How the Local Church is Organized
Some Basic Catholic Ecclesiology
The word Church derives from the Greek word ekklesia meaning, “assembly of believers.” The Church is the assembly of the Christian faithful gathered around and shepherded by the successors of Christ’s apostles – the bishops. A bishop is the shepherd of the faithful in an established geographical district known as a diocese, Some dioceses, because of their size, location, or historical importance may be known as “archdioceses,” and the bishop of that territory would be known as an “archbishop”… just FYI.
The Diocese of Phoenix encompasses the counties of Maricopa, Yavapai, Mojave, and Coconino, of the state of Arizona.
In the second century as the Church grew in numbers, bishops divided their dioceses into sub-regions known as parishes, so as to make the life of the Church (i.e. Mass, sacraments, catechesis, etc.) more accessible to the growing numbers of Christians. These parishes, territories marked by specific boundaries, are shepherded by the bishop’s designate, a priest known as a “pastor.” This organizational model has remained unchanged for almost two thousand years to the present day.
Ss. Simon & Jude Parish boundaries stretch from 7th Avenue on the east to 35th Avenue on the west. Our southern boundary is Camelback Road extending north to Northern Avenue. The parish roughly encompasses 15 square miles of one of the most densely populated areas of the city of Phoenix.
Administration of parishes
The administration of parishes is regulated by the Code of Canon Law. Canon Law has developed over the centuries as the internal governing statues for the life of the Catholic Church. It’s been updated a number of times over the past thousand years, most recently by Pope John Paul II in 1983.
A parish is responsible for making the life of the Church accessible to the souls residing within its geographical territories. We are obliged to make the Mass and sacraments accessible to those individuals within our parish, and most also provide adequate formational measures for such individuals seeking the sacraments. Within Ss. Simon & Jude’s boundaries reside close to 60,000 people. National statistics inform us that between 25 to 30 per cent of our population is Catholic… so do the math… 15,000 to 17,000 people within our boundaries are ostensibly Catholic!
Fun Facts
The Diocese of Phoenix
The Diocese of Phoenix was established by His Holiness, Paul VI, on 2 December 1969. Previously, Maricopa County was part of the diocese of Tucson.
Legal Title
The Roman Catholic Bishop of Phoenix, a corporation sole. All properties, assets and resources of the diocese “belong” to the Bishop, who represents Christ in the life of the diocese. We read in the Acts of the Apostles, that the Christian faithful, as good stewards, placed their resources “at the feet of the Apostles,” for the good of the poor and the Church. As society has changed and evolved over the centuries, this principle remains more or less intact. The Bishop becomes the steward of such properties, assets and resources, and is himself, accountable for their administration.
Diocesan Patrons
Every diocese and parish has a “patron” saint… an intercessor in heaven and model for the Christian life. The principal Patroness of the Diocese of Phoenix is OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE, who is also the patroness of the Americas and particularly revered by Latino peoples from Mexico. The secondary patrons of the Diocese of Phoenix would be the patrons of the Cathedral parish… our own SS. SIMON AND JUDE, Apostles.