Pastoral Vitality

April 26, 2022 by Pastoral Vitality

During Phase 0, the time before our Families of Parishes are implemented on July 1, we have been encouraged to pray, learn, and prepare. Change is rarely easy, and the transitions we anticipate with the implementation of the Families of Parishes are no exception. We will look back at where our parishes have been and anticipate the newness of life and faith that is possible in the future; we may grieve as we let go of familiar routines and find hope in joining with others who share our Catholic faith. It is not only in Phase 0 that we should pray, learn, and prepare, however. Here are a few thoughts about how we might carry these crucial actions into our future:

Pray: Let us look for opportunities to pray together as we join with others in our new Families of Parishes. Of all the things that hold us together as Catholics, prayer is at the top of the list. Invite the Holy Spirit to be with us as we experience the traditions of the parishes in our Families; participate in Mass at each parish in the Family; celebrate one another’s patronal feast days; include prayer in meetings and at the beginning or end of festivals, dinners, picnics, and other social time.

Learn: As we implement our Families of Parishes, leaders will continue to learn through studying Journeying Together as well as guiding Church documents, especially those that expand our pastoral vision as we create pastoral plans to address the six principles of Beacons of Light. We will also learn about each other. We will learn what is or has been important to each parish in our Family. We’ll learn about the health of our pastoral practices, fiscal situation, and buildings and grounds. All of this learning will be foundational to the way we discern our future together.

Prepare: It is tempting to think that once July 1 is upon us, everything must happen immediately. We know that isn’t really possible, nor advisable. Preparation will continue to be necessary – we must take the time for prayer, conversation, and discernment in order to make decisions that will lead us toward more fully living as people of mission in our Families of Parishes.

February 11, 2022 by Pastoral Vitality

In Journeying Together, Fr. Fernandes draws on Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis in inviting us to understand Beacons of Light as a process of synodality, in which we listen to one another in order to strengthen our Families of Parishes as evangelizing communities. Most of us have had the experience of being at a meeting or speaking with a friend and realizing that the people involved are not really listening to what is being said. Synodality involves truly listening, not only for what is being said on the surface of things, but what is being expressed from the heart. Such listening “involves listening not only to each other, but also to the Spirit to know what ‘He says to the churches.’ (AAS, 107) Listening affirms each person’s dignity and expresses respect for the voices, legitimate desires, problems and sufferings of the People of God.” (Journeying Together, p. 8)

How does synodality work in the process of pastoral planning? In a comprehensive pastoral planning process, parish leaders listen to the people in their communities and discern their future together. Such discernment is a prayerful process of decision-making in which we recognize where we are, assess current life in the parish realistically, interpret the experiences of parishioners, both positive and negative, design change processes and practices that will lead to increased vitality, choose actions to take and implement the things we have discerned together, and evaluate progress along the way. (see Journeying Together, p. 11-12) Not only do we listen to the experience of the people now, but we hear their hopes and dreams, their concerns and grief, and we do so in light of the vision of what the Family may become – a faith community filled with life and holiness, which leads people to live their faith at home, in the workplace, their cities and towns, and the wider world.

All who lead in our parishes – priests and deacons, parish staff, parishioner leaders – can begin this listening now. It doesn’t need to be a formal process of meetings, but rather, we can listen as we are interacting with people before and after Mass, when we answer the phone or talk with someone at a parish or school function. We can listen, not only for what the person is saying, but what they mean, what they are trying to communicate from the heart. We’ll take all of what we hear into the process of discerning the future for our Families of Parishes in the second half of this year and as the years that follow unfold.

January 18, 2022 by Pastoral Vitality

Over 340 priests, deacons, and lay parish leaders responded to a survey conducted in December, 2021. The survey identified the greatest needs of parish leaders for formation, training, and Beacons of Light orientation. Survey results will be used in the development of a full compendium of live and virtual events, newsletter articles, meeting outlines, and videos.

Leadership Survey Summary 12-21

File size: 250.09 KB

Created: 01-18-2022

Updated: 01-18-2022

Download Preview

January 6, 2022 by Pastoral Vitality

The year 2022 will be momentous in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati as Families of Parishes begin to join together to envision the future as a community of faith. You will be a big part of this as a parish leader. You will hear much more about the Pastoral Planning Pathway – the support, resources, and guidance that will be provided for Families to use in creating their pastoral plan – in the future. The first phase of the Pathway will begin July 1, 2022. But what about now? What should parish leaders do between now and July 1? We’re calling this time “Phase 0: Warmup.” This is a time in which you and all in your parish can pray, learn, and prepare for what is to come. It’s a time to look back and look ahead, a time for appreciation of your parish and to anticipate becoming part of a Family of Parishes.

A special web platform is being prepared for the Pastoral Planning Pathway and it is where you will find thoughtful and timely resources for Phase 0: Warmup. Click on the button below and bookmark it; return to it frequently in the coming months. The Beacons of Light team at the Pastoral Center and multiple design teams will keep you updated as additional resources, ideas, and guidance become available.

Phase 0: Warmup invites us to:

Pray: There is nothing more important for us to do at this time than to pray, for our parishes, our people, and for ourselves as leaders.

Learn: This is the perfect time to reflect on the theological foundations for the Families of Parishes and become familiar with the principles, parameters, and vision for Beacons of Light.

Prepare: As we progress through the winter and spring, parish leaders will be asked to prepare for Phase 1 by taking stock of what is in place in the parish now and considering what might be beneficial in the future.