs, the four-member leadership team or "equipo" at Dolores Mission --- Yolanda Brown, pastoral associate; Ellie Hidalgo, pastoral assistant; Jesuit Father Scott Santarosa, pastor; and Vince Olea, director of youth ministry --- related the events surrounding a gang shooting in their parish.

Immediately after the shooting, and in keeping with their style of leadership, each equipo member communicated with each other and with parishioners in an effort to keep their fingers on the pulse of the community. That evening, parishioners held a peace walk through the neighborhood and a liturgy was held at the spot where the young man died. Any gang retaliation was avoided.

These careful actions brought healing and first steps toward wholeness and peace to the parish community, and comfort was brought to a grieving family and community.

"As an ecclesial pastoral team," said Brown, "we were able to do what a single parish leader might not be able to achieve. And we were a support for each other."

New leadership model
In the fall of 2004, St. Stephen Martyr Church shifted toward an entirely different mode of leadership when Sister of the Holy Child Jesus Susan Slater became Parish Life Director. Father Lawrence Estrada, formerly pastor, became the parish's priest minister. The team also included Monica Diaz, business manager, and Rick Erhart, music director.

"The partnering is very important to me," says Sister Slater. "No one has all the gifts and skills. That is why it is so important to utilize the gifts of the lay community as well as the leadership staff."

But to prepare parishioners for the change in leadership style, meetings were held that fall to address parishioners' worry and doubt, expressed usually by the words, "Who will be our pastor?"

At a large parish meeting, Bishop Zavala waved his hand around, indicating the leadership team and said, "These are the people who will be your 'pastors.'" Then Sister Slater added, "And we all do the 'pastoring.'"

Today, she said, "parishioners have stopped asking the question. Shared responsibility has been better for everyone."

Father Estrada, Sister Slater commented, "has said over and over again that he's the happiest he's ever been in his ministry because he gets to be priest." When parishioners would ask about the leadership style, he would always say, "What do you not have now that you didn't have before with a traditional pastor?"

Full participation
Following the panel presentations those attending the workshop met at round tables and, following guidelines for collaboration, chose real-life parish scenarios for discussion and decision-making in a collaborative mode.

Bishop Zavala, in his introduction to the workshop, focused on "examples and approaches that all can take to enhance church joint participation and responsibility" regardless of leadership style. But he talked especially about the need for collaboration and full participation in the parish of today.

In the San Gabriel Region pastoral council, Bishop Zavala has a moderator, Anita Ford, and a vice-moderator, Brown of Dolores Mission. Brown, in her introduction to the workshop, told those gathered that no matter the leadership style, the goal should always be to "strengthen parish leadership teams with the shared vision and collective wisdom that heightens the spirit that we are all in this together."

And, she added, "Our baptism demands it."