I just love the Post's article implying what Bishop Burke should do....

such as this one:
Archdiocese has active, engaged laity.

Particularly interesting is that St. Cronan's was chosen as a parish to write about.

This growing shortage (of priests) comes as the Catholic population - like those in many other cities - has scattered farther from the city's ring suburbs, leaving large, historic churches with mostly elderly parishioners and half-empty grade schools.

The intersection of these two challenges can be an opportunity for grace and growth, said Jerry King, a member of St. Cronan Parish, with 300 households, in the city's Forest Park Southeast neighborhood.

"Why not use this problem as an opportunity to allow the movement of the Holy Spirit among the laity in the church," he said. "Small vigorous parishes may not need consolidation. There are many people in this archdiocese that have leadership, national leadership, in faith-based social justice organizations for more than 60 years in groups."

I find it incredulous that the Holy Spirit would lead 'Catholics' where some of these people seem to be headed. I suspect some other spirits are involved here. I say that only because this parish is such a hotbed of ideas as they themselves have said in their own publications.

"What the archdiocese needs at this moment is a shepherd who will listen to the clergy and laity and take advice," said the Rev. William Barnaby Faherty, archdiocesan historian and author. "We need a man with the warm pastoral ways of the first Bishop Joseph Rosati and Archbishop May."

We need a shepherd who will "take advice" from the clergy and laity? Excuse my skepticism, but first I believe that the advice proferred should be sound and in conformity with truth, as I'm sure Fr. Faherty would agree. (I'm not certain he was quoted fully, either, as his remarks seem to have been taken out of context for this article). I have heard about and read quite a bit of "advice" and more often than not, this 'advice' is barely worthy for use in a landfill. Besides this, a thorough reading of the Apostolic Exhortation, Pastores Gregis, will describe what qualities a bishop should have.

Actually, however, I think we are getting a good, faithful shepherd who will promote authentic truth, Catholic catechesis, devotion to the Holy Eucharist, and so forth, and from this, everything else will follow.