Parishes and Deaneries
The center of spiritual and community life
The parish and its importance within the Diocese: The parish is a definite community of the faithful, established on a stable basis within a particular Church, whose pastoral care is entrusted, under the authority of the diocesan Bishop, to a pastor as its proper shepherd. It belongs solely to the diocesan Bishop to erect, suppress, or modify parishes. He shall not erect, suppress, or significantly modify them without consulting the presbyteral council. A parish lawfully erected enjoys juridical personality in itself, by virtue of the law. When circumstances require, the pastoral care of a parish, or of several parishes simultaneously, may be entrusted jointly to several priests, provided that one of them is the moderator in the exercise of pastoral care, that is, the one who directs the joint activity and is responsible for it before the Bishop. If the diocesan Bishop, due to a shortage of priests, has judged that participation in the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish should be entrusted to a deacon, to a person who does not have the priestly character, or to a community of persons, he shall appoint a priest who, with the powers of a pastor, shall be the moderator of the pastoral care. As a general rule, a parish should be territorial, that is, it should encompass all the faithful of a given territory. However, when appropriate, personal parishes should be established, based on the rite, language, or nationality of the faithful belonging to a territory, or even on the basis of other determined motives.
About the Deanery
The role and importance of the Dean and the Deanery within the Diocese, based on Canon Law Can: 553-555: The vicar forane, also called the dean of the deanery or by some other name, is the priest who leads the deanery. Unless particular law provides otherwise, the dean of the deanery is appointed by the diocesan Bishop, after he has heard, according to his prudent judgment, the priests who exercise their ministry in the respective vicariate. For the office of dean of the deanery, which is not tied to the office of pastor of a particular parish, the Bishop should choose the priest whom he has judged suitable, after evaluating the circumstances of place and time. The Dean of the Deanery is to be appointed for a fixed term, determined by particular law. The diocesan Bishop may freely remove the Dean of the Deanery, for a just cause, according to his prudent decision.
The Dean of the Deanery, in addition to the powers lawfully attributed to him by particular law, has the obligation and right:
- To promote and coordinate joint pastoral activity within the vicariate
- To ensure that the clerics of his deanery lead a life worthy of their state and carry out their duties with zeal
- To ensure that sacred functions are celebrated according to the prescriptions of the sacred liturgy, that the dignity and cleanliness of the churches and of the liturgical vessels is preserved, especially in the eucharistic celebration and in the safekeeping of the Most Holy Sacrament, that the parish books are drawn up with care and properly preserved, that ecclesiastical goods are administered with care, and that the parish house is maintained with due care
The Dean of the Deanery, in addition to the powers lawfully attributed to him by particular law, has the obligation and right:
- To make every effort that the clerics, according to the prescriptions of particular law, take part at the appointed times in lectures, theological meetings, or conferences in accordance with the norm of can. 279, § 2
- To ensure that spiritual aids are available to the priests of his deanery and to take particular care of priests who find themselves in difficult situations or who are burdened by problems.
The Dean of the Deanery should ensure that the pastors of his deanery whom he knows to be gravely ill do not lack spiritual and material assistance, and that worthy funeral rites are celebrated for those who die. He should also see to it that, during their illness or after their death, the books, documents, sacred vessels, and any other items belonging to the church are not lost or taken away. The Dean of the Deanery is bound to visit the parishes of his deanery according to what the diocesan Bishop will have determined.
The deaneries within the diocese include:
- The Deanery of Pristina – covers the urban parishes and the new communities of the faithful
- The Deanery of Prizren – includes the historic parishes of the city and the surrounding area.
- The Deanery of Gjakova – with a great contribution to Catholic education and culture.
- The Deanery of Peja – known for its pastoral tradition and Catholic educational centers.