While Catholic parishes throughout the country have much to celebrate in successfully feeding the needs of a diverse population of parishioners, there is another side to the story. Drawing from over thirty years of studying and helping to shape churches, dioceses, religious communities, and pastoral ministries nationwide, Thomas Sweetser, S.J., argues that contemporary parishes are "caught in a Church system that is not working." Priests are dwindling in number and are being spread so thin that they face exhaustion; even the most successful parish staffs are growing tired of offering their allegiance without being part of the decision making; parish leaders wonder how to better harness the resources of parishioners; and people are leaving Mass feeling uninspired or are walking away from the Church all together. In The Parish As Covenant: A Call to Pastoral Partnership, rather than lament these changes in the Church, Sweetser identifies the key issue as a clash of two systems-the top-down, hierarchical approach with the pastor at the center of parish life versus the collaborative approach with a team of parish leaders at the center. Then he boldly abolishes a single-center model in favor of a dual-focus system whereby the pastor and a parish administrator or parish council share responsibility for the overall parish. In this model, pastors do what they do best in ministering to the needs of the parishioners while the administrator(s) tend to the physical, temporal, and personnel areas of parish life. As he has done in his previous articles and books, Sweetser fleshes out his points with real-life examples and helpful exercises. Beyond creating a healthier, more collaborative environment for leaders, assistants, and parishioners, Sweetser's dual-focus system also helps ensure a successful transition when pastors or administrators are replaced. The Parish As Covenant: A Call to Pastoral Partnership is essential reading for all involved in parish life today.