Msgr.
Palmieri: Jubilarians are ‘quite a workforce’
By
Lou Baldwin
Special to the CS&T
There are, in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, 88 religious orders of
congregations for women or men, both large and small.
Msgr. Alexander J. Palmieri, chancellor of the Archdiocese, is also
its Vicar for Consecrated Life, and one of his most pleasant duties
is the coordination of the annual Religious Jubilarian celebration,
which, this year, will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, at the Cathedral
Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul.
A Mass celebrated by Cardinal Rigali will be followed by a luncheon
and social on the patio of the Archdiocesan Office Center.
“This year, more jubilations will attend than ever have,”
said Msgr. Palmieri, who noted that of the 338 women and men religious
who are celebrating significant anniversaries of religious life, 165
will be attending.
“Usually we have about 100,” he said. “I think word
has gotten out that this is a meaningful liturgy, and they all enjoy
the camaraderie and the luncheon.”
There are at present 62 orders and congregations for women in the Archdiocese,
and 26 for men.
Of that number, 24 have headquarters within the Archdiocese, either
for their overall generalate or a provincialate. Among the largest are
the Sisters of St. Joseph; the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary; the Franciscan Sisters of Glen Riddle, and the Religious Sisters
of Mercy. Others are quite small, with only one or two members living
in the Archdiocese.
Msgr. Palmieri’s work with the annual celebration is just a tiny
part of his duties. He is the Cardinal’s liaison for all of the
religious institutes of consecrated life, societies of apostolic life
and secular institutes of consecrated life, their major superiors and
their members.
He holds a licentiate in canon law from The Catholic University of America
and, as vicar for the religious in the Archdiocese, he serves as a canonical
consultant for the major superiors in matters such as exclaustration
(release from religious vows), dismissal and alienation (sale or transfer)
of property.
Msgr. Palmieri also serves as a member of the planning committee for
the Core Group of Major Superiors and Archdiocesan Administrators. He’s
an ex officio member of the board of managers of the Philadelphia-Harrisburg-Allentown
Interdiocesan Fund for Religious, a member of the committee on Compensation
for Religious, and board secretary/member of the Saint John Vianney
Center in Downingtown.
In addition, he maintains a database on religious in the Archdiocese,
so he is familiar with the condition of the congregations in the archdiocese.
“Most religious congregations, not only in this diocese but in
the country, are experiencing a reduction in numbers at this time because
of older members dying off and not as many coming in, but that’s
the history of the Church. Religious life goes in waves,” Msgr.
Palmieri observed.
At the same time, many congregations have vigorous recruiting programs.
In his own office, St. Joseph Sister Kathleen Leary serves as coordinator
for vocations to consecrated life.
Msgr. Palmieri is also aware of the exceptional contributions to the
Church by religious who are well past the typical retirement age. “At
70, and even 80, many go out and do volunteer work in the hospitals
and in the nursing homes, you name it,” he said. “They are
quite a workforce.”
In addition to the jubilarian celebration, Msgr. Palmieri also coordinates
the World Day of Consecrated Life, which takes place each year near
the feast of the Presentation on Feb. 2.
The annual observance is usually celebrated in the individual parishes
on the Sunday nearest to the feast. However, in 2008 — the bicentennial
for the Archdiocese — World Day of Consecrated Life will be observed
on Saturday, Feb. 2 at the Cathedral, with a liturgy celebrated by Cardinal
Rigali.
In another pleasant duty, Msgr. Palmieri coordinates the archdiocesan
response to the annual national Retirement Fund For Religious collection
each December. The collection eases the approximately $7.8 billion in
unfunded liability for religious in this country. The national collection,
now in its 20th year, is the most popular of all of the extra-diocesan
collections.
“Certainly, it is popular here in our diocese, where so many of
our people were taught by religious in grade school and high school,”
Msgr. Palmieri said. “Many of our pastors request that a religious
speak at the end of the Mass [and] for those that do, the collection
is better than at the parishes where they don’t.”
That is, for him, an indication of the enormous well of goodwill among
the people of the Archdiocese for religious men and women, and Msgr.
Palmieri believes that reservoir of regard could eventually bring an
upsurge in religious vocations.
“Many of the young people are hungering for some sort of community
life,” he said.
Lou Baldwin is a member of St. Leo parish and a freelance writer.