Religious leadership

In his weekly “In Joy and Hope” column for the Catholic Northwest Progress, Archbishop Murphy writes about the importance of quality leadership of the parish community. Pastors must be loved by their parishioners in order to lead. He identifies two key factors an effective pastor must posses: the ability to comfort and the willingness to challenge. “If priests and others are to exercise the needed religious leadership expected today, if they are to be leaders who love their people by comforting them and challenging them, they must receive encouragement,” said Archbishop Murphy.