It’s official! The Disciple Maker Index Survey is open until April 4 and we need your help.
Dear Beloved Parishioners,
So, as you heard (saw for those watching the livestream) at the Masses this weekend, the Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Process has officially begun. Rather than listen to me blather on, let me give you the words from Fr. Chris Martin, the Archdiocesan priest chosen to help shepherd us through this process.
We have officially launched All Things New, the strategic pastoral planning process for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. All Things New will evaluate the effectiveness of the Church in St. Louis in proclaiming the Gospel and will identify opportunities for improvement and renewal within all parishes, schools, curia offices and agencies.
Why a pastoral planning initiative?
Well, why does the church exist? The Church exists to make disciples, not to run hospitals, schools or homeless shelters. The latter are all good fruits that flow from discipleship, but if we are not effective in making disciples, the institutions become hollow.
We all know that the Church of today is not the same that it was 50, 100 or 150+ years ago, yet we are still functioning in many ways out of the same mode of evangelization. We have inherited a great treasure of Catholic institutions from previous generations, but as the Catholic population and society have shifted over the past several decades, those institutions are no longer as effective or sustainable as they once were.
We are closer now to 2050 than to 1950. We need to ask ourselves what our parishes, ministries and institutions need to look like in order to effectively share the faith in a way that is suitable and sustainable for our children and for generations to come.
What does All Things New entail?
We will be utilizing three guiding principles for All Things New; unceasing prayer, a unified vision for evangelization, and intentional stewardship.
*Unceasing Prayer
-Prayer resources for individuals and parishes, as well as local and diocesan events, will help us to renew our own personal call to holiness and evangelization and will ask the Holy Spirit’s guidance as we discern what is best for our local Church moving forward.
*Unified Vision for Evangelization
-Evangelization is the mission Jesus gives to us. To share the Good News is the responsibility of all of us. Yet only 0.6% of Catholics say that they feel equipped to share their story and invite others into relationship with Jesus and the Church. We need to renew and rediscover this call in our lives.
*Intentional Stewardship
-The Church is made of living stones, not just those of brick and mortar. We cannot allow our attachment to infrastructure impede our primary mission of building up disciples and saving souls. Empty churches don’t save anyone.
How will this initiative be accomplished?
Your prayers and input are needed. Opportunities for prayer, to provide feedback, and to attend listening sessions will be occurring all across the archdiocese. We invite you to stay informed and sign up for regular updates on the All Things New website at AllThingsNew.archstl.org. Sign up today! Steadfast in Faith, Forward in Hope.
God Bless,
Rev. Chris Martin
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So, where can I go to find more information about All Things New? I am glad you asked that question. There is a one stop shop at the following webpage: www.allthingsnew.archstl.org. And you will find a tri-fold with more information on the table with the bulletins in the back of church. Both the St. Louis Review and the St. Louis Catholic Magazine for February will contain more information.
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It is the desire of the Archbishop that we surround this initiative completely and unceasingly in prayer. So, Starting NEXT Weekend, Feb. 5-6, we will conclude our “Prayers of the Faithful” by praying the “All Things New Prayer” to be found on the front inside of the hymnal cover.
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Each pastor in the Archdiocese was to assemble and submit the names of 5 people who would be the Key Parish Leaders for this process. Their jobs description is as follows.
Key Parish Leaders have four primary responsibilities:
1. Publicize and support the All Things New planning initiative in their daily interactions so that as many people as possible can receive the invitation to participate in the process. This includes casual and informal conversations and also forwarding opportunities such as the Disciple Maker Index.
2. Inform, validate and/or refine the informational snapshot of their parish provided by the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council so that the current landscape description is as accurate as possible.
3. Participate in consultation sessions within their local planning areas in order to generate feedback on future models and strategies of parish life to the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council.
4. Observe and summarize key discussion points at parish consultation sessions so that the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council can benefit from the timely and thoughtful insights of parishioners from around the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
So, I am happy to let you know that the following people have said yes to that role in our parish during this upcoming process. They are, I believe, a representative sample of our major demographic groups, and bring their passion, practice and belief in the church to this process.
Ryan Carney
Sue Fagan
Al Hauser
Michael Hopfinger
Maureen Wilke
At this stage, they know a bit more than you do, having attended a two-hour webinar, which concentrated on the over-all vision of the ‘plan to make plan’ and some of the upcoming dates for next events. Like you, they will be reading the information on the All Things New webpage, and will be meeting with me a bit later on in the process on a regular basis.
But what I/they can tell you is that the next big step in this process will begin in Lent. It will be the first of three sets of opportunities to provide input and feedback on this process. And you will hear more about those steps in my missives and bulletin columns and from the pulpit.
In the meantime, though, there is work to be done. Primarily, we prepare our hearts and our wills as taught by St. Ignatius of Loyola in any discernment process. We pray ourselves to a ‘holy indifference’ – asking for the grace to will ONLY what God wills for us and for the church.
Which leads me to:
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The SONG OF THE DAY. It is an olden golden one, from the St. Louis Jesuits. It encapsulates the movement toward holy indifference that is such a part of the Ignatian discernment method. Many of you of a certain age will remember the album – Earthen Vessels from which it came. The song is called: Take Lord, Receive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q8NaxbZ0hs
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blessings,
Fr. Bill