The beautiful red granite church of St-Dominique in Luskville was built by area pioneers more than 125 years ago in this rural Quebec region near Ottawa.. It was a time of optimism and hope for both French-speaking and English-speaking members of the parish. Most went to Mass then benefiting from the work of residential parish priests who knew their stories. Usually, there were assistant priests as well. Later, when the school was built, a religious congregation provided an exceptional education for youngsters who could attend. The cemetery offers an overview of parish history, and also offers, the locals say, "a good view of the river and the mountains" for incumbents.

Today, of 250 families in the parish, perhaps 50 families are active, most attending weekly Mass, celebrated on Saturday evenings only. The parish priest, no longer in residence, commutes 30 km from the nearest town, and is responsible for two parishes. He is stretched but does what he can. He is rarely able to spend time in the parish weekdays. He has established lay committees for liturgy, preparation for sacraments, education, social action and property. A much respected priest, he is an excellent preacher and has introduced a contemporary liturgy tailored to his congregation consistent with Vatican II renewal. Women and girls are very much involved. The pastor is one of three excellent men in the nearest town, all in their 60's, serving three large congregations there. Every parish has introduced liturgical renewal and can boast of vibrant Sunday services with high attendance if with fewer Masses. The expanded school has no religious on staff, though an elderly nun liaises with Church and school..

Posted on the bulletin board at the rear of the church is a note from the Archbishop of Gatineau-Hull, Roger Ebacher. The note outlines the number of religious and diocesan clergy in the archdiocese, the decline in numbers of clergy relative to an increase of total population, the age of active clergy, most 50 and older, and the number of students in THE seminary- all presenting a discouraging picture for the present and a critical picture for the immediate future. The note is simply a statement of the facts for the information of parishioners. Implied are reduced Eucharistic services for many churches, reduction of services to parishioners and schools, and a stark shortage of priests now and in the future. Not surprisingly there is no mention of married priests in the archdiocese(some estimate there are 500+ in the national capital area ) or development of alternative forms of priestly ministry. The note also implies, perhaps, a tacit appeal for lay leadership. The note in effect sounds an alarm for Catholics of the archdiocese, although there seems to have been no public discussion. That we will face an even more severe crisis in ten years if the situation does not change is the implied and understated message.

One cannot but be saddened by the note. The Archbishop faces an impossible situation. Short term, the situation has some positive elements: all three pastors are progressive, personally engaged and committed to service. Their sermons are engaging and even charismatic. They are terribly short-staffed, even with the excellent lay leadership that they have groomed. The pastors are overworked and concerned about the future of their people and celebration of the Eucharist when they are no longer available. The least one can do is hope and pray for the emergence of Catholic lay leaders to address with their Bishops this complex and difficult issue, in the interest of their children and their Church.

Active members of Corpus can think of recent discussions of a return to full or part-time ministry by married priests in a changed Church, of an endowed study of the organizational implications of the use of married priests and the ordination of married men. We can also think of vocation and ministry strategies for the future Church, of planning for change, of notorious scandals and of an apparent 'conspiracy of silence by the hierarchy burdened with an irresponsibly centralized Vatican bureaucracy. This bureaucracy seems incapable of addressing a worldwide shortage of priests and vocations, and the call to ministry. One senses that the unhappy situation is leading to the wounding of Catholic faith communities and the failure to serve the global community.