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Plan now for a bright fall! |
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Summer is often a time to renew our spirit through time away and in parish festivals and socials. Plan now to renew the spirit of your Family of Parishes this fall through liturgy and prayer, enhanced communication, leader formation, and intentional progress on the Pastoral Planning Pathway.
Many resources and training opportunities are ready to help you lead your Family in the coming months. |
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Fall is the time we look back on the previous year and plan for the future, especially through the Beacons of Light Annual Planning Report, Family Pathway Reports to our parishioners, steps on the Pathway through the phases, principles, and parameters of the Beacons process.
Archdiocesan leaders (Archbishop Casey, Department Directors and other Pastoral Center Staff, Archdiocesan Deans, and Beacons Liaisons) gathered on May 22 to review the 2024 Annual Planning Reports, Parish Vitality Report, Sacramental and Financial Data, and other information to assess progress on the goals of parish vitality, evangelization, and mission of Beacons of Light. The group entered into prayer, synodal listening, and discussion to identify areas of growth, concern, and focus as Families of Parishes enter into Year 4 of Beacons of Light.
A highly coherent team is essential aligning your Family of Parishes toward forming and sending missionary disciples. Phase 3, Culture, is focused on fostering that highly coherent team starting with the Family Leadership Team. This formation is essential to progression into Phase 4, Planning for all Families. The Center for Parish Vitality has multiple approaches to assist in forming a leadership and parish culture of discipleship: Retreat, Workshop, or customized Workshop. Please contact us to evaluate the best approach for your Family.
Plan now to share the good news of all that is happening in your Family of Parishes, especially as related to the guiding principles and parameters of Beacons of Light in a Family Pathway Report this fall. A special online report generator, fillable PDF, and samples from Families of Parishes are ready for you to report on your progress in Year 3 of Beacons of Light here. |
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Worship is best together… together with our Lord in the Eucharist, and together with each other as the people of God. But, as we all know, many Catholics do not come to Mass on Sunday. And our parish churches aren’t always as ready as they should be to welcome everyone for worship.
That is why the archdiocese has developed Together Sunday: resources and training for inviting and welcoming disengaged Catholics back to weekly participation in the Mass and making sure our parish churches are ready to welcome them!
This year, parishes are encouraged to celebrate Together Sunday on September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Join us on July 15 or 17 for a Leader Launch to learn more and get started in your Family of Parishes!
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| TOGETHER SUNDAY LEADER LAUNCH |
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The community that prays together |
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One of the most fundamental things Family leaders can do is to pray together. Prayer aligns our ministry with God’s vision and praying unites our hearts and minds with one another through Christ.
Monthly prayer resources have been prepared for Family Leadership Teams and other groups of leaders to use each month. The resources draw on the readings for the coming Sunday so that leaders will be especially prepared for and reflect upon the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. Consider this for your weekly FLT mtg, full staff mtg, pastoral council mtg, or other gathering of parish leaders. |
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Beacons of Light has at its foundation six guiding principles that, when lived fully in Families of Parishes, will lead to vital, mission-focused evangelizing communities of faith.
This month, we spotlight the Evangelization principle. Whether you have been involved as a parish leader since before the implementation of Beacons of Light or are new to parish leadership, it will be beneficial to renew your familiarity with the principle, its goals and vision for the future. |
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As centers of missionary outreach, Families of Parishes find new ways to foster missionary discipleship among all the baptized. Schools, parishes, and indeed the domestic Church itself are centers of this essential work. |
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"Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent. Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure.
These are contexts where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied. Yet, precisely for this reason, they are the places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed. A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society." |
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- Homily of the Holy Father Leo XIV, May 9, 2025 |
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Essential resources are available as you plan fall meetings of key leaders in your Family of Parishes. Resources for leaders have been curated and are ready for you online. Learn more > |
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Called & Gifted Team Training will equip you and your key leaders to provide charism discernment for your parishioners so that they can know and live according to the spiritual gifts they received in their Baptism. Mary Martin and Colleen O’Dowd from the Catherina of Siena Institute will lead this two-day training. Learn more > |
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The International Catholic Stewardship Council's annual conference will be held in Chicago September 21-24. Join stewardship leaders from throughout the world to pray, learn, and share! Read More > |
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Golden Jubilee Masses |
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September 6 and 7 | Dayton, Cincinnati |
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Couples celebrating a jubilee wedding anniversary (25th, 50th, 55th, 60th, etc.) are invited to Mass with Archbishop Casey on September 6th (Dayton) or 7th (Cincinnati). Family members are welcome to attend as well, and a special blessing will be offered to the jubilarian couples. Learn more and register |
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Workshop for Parish Communicators |
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September 9 | St. Francis of Assisi |
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The formation of Families of Parishes will undoubtedly create unique communication challenges and opportunities. To begin to address these, the archdiocesan Center for Parish Vitality and Office of Communications will be holding a one-day workshop for those Family staff members responsible for parish communication – including bulletin editors, website managers, social media coordinators, and email and newsletter editors. Learn more and register.
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