Pastoral Planning Process (Parish Synod and Parish Survey) by Jane Sarra
Under the guidance of our Holy Father Pope Francis asked millions of Catholics across the country and around the world to assemble in a “synod” by sharing our thoughts on how we journey together to listen to and discern the realities, needs and hopes of the faithful. The word “Synod” simply means “meeting”. It is an opportunity for large groups with varied backgrounds to discuss the pastoral ministry of a diocese and also within the parish. The Vatican under the Synod of Bishops provided a handbook to support each local Church’s efforts which helped to organize the process of listening and dialogue. The guided process included a series of fundamental questions that addressed “journeying together” and how best we can live our faith as we share a common mission together. It was an opportunity for everyone to share their thoughts, past experiences and more importantly how they feel the Church is meeting their needs today. We all recognize the Church has experienced much change, especially these last two years during the Covid crisis.
Our parish was very fortunate to be part of this process under the guidance of our Diocese. We conducted three sessions in March. These sessions were well attended with a total of 82 participants ranging in age from 19 years – 89 years. Each session was led by trained facilitators through small-group table discussions. We gained valuable feedback from the participants, and there were certain areas in parish life that seemed to have a common theme where the faithful provided their thoughts and recommendations on how best we can serve them at the local Church level. The areas of focus that were recommended include the following:
Formation of Youth and Young Adults
Both of these groups within our Church are our future. We need to establish programs and create an environment where children are celebrated and families can gather together for faith and fellowship. We must create a parish culture where the youth feel they belong and understand their gifts and talents are needed by the parish and community. We must recognize the value of the young adult presence in the Church and make a special effort to invite and welcome them into the mission of the Church. Proper methods of communication through the use of social media are important. Additionally, faith-building events and experiences for the Youth and Young Adults is also very important.
Formation in the Service of Evangelization
How can we best build a vibrant parish community? We need to foster a culture of welcoming and hospitality and seek to encounter people where they are and feel a sense of belonging. It is important for parishioners to have opportunities to connect in order to foster relationships and support one another. We should consider hosting more social events and encourage and inspire parishioners to personally invite others to parish life. There needs to be better opportunity to engage in parish life and mission and cultivate a culture of ministry where all of the faithful are personally invited to put their gifts and talents in serving their others. Our parish ministries are called to be more open and welcome change, including engaging the laity to work with clergy and parish staff. Prayer and liturgical celebrations, especially the Mass, which inspires and guides our common life and mission need to be emphasized. We need to consider ways to enhance the music ministry and provide for greater participation in the liturgy by the laity. Suggestions have been made to bring back children’s liturgy during the mass and also provide greater education on the Mass and other types of liturgies.
Formation of Missionary Disciples
When we speak about being a “Missionary Disciple” we reflect on how we encounter Jesus through serving others and also our personal relationship with Jesus. We need to have available adult faith formation programs to help adults and families in all stages of life witness to the faith. We are all on a faith journey and how best can we encounter Christ through bible study, faith sharing prayer, sacramental preparation and evangelization is where we need to focus. Our parish currently has some aspects of this, but moving forward how can we evaluate the programs we have and then determine how best to move from “maintenance to mission”. We want to move people from membership to discipleship building a vibrant parish community where people are thoughtful, energetic, passionate and are called to do the same kind of work. The involvement of the laity in this process of change is required to transform the parish to be more attentive to the needs of other, with the goal of meeting everyone in their faith journey, no matter where they are. Through our Baptism every person is called to participate in the mission of the Church.
The timeline and next steps for reporting the results of the Synod included every parish submitting their results to the Diocese by June 15. Selected diocesan officials in charge of the synod are in the process of synthesizing the results from all parishes in the diocese and will compile a diocesan report by early fall 2022. The report from our diocese will be sent to the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican and also sent to every parish in our Diocese. Pope Francis has called for the assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October 2023 to discuss the Synodal experience and results.
If you recall, last fall we conducted a parish survey and received over 500 responses from the faithful. It is interesting to note that our parish survey results were in line with our results from the synod sessions. The main topics addressed above are also what we have been asked to focus on as a parish. The Pastoral Council has reviewed the results of the parish survey and also from the synod sessions. They are in the process of forming a long-range pastoral plan for the parish which will address all of these focus areas within a specific timeline. We plan to have the pastoral plan published in the fall. One thing we need to remember is the work of implementing the pastoral plan. The process for implementation is a prayerful and participative process. As we seek to bring new life to our mission, everyone one of us has an important role to play. By virtue of our Baptism, we are called to participate fully in the life and mission of the Church. We personally extend an invitation to all of you to be part of this process. Your talents and gifts are greatly needed and certainly appreciated. Over the next few months, we will have another article in the bulletin inviting you to be part of the pastoral plan implementation and explaining in greater detail how you can be involved.