“Ask a Priest: Are Single People Second-Class in the Church?”
Q: I’m 37 years old, single and child-free. I hope to get married, but that is not God’s plan for my life right now. Anyway, I came up with an idea to have a committee/organization etc. geared toward anyone that’s beyond the young adult age at my parish. The vision was all inclusive, to bridge the gap between married and single people. I and my pastor discussed plans. When he asked if I wanted to lead the group, I said I’d e-mail him after some discernment. So I e-mailed him and got no response. I found out via the parish bulletin that a married woman with children is leading the committee. The pastor never answered my e-mail. After all this I’m not quite sure what to do with my parish and the Catholic Church. Scripture doesn’t marginalize singles, but it appears that my parish does. Why should anyone support an organization or religion where married people are revered and single people are peasants? What’s the message I’m supposed to learn? I’ve talked to God about this and discerned my next steps, but there’s no answer from above. I know this issue plagues parishes throughout the U.S. Is there anything I can do? – S.
Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC
A: It’s great that you had the idea for the committee and that the parish picked up on the idea.
The fact that a married woman was chosen to head the committee shouldn’t discourage you, however. It is a group, after all, that is geared toward bridging the gap between married and single folks, as you mention.
For various reasons the pastor might have simply decided that the married woman might be the better leader for now. Perhaps she has more connections in the community and has deeper roots in the parish. This shouldn’t get you down.
We all have something to contribute to the Church. Occasionally we might have a great idea, but it turns out that someone else actually leads a project. That is OK.
A great example from the Gospels of one who “led the way,” only to step aside, was Andrew.
Remember how Andrew was one of the first two disciples to heed John the Baptist and follow Jesus (see John 1:35 and following). Andrew in turn brought his brother Simon to Jesus, and it was Simon (Peter) whom Christ eventually chose as the leader of the apostles, the first Pope. There is no record of Andrew complaining to Jesus about Peter’s special privilege, even though Andrew followed Our Lord first.
As for the lack of a response from your pastor: Perhaps he was just distracted. Or perhaps he wasn’t sure how to break the news to you about his decision to go with the married woman. Pastors often have to make decisions that won’t please everyone. It’s part of life.
Given everything that priests have to contend with nowadays, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give him the benefit of the doubt. He probably intended no slight to you.
You could probably contribute a lot to this new committee. Your original idea for the panel apparently had merit, which seems to indicate that the Holy Spirit is at work. This is not the moment to give up on the project — that might be playing into the devil’s hands.
There might be singles in your parish this very moment who are looking for support from the parish — and this committee could be a godsend for them. You could be a conduit of God’s grace for them.
So don’t sour on your parish or the Church. Remember, Jesus was single, too.
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