A Plan for the Future
On Pentecost Sunday, I promulgated a new pastoral plan. Springing significantly from the broad consultation that led to Archbishop McGovern’s plan, Servants on Christ’s Mission, issued two years before on Pentecost, the priorities remain the same. Incorporating many of the comments from the listening sessions conducted last year, the new plan provides some practical ways for us to move forward as a diocese, as parishes, schools, and agencies, and as true disciples of Jesus Christ our Lord.
The new plan, Stewards of God’s Gifts: Building the Kingdom of God in the Diocese of Belleville, calls us all to a simple, but important realization that God calls us to service. In previous columns in The Messenger, I’ve written about the importance of the four pillars of stewardship: hospitality, prayer, formation, and service. The new plan reminds us: we are called to be faithful stewards of the very gifts God has first given us. We are gifted. And gifted Christians rightly become grateful. Grateful disciples become generous.
Let’s work together to move away from the chronic worry of which parish, which school gets closed next. While some of our parishes have been closed over the past 25 years, the vast majority are still open. But we need more than open. The Church and the world need for each of our parishes, schools, and agencies to be vibrant, joyful, generous, attentive, holy communities of faithful followers of Jesus – every single day.
As the Church has just recently celebrated Pentecost, we recall that profound unity created by the gift of understanding poured out on the early Church. Although various tongues were spoken, all were equipped to understand in their own language. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles – and on us – rightly emboldens us with powerful gifts not to worry or fret, but to build, not buildings only but communities, the Church, the Kingdom of God. That noble task is the work of every parish, every school, every agency and office of the diocese.
To respond appropriately to the good gifts God gives, we must address old worries and hurts. We must set out anew each day, realizing that we respond with gifts we’ve been given by God. These gifts are often put to good work in our local communities of faith, but the vicariate (formerly deanery), the diocese, the Church universal need generosity with those same gifts.
The fierce loyalty our Catholic faithful have to their own parishes is of our own making. But our parishes were founded by people who left behind what was familiar, their home parishes, to begin something again. They were pioneers. And so must we be.
In the months ahead, I hope we can do the invaluable work of identifying our strengths and challenges. I hope and pray that we can work together more effectively for a more welcoming Church. I know that the Holy Spirit can make us into one body, one spirit in Christ. Here we go!
Building the Kingdom of God in the
Diocese of Belleville
