Beacons Update - May 2021

BEACONS of LIGHT is a process of pastoral planning through which parishes in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati will be formed as Families of Parishes. Why is Beacons happening, and why now?

The Church is at a crucial moment in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. There are many factors which, when taken together diminish parish life: religious practice is declining; demographics in the Midwest are changing; our resources are spread too thin; many of our parishes are not the vibrant communities of faith Catholics need them to be.

THE CURRENT REALITY REPORT

Understanding the need for BEACONS of LIGHT

In the past seven months, data from the parishes and schools of the archdiocese has been collected and analyzed alongside insights from census data for the nineteen counties that comprise the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. This information provides a clearer picture of the current reality and will inform the formation of the Families of Parishes.

Pastors, school principals, other parish and school leaders received this extensive report on the current reality in early June, and you're now encouraged to check it out yourself. Find out more about WHY Beacons of Light is needed now!

YOU ASKED...WE HAVE ANSWERS

Is BEACONS of LIGHT led "top down" or "bottom up"?

Beacons of Light is a two-fold process:

Strategic planning, through which the parishes of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati will be grouped into Families
Pastoral planning, through which Families will come together as one parish community

The strategic planning is being led primarily through extensive data gathering and analysis and the input and feedback of priests, with an opportunity for public comments in the fall. The final decision about which parishes will be grouped as Families will be made by Archbishop Schnurr.

The pastoral planning process will be led by pastors, staff, and parishioner leaders, with significant involvement of parishioners. There will be many decisions to be made, including the times and locations of Sunday Mass; the ways in which sacramental preparation and faith formation are carried out; how the traditions and history of each parish will be honored and acknowledged; what life in the Family of Parishes will be in the future.

What questions do you have? Click on the button below for more FAQs and to ask a question about BEACONS of LIGHT.

An effective change process is not simply linear, as if we can check off major hurdles like “create a sense of urgency” or “communicate the vision” and move along to the next. Rather, a successful change process is cyclical; we move from step to step, often returning to a previous step as needed to ensure completion. Continuing to build urgency is critical now, even as we are building coalitions and articulating vision.

At the broadest level, the sense of urgency for Beacons of Light has been growing for many years now. Pastors and parish leaders are keenly aware of the challenges in parish life these days, our limited resources, and the factors keeping us from being able to fully execute on our evangelizing mission. Yet until we see the current reality described as clearly as we do now, it’s hard to fully grasp.

How can you clearly communicate the current reality of the archdiocese in your parish, school, or other faith community? Can you find a way to help the average parishioner to understand the challenges but also the possibilities for the Church in the coming years? Take every opportunity you have to communicate this current reality to help the faithful understand why Beacons of Light is needed at this time. As you continue to communicate about the “why”, you’ll find that your guiding coalition will grow, the zeal for communicating a vision will increase, and equipping your community will be even easier. It all starts with “why”!