Day at the Diocesan

Observation March 30th - 12:30pm - 3:30pm (Entry 9)

So one thing that I had talked to Father about was accompanying
him to one of his weekly trips to the diocesan in downtown Charlotte. I
knew this was a very big role for him, and as I discussed in earlier
entries, a very important role for the diocese and his parish back at St.
Thomas Aquinas. So, I wanted to see exactly what he does there.
His purpose is to help the bishop fulfill his role as shepherd of the
diocese. Just as Jesus was the shepherd of his people, the bishop plays
that role for his diocese, which is half the state of NC. The acts of
shepherding consist of three core principles, governing, and
sanctifying. These are acted upon the diocese, which is the portion of
people of God led by the Bishop. All the lay, and holy peoples at the
diocesan make sure the teachings are correct, and that the business is
correct. The church is run like a business, in the financial senses.
Someone has to care for the money, make sure it is always accounted
for, and handle where it should and shouldnt be spent.
Of course, to care for the billion Catholics in the world it takes
quite a system, and there are not enough priests to care for all of it, so
the office of the Holy C comes into play. These offices, or dicastries, are
made up of lay people, or regular individuals, that help the Pope
shepherd his universal church. There are dicastries all around the
world, and they almost serve as a regional diocesan. The focus of all

these jobs is to promote the church, whose purpose is to bridge the

gap between person and Jesus.