The following is taken from San Gabriel Region Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala's opening statement at the region's March 18 workshop on "Parish Leadership: A Shared Responsibility."

On changes in his 15 years as a bishop: "There have been big changes in emerging models of leadership in our archdiocese. There have been many challenges and a lot of opportunities as well…. 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 that has added a lot to who we are as a Church."

On the archdiocesan Synod and collaboration: "Every decision should be made in consultation. The key in all of this is collaboration. It's more than just a word and it has become our way of being in our parish life and ministry. It is shared leadership and shared responsibility.

"The Synod invited us to go beyond our traditional leadership models to pastoral councils and finance councils that really work as they are supposed to work. Not just, 'I am the pastor and everyone just sits around and shares information and I'll let you know what we are going to talk about and what the direction is supposed to be.' We need to look at that as well."

On the most important task for parish leaders: "To create a climate where people do not fear what will happen. A climate where the gifts and skills of all are acknowledged, respected and put to good use. A climate where people put forward their best selves and are able to use their gifts in service to the community, not a climate where power and egos dominate. We need to try to look at how we can create a circular style of leadership.

"The complementarity of gifts, not competitiveness, should prevail, where we as leaders recognize that we don't have all the gifts. We don't have all the answers. We don't know how to do everything, nor should we."

On the reality of a "hierarchical church": "I know we are a hierarchical church - we can't get around that. That's who we are and that's part of our visible sign to the world. But this doesn't mean that we don't have regard for our structures or the traditions of the Church. That doesn't mean we don't acknowledge our hierarchical reality, but we need to create a place for everyone around the table --- a place where everyone can share their perspective and, again, we listen and people are respected as they should be respected.

"We need to model for our faith communities that they have gifts that need to be developed, shared and put into service of God's people."

On the responsibility of pastors, PLDs, pastoral associates and other parish leaders: "The gifts of our people complement our ministry. We, as leaders in the community, need to welcome and respect this as well. But this doesn't just happen. There needs to be formation and education of our people, if we really believe this.

"One of the worst things we do sometimes is to decide, 'We need to share our power and our authority and let's call people to do these things.' And people are very eager, but we don't form them. We don't educate them and they begin to flounder. Pretty soon they don't want to do it anymore."

On the book "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin, in which she noted that President Abraham Lincoln picked for his cabinet men he had run against, people who did not like him: "He [Lincoln] wasn't threatened that they were there. He didn't want 'yes' men to be part of his cabinet. He wanted them to really wrestle with the issues and give him their best advice. He listened very carefully to the talent, the gifts and the insights that these members of the cabinet gave him.

"And I think that needs to be the model for our own leadership. How can we invite people that have gifts in our own community to be part of what we do? One of the keys in Lincoln's life, and in the life of most of us called to leadership, is that we need to know ourselves. We need to know the gifts we don't have - and we need to look for those gifts in the community and invite those who have those gifts to be part of what we do.

"One of the most thrilling experiences I have had as a bishop has been accompanying my own regional council, walking with them and the way that they have accompanied me. It's been a lot of work. People were elected to the council and people wanted to go gung-ho, but we said, 'We're not ready for this.'

"So we spent more than a year of our council meetings just educating ourselves on the six Synod initiatives. We had men and women who were committed. It was an experience for them to find their voice. There were times when it was difficult and they didn't know what to do and they'd ask me for help. And I said, 'Don't look at me. I need your voice.'"