If you drive by the rectory/office of St. Augustine Parish in Ashland, you will see a sign in the pastor's office window that says, "It's Gonna Happen." That parish office is mine and I have it there while I am joining with all Cub fans who believe and hope that this year will be "the year" the Cubs can go all the way. (I know we have been hoping since 1908 — don't send a note or call to remind us.)
Well, now the sign for me also is a message of hope for our diocese and our own particular parish and its parishioners that "Discipleship as a Way of Life" is "coming soon to a diocese near you." Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, with his recent second pastoral letter Ars crescendi in Dei gratia has offered his thoughts and vision for growth in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. After meeting now with six out of seven deanery representatives (Alton deanery reps are set to meet on March 9) who are doing formation in the "four Pillars of Stewardship," I have great hope that "great growth" for this diocese and its 128 parishes is on the horizon.
In February nearly 300 folks (our bishop, many parish priests, deacons, religious, and lay persons) joined me in an evening of formation on the topic of the first pillar, "Hospitality" at seven locations in our seven deaneries. It is only the beginning, but I can definitely see the Holy Spirit at work. Some of our parishes, approximately 10 or so, have had representatives who have traveled to the Wichita diocese and spent time learning and reflecting on this "way of life."
The Wichita diocese is celebrating its 30th year of striving to live a vision to make their diocese a "Total Stewardship/Discipleship Diocese." That diocese has offered leadership and guidance in helping to begin formation for many of these parish teams. Their new shepherd, Bishop Carl A. Kemme (ordained a priest 30 years ago for our diocese) has been their diocesan bishop since May 1, 2014. Many folks of this diocese who live this "Discipleship as a Way of Life" have gone out of their way to offer these parish teams and myself great resources and guidance to help us in our goal to achieve growth. They have said to us, "It's the least we can do for your diocese after providing us with such a great priest to be our bishop."
In gathering at these deanery meetings it is our hope to begin the formal discussion about how we can listen to the Holy Spirit. We are challenged and led to make these four pillars (Hospitality, Prayer, Formation, and Service) true foundations for helping our 128 parishes to seek to become vibrant, strong, and ever-growing in our daily mission to live out our baptismal call as full-fledged "intentional disciples,"(as taught by Sherry Waddell in her book, Forming Intentional Disciples) and to "become a parish of intentional disciples."
This is where it all begins, by forming "intentional disciples" of all of our over-122,000 Catholics in this wonderful diocese. We spent this first deanery session sharing about how "Hospitality" is being lived out in parish life all across our diocese. We reflected on all the positive ways we have worked hard to become parishes of true hospitality. We spoke of our strengths and listed many ways we are hospitable in our parishes and we see growth happen.
Many of our parish representatives were inspired by other parish reps who shared ideas for great ministry in this area/pillar. Many of our parishes identified and were honest in saying they are at a beginning moment in seriously looking at the importance of "hospitality" in building a strong viable parish — and were grateful for the opportunity to hear of success in other parishes.
It may be as simple as building our more years-long traditional ministry of having had ushers who have served at our liturgy very well, in opening the doors to a more broad, welcoming and inviting ministry to all who enter our church to come and worship. Often they are the first folks people meet when choosing to come to any church to worship. That first moment of connection is so vital in one's experience of "feeling welcomed," "feeling the spirit of hospitality," "feeling they are a part of a parish family who cares about who they are," and how important it is to the family that they "have arrived" and there is a place for them and they are wanted/needed in the life of this parish family.
Most all of us could reflect about how while on vacation we were greeted by positive, welcoming folks who noticed we were visiting and took the time to "come to know us" as we worshipped that weekend. Many of us were formally welcomed by the parish priest and even introduced at Mass. It only took a minute, but their efforts in living out true hospitality truly made a difference in our experience of visiting a vibrant, welcoming parish.
We talked about gathering spaces in our parishes throughout our diocese and how important it is to have ample space to effectively offer true hospitality. Small parish churches (like St. Mary in Pittsfield) who have recently added a new gathering spaces have now encouraged new opportunities for better hospitality.
We shared about RCIA and what would lead others to want to convert to Catholicism, and then choose to join a particular parish. We all agreed and heard from folks who are converts and who have had positive experiences that made them feel welcomed — and helped lead them to this change and conversion. We talked about how creating vibrant parishes, alive and filled with the Spirit, would truly be a part of reaching out and seeking "the lost," those who have left the church and need to be "welcomed back."
What are our parishes doing to create opportunities to engage our parishioners to invest their time, talent, and treasure and become an "intentional disciple?" How are we helping the parish to grow as a total stewardship parish filled with deep faith and ways for folks to be servants/disciples in the mission to build the kingdom of God here on earth — especially as we seek to one day live in his Kingdom in Heaven eternally?
Our hope is that each of our 128 parishes soon begin to have a "stewardship council" ministry created in their parish. These folks will help the parish priests, deacons, religious and leadership teams continue the dialogue we are sharing in these deanery meetings with all our parish representatives. Our recently formed Diocesan Pastoral Council will be making "Stewardship-Discipleship" a high priority topic/ministry for them. Mike Christie, a member of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield, is the current chairperson as they begin. Mike and I met and have pledged full and strong collaboration in our shared hope to bring about great growth throughout our diocese.
One area a concern in most all of the deanery meetings was ministry to our young folks from 20-40 years of age. What does the church have for them to become more engaged in living their Catholic faith?
Norm Frisch and his wife Amy have been youth ministers for over 16 years. So many of their youth have grown into this age and have "looked" for ways to continue to grow in their faith since their youth group days. At my invitation, Norm spoke at the Jacksonville deanery about offering some training and leadership to all our parishes about how best we can create strong faith formation opportunities in all our parish and/or deaneries. His presentation certainly created some excitement and hope.
We will continue the journey and "run the race." The more we meet, discuss, pray, "become more formed" and grow, the more and more we will know and believe that regarding "Discipleship as a Way of Life." And as we continue creating more and more intentional disciples all throughout our great diocese, "It's Gonna Happen" as the sign says, and it won't take over a hundred years. Let's be hope-filled Catholics on a mission!