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	New Archbishop Expected to Start Recruitment Drive By John Friedlein The News-Enterprise [Kentucky] June 16, 2007 http://www.newsenterpriseonline.com/articles/2007/06/17/news/news04.txt Hardin County — The Rev. Dick Sullivan praised his new boss for being compassionate to the sick and poor. The son of a coal miner, Joseph Kurtz, who's the new head of the Louisville archdiocese, understands hard-working people, Sullivan said. Kurtz also cared for his invalid brother, another act that impressed Sullivan, who is pastor of St. James Catholic Church in Elizabethtown. Pope Benedict XVI recently tapped Kurtz to preside over the archdiocese, which covers 24 counties — including Hardin — and more than 200,000 Catholics. The 60-year-old succeeds Thomas C. Kelly, who retired after a quarter century as archbishop. Kelly said his successor has a strong background in Catholic charities. Kurtz also has set his sights on priest recruitment and plans to enlist current priests to the cause. "I do believe that our own joy in experiencing the life of a priest can be inviting, and we need to capitalize on it," he said. This dearth of priests has driven a reorganization initiative, which Kelly approved near the end of his tenure. The reorganization will merge parishes and calls for congregations to share priests in what are called church clusters. The plan calls for St. James to add a Cecilia church to its cluster. And St. Christopher Catholic Church in Radcliff will get its own priest. The change of archbishops probably won't affect the reorganization, Sullivan said. The Rev. Dennis Cousens, pastor of churches in Radcliff and Vine Grove, couldn't be reached for comment. In addition to consolidating parishes, the archdiocese has reduced staff and raised parish assessments to help it pay a $25.7 million settlement to more than 240 victims of sexual abuse by priests or other church workers. Kelly became archbishop in 1982, after most of the alleged molestation occurred. Sullivan believes Kurtz will continue to reach out to abuse victims and he will enforce preventative policies already in place. Another issue facing the area's Catholics is serving a growing Hispanic population. Sullivan said he's impressed that Kurtz is learning Spanish. Doing so helps clergy better understand immigrants' stories — how they're helping their families survive, for instance. "It gives us a greater appreciation of their struggles," said Sullivan, who also has picked up some Spanish himself. Sullivan, who will attend Kurtz's Aug. 15 formal installation ceremony, thinks Kurtz soon will visit Elizabethtown, possibly during a tour of his new parishes. Sullivan has not yet met Kurtz, who served as bishop of the 50,000-member Diocese of Knoxville, Tenn., since 1999. Before that, Kurtz was a priest for 27 years in the Diocese of Allentown in Pennsylvania. "I think he has a lot to bring us," Sullivan said. Kurtz and Kelly are of like mind, said the Elizabethtown priest. The two worked together, because Kelly oversaw a district that includes Kentucky and Tennessee. Sullivan is an admirer of Kelly, too, partly because even though Kelly took criticism over the sex abuse scandal, he didn't quit his post. "I don't think he did anything wrong himself," Sullivan said. Overall, Kelly did a "wonderful job for us," said the priest. "We'll miss him." John Friedlein can be reached at 769-1200, Ext. 237, or jfriedlein@thenewsenterprise.com
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