Beacons Update - July 2021

Recently, Archbishop Schnurr addressed a letter to the faithful of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati about Beacons of Light. In it, he said, "As Church, together we always have the responsibility to look ahead and make the best use of all the Lord has provided us. If we are to be the Church as Christ intends, we must understand that 'status quo' can have no place in our vocabulary. We must prayerfully ask ourselves, 'What in God’s plan must we do next?' Are our resources properly and most effectively aligned with our God-given mission? Is each of our parishes a strong, vital community of evangelization, centered on the Eucharist, that continuously draws its parishioners and attracts new members into a more intimate relationship with Jesus … or is it just struggling to survive? If the latter, why is that? And what might we do about it?"

EVERYONE WANTS TO BELONG TO A PARISH THEY LOVE

BY DOMINICK ALBANO

What does your dream parish look like? Everyone's answer is a little different, but more than likely many of the same themes will come to mind.

Full Churches. Joyful people. A pastor who is passionate and present to the faithful. Abounding generosity. Great music and homilies. Functional and beautiful spaces. A community that draws you closer to Jesus and helps you spread His love to your family, friends, neighbors and coworkers.

A place of welcoming, belonging, hope, peace and love.

But let's be honest for a moment; for many Catholics there is a large and growing gap between what they dream their parish would be and what really is. That doesn't mean we don't love our parishes. We do. Most engaged Catholics passionately love their parish. But I think we can all recognize there are things that could be better.

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati sees that too, and that's why Archbishop Schnurr has announced Beacons of Light, an initiative to plan for the future of our parishes.

The Catholic Telegraph columnist Dominick Albano is writing an article series on Beacons of Light that will appear in every issue of the magazine. Click on the button below to read the full article.

YOU ASKED...WE HAVE ANSWERS

What is the difference between a pastoral region and a Family of Parishes?

Many of the 210 parishes in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati have been grouped together in pastoral regions since the early 2000's. Pastoral regions have sometimes been led by a single pastor, or at times, multiple pastors have led parishes within a region with a plan to transition to a single pastor over time. While the original plans for pastoral regions did include occasional elements of unified ministry and parish life, the reality is that in most pastoral regions each parish has remained autonomous and there has been little collaboration between them. As one pastor noted at a meeting, "the only thing my parishes have in common is me."

The plan for Families of Parishes is different. The parishes in the Family will have a common pastor and will be characterized by collaboration and shared resources. A parochial vicar (or multiple parochial vicars) or retired priest may also serve a Family of Parishes.

We're listening to your questions. Check out new FAQs and let us know what questions you still have via the button below.

THE CHURCH AS THE FAMILY OF GOD
By FATHER EARL FERNANDES

The family exists to generate life and deepen the companionship between believers as they journey toward their common destiny. Family stability is critical for the future. This is true not only of our individual families, but also of our parish families. Every family, including a parish family, has a mission to build up the Church and increase the Kingdom of God in the world; to be a community of love in which people experience a sense of belonging; and, to be a beacon of light and hope to others.