By Jessica Able, Record Staff Writer
A need to enhance ministry to families and better connect English- and Spanish-speaking communities were among priorities identified by parishes that spent several months this winter and spring discerning the future of their ministries.
Click here for a summary of their findings.
Twenty-six Archdiocese of Louisville parishes participated in the winter parish discernment process, prompted by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz’s pastoral letter, published at the close of 2016. The letter — “Your Parish: The Body of Christ Alive in Our Midst” — invited parishes to prayerfully enter a period of discernment for the future.
Last summer, six parishes piloted the process and 13 took part in the first wave in the fall. Seventeen parishes completed the second wave early this spring. Nine others that began it are still in the process. Their findings will be reported with parishes taking part in wave three, which began last month. About 35 parishes are currently participating in the third and final wave.
All 110 parishes in the archdiocese have been invited to take part in this process of discernment, which includes study, prayer and discussion.
The process centers on three primary areas: family life, education and formation and service and outreach, as outlined in the archbishop’s pastoral letter. Participants were asked to develop two to three strategies the parish might adopt in response to these priorities.
For example, St. Brigid Church in Vine Grove, Ky., plans to increase “participation in family-life programs through the establishment of a family ministry team to coordinate family-centered social, education and service outreach experiences,” according to the parish’s report.
Other parishes such as St. Ambrose in Cecilia, Ky., and St. Catherine in New Haven, Ky., also sought to improve family engagement. Leaders at St. Catherine noted plans to establish a full-time position for a parish activities coordinator that will organize, coordinate and provide resources for various parish ministries.
Numerous parishes also included plans to bring together Hispanic and non-Hispanic families with liturgical and communal celebrations, such as
the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Just as with the first wave, a number of parishes also noted a desire to engage youth and young adults.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church noted plans to “nurture the youth and young adults in their faith, particularly after receiving the sacraments” and to invite them to “suggest ways for the parish to help them enhance their faith.”
And St. Leonard Church included strategies to develop a young adult program with a goal of “forming disciples to serve the church.”
Sal Della Bella, director of the Office of Parish Leadership Development, said examples such as these show parishes are focused on strategy and not simply creating new programs.
“You can tell from the strategies that came out of this process, they really took it seriously and spent time discerning on how they could grow,” he said.
Della Bella coordinated the process along with Richard “Tink” Guthrie, director of the Office of Mission Advancement for the Archdiocese of Louisville.
Guthrie said the first wave of the discernment — held from September to November — created significant energy and enthusiasm, which propelled the parishes engaged in the second wave.
The second wave “seems to have even more momentum,” he said.
Guthrie also said he’s encouraged by the enthusiasm of the parishes that are participating.
“Time and again, parishes are asking for more prayer cards and additional” copies of the pastoral letter, he said. “They are finding so many ways to get people engaged; I can see that from the resources they are asking for.”
