Monsignor Philip Murnion The history of the National Pastoral Life Center is wrapped up in the life of its founder Monsignor Philip Murnion. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York by Cardinal Francis Spellman in 1963 two days before Pope John XXIII died during the recess of Vatican II. This was a challenging time for the United States with the civil rights movement and for the church with the changes soon to come from Vatican II.

The young Father Murnion found himself in Central Harlem in a black parish. Shortly after his arrival he found himself driving off to the historic march on Washington, DC with parishioners to hear the words of Dr. Martin Luther King which brought much new life to their parish. Father Murnion later found himself in a variety of organizing projects especially the Catholic Committee on Urban Ministry (CCUM). Much of this involvement led him to study sociology and as he was completing his degree he recommended to then, Archbishop Terence Cooke of New York to establish an office for pastoral research.

The association with the Catholic Committee on Urban Ministry in other dioceses gave Father Murnion models that he could adapt to establish in New York the Office of Black Ministry and the Office of Social Development focusing on works for justice. “CCUM’s ‘big tent’ gathering of people engaged in various forms of social ministry facilitated an exchange of ideas about the kinds of offices and projects that best equip the church for its social mission and engage Catholic men and women of every race and nationality in leadership. In other words, the climate of change provided a fertile field for innovation within a context of fidelity to church teaching and discipline.”

Bishop Albert Ottenweller of Steubenville urged the bishops to give more attention to the needs of parishes as communities of disciples. Afterwards, the staff at the bishops’ conference looked for people who might shed light on parish life. It was then that Father Murnion found himself staffing the bishops’ ad hoc committee on the parish. The bishops’ conference agreed to locate “The Parish Project” in New York City. This project lasted four years. At the conclusion of the project, many parts of Father Murnion’s life came together in and made it possible to found the National Pastoral Life Center in March in 1983 with a resolution of encouragement from the bishops’ administrative committee and the support of New York archbishop, Cardinal Cooke.

In March, 1983 Father Murnion invited CCUM board member, Harry Fagan, to join him in the founding of the Center. A vacated building belonging to the Holy Name Centre at Bleecker and Elizabeth became the first home for the NPLC. In addition to Harry Fagan, Margaret (Peggy) O’Brien Steinfels was invited to be the first editor of CHURCH magazine and the first edition came out in 1985.

The NPLC was both independent and strongly connected to dioceses across the country and the conference of bishops. “The intent was to persist in being centrist. This combination of independence, strong links to national, diocesan and parish leaders provided the opportunity for Harry Fagan to join with others in founding The Roundtable Association of Diocesan Social Action Directors as part of the Center.”

“These links and our decidedly centrist posture occasioned a conversation with Cardinal Joseph Bernardin about the hardening polarization in the church. It led to four years of off-the-record meetings of a group of bishops and priests, religious and laity, which in turn led the Cardinal, just before he died to found the Catholic Common Ground Initiative, which the Center continues to staff.”

In August 2003, shortly before his death, Monsignor Murnion, asked Sister Catherine Patten, RSHM who had worked closely with him on the Catholic Common Ground Initiative, to become interim director. A search was begun and in March 2004, Father Eugene Lauer, a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, became the second director of the NPLC and served until 2007. Once again Sister Catherine became the interim director and in September, 2007 Paulist Father John Hurley became Executive Director.

A tremendous legacy is entrusted to the NPLC from its founder who on the occasion of the NPLC’s twentieth anniversary said there is “No time like the present!” This legacy of being attentive to the signs of the times is being carried out in eight project areas: CHURCH magazine, Publications, Pastoral Services, the Catholic Common Ground Initiative, The Roundtable Association of Diocesan Social Action Directors, Conference for Pastoral Planning and (Parish) Council Development, Consulting Services and Resources and Research Analysis.

(All quotations in the above history are from a homily given by Monsignor Murnion on the occasion of his fortieth anniversary of ordination to the priesthood.)