"Great homily, Mrs. Jones!" (News: signs of the times).

In some parishes, it's just for special occasions. A woman gives a reflection on Mother's Day, or a father on Father's Day. But for more and more parishes without a resident priest, lay preaching is becoming increasingly common. Now the U.S. bishops have created norms to govern the practice, although in order to get final approval from the Vatican, they had to clarify that lay preachers could not speak at the time of the homily during Sunday liturgies.

The norms say that the "diocesan bishop can admit lay faithful to preach, to offer spiritual conferences, or give instructions in churches, oratories, or other sacred places within his diocese, when he judges it to be in the spiritual advantage of the faithful." The norms reflect Canon 766 from the new 1983 Code of Canon Law, which permits lay preaching. The earlier code, from 1917, had prohibited the practice.

Patricia Hughes Baumer, who has been training lay preachers since 1991, sees the new norms as a positive development. "In order to maintain a vibrant preaching ministry in the church, I believe the Spirit has opened the door," says Hughes Baumer, executive director of the Minnesota-based Partners in Preaching. "I see lay preaching as an emerging ministry that will enable people to continue to have access to the Word of God."

Yet she admits that some may choose to ignore the directive that "preaching by the lay faithful may not take place within the celebration of the Eucharist at the moment reserved' for the homily," which is part of the new norms. "The Vatican wanted to be very clear that the identity of the ordained clergy would still be respected," says Hughes Baumer. "But in some local settings, that part of the directive may be subject to non-reception" by the community.

Sister Pat Parachini, S.N.J.M., the author of two books on lay preaching, also is pleased that the bishops created norms but said she is somewhat disappointed in their tone. "There is a need for greater clarification on the meaning of such terms as preaching, liturgical preaching, and homily," Parachini says. She also questions the section of the norms that requires lay preachers to be "orthodox in faith" as well as well-qualified and prepared. "Who determines that a particular layperson is `orthodox in faith' and by what criteria?" she asks.

Still, Parachini believes the guidelines will soothe some people surprised to see laypeople in the pulpit. "It's important to recognize this ministry," she says. "This will highlight that lay preaching is really approved by canon law and by the U.S. bishops."