Responding to the needs of the times

The Second Vatican Council's emphasis on coministry--wherein clergy, religious, and laity share responsibility and assume accountability--has opened the way for new forms of ministry that respond to contemporary needs. One such need is in large institutional ministries traditionally sponsored by religious institutes or dioceses. As fewer religious are available to enter the health care ministry, some religious institutes are being forced to consider the transfer, sale, or closure of their institutions. In addition to these pressures on traditional forms of sponsorship, the health care needs of the poor also may demand lay sponsorship of some facilities. Since the laity are called to consider the "needs of the times" in determining the focus of their ministry, they should seriously consider the possibility of direct sponsorship of institutions dedicated to the health care of the poor. Although conditions prevailing in the Church and in society present a compelling challenge to the laity, this situation eventually may lead to a more positive understanding of the laity's place in the sponsorship of institutional ministries.