CALLED TO BE CHURCH
On
Approximately 75 people came
together in prayer to reflect on the mission of the Church, a mission entrusted
to us by Jesus Himself.
During the evening those
gathered reflected on and discussed four questions. Those questions, and a summary of the group’s
thoughts, follow:
How does your life reflect Jesus for others?
● Treating others as we want to be treated
● Teaching about our faith
● Defending our faith as Catholics, without
going overboard
● Helping the poor and alienated
● Standing firm in our beliefs and not
compromising our beliefs in this difficult society
● Helping others in need rather than turning
our backs on them
● Working with youth to set an example of
how to lead a good life
● Teaching values
● Prayer in devotions and prayer groups
● Taking part in church activities
● Helping the elderly and the young
● Showing our joy in being part of our
parish community
● Being custodians of the example Jesus set
for us
● Caring and feeding animals
● Passing on values generation to generation
In what ways does our Parish Community help us to be Christ to each
other?
● Food pantry
● Service projects
● Outreach programs (e.g. Joseph’s House)
● “All Are Welcome”
● Sacraments to home bound and hospitals
● Visiting the sick
● Participation in youth programs
● Social Events/Dinners
● Faith Formation for adults, youth and
children
● Faith Sharing Groups
● Communion Services
● Ladies of Saint Anne
● Opportunities to bring us together and
remain open to differences
● Showing charity/caring for those in need
What part of our parish
life must absolutely be maintained, sustained and perhaps expanded because it
is the heart of being Church?
● Good Liturgy, Preaching and Sacraments
● Wide variety of Ministries open to all
(young and old, male and female, etc)
● Community (Family)
● Faith Formation for all – Children to
adults
● Hospitality
● Respect and cooperation
● Openness to change
● Collaboration
● Prayer for and support of religious and
lay vocations
● Practical practice of faith
● Love and comfort each other
What does a great parish
community look like?
● Respect for heritage and tradition
● Willing to change and grow
● Our priest
● Friendly people
● Variety of people (age, race, lifestyle,
etc)
● Provide for elderly and poor
● Concern for social justice in community
and the world
● Community involvement
● Inclusive:
everyone is welcomed and accepted
● Displays family values
● Ever-expanding Faith Formation for all
● Willing to learn from other churches (best
practices)
● Outreach programs (bereavement services,
support for young families, etc)
● Welcoming
WHAT’S NEXT?
On October 26th, some of
those who attended this meeting will gather with people from the other parishes
in our Planning Group
(St. Bernard’s, St.
Joseph’s, St. Mary’s –Waterford, St. Michael’s and St. Rita/Sacred Heart) to
share their insights into these questions.
On Thursday, November
9th we will again gather as a parish to pray and reflect on
“Ministry” in the Church. Everyone is
invited and
encouraged to take the
time to join us as we work together to form the future of the church in our
community and our Diocese. In late
November, all the
parishes in our Planning Group will again gather to reflect on Ministry.
In early November, a
small representative group will be selected from the parish to represent us in
the 18-month process of planning for
the future.
Through all this,
your insights and your prayers are vital as we work together to respond to the
Lord’s call to be His Church.