Giving Thanks
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In this month of gratitude, I am especially grateful for the hard work that our parish leaders do to serve our local Church. Constantly going above and beyond, our clergy, staff, and parishioner leaders answer the call and do their best to - as Archbishop Casey likes to say - meet the missionary moment. From meeting with 40+ Family Leadership Teams for a Pathway Checkin over the past year, and in reading the recently submitted Annual Planning Reports, I am filled with gratitude for the many ways in which our Families of Parishes are living out the principles of Beacons of Light.
As we continue together on the Pastoral Planning Pathway, we'll turn together towards understanding better how each Family will be more unified and better accomplish the mission of the Church. You'll find out more below and in early 2026.
From now until Epiphany, we'll try to "stay out of your inbox" in light of the many demands on parish leaders this time of year. Please know that we are available to support you in any way you need even during this Advent and Christmastide.
In the meantime, the staff of the Center for Parish Vitality wishes you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!
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Jeremy Helmes
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Director, Center for Parish Vitality
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As part of the Beacons of Light pastoral planning process to best arrange our many resources – human, financial, physical – to better pursue the God-given mission of sharing the Gospel throughout our archdiocese, we are encouraging all Families of Parishes to begin completing financial and deferred maintenance assessments to support a comprehensive Family Unity Discernment process that will begin in Spring 2026. More details will be available in January, but in the meantime, you can find the tools necessary to begin this work here so you have a head start on the process next
year.
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| LEARN MORE
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A new video resource center has been
created, featuring brief video clips on topics for parish leaders to build skill, enhance parish leadership, and create more effective teams. Each clip includes questions for discussion and links to related resources for further exploration. Topics include managing pressure and stress, instilling discipleship culture in Families of Parishes, partnering more effectively together in ministry and more.
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| EXPLORE
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Thanks Fr. Tom!
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Please join the CPV in wishing Fr. Tom DiFolco well as he retires from his work as Associate Director for Leadership Formation. Fr. Tom has been a key player in forming and training clergy and lay leaders for their important roles in Beacons of Light and in their ministry overall. In particular, his passion for effective pastoral councils has been a great asset to our archdiocese in the past few years and laid the foundation for a more synodal Church into the future.
Fr. Tom will continue his priestly ministry in our local Church, but with a bit more free time. The CPV will continue the work of forming and training parish leaders with someone new in this role, but with one less champion at the helm!
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A new policy on Catholic High Schools and Initiation Ministry has been released by the Center for the New Evangelization in collaboration with the Office for Divine
Worship and Sacraments and the Catholic Schools Office. Read More >
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Since the spring, the archdiocesan Communications Office has built a system to house photos and other images using a platform called Canto. Canto serves as a central
repository for more than 9,000 photos to date. One point person from each Family of Parishes should sign up using the link below so Families may search, download and use content in your communications. Contact archdiocese Photography Coordinator Mary Fleisher with any questions. Register here >
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During the recent Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies, Pope Leo shared continuing insights into the meaning and call to synodality. Read More >
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The Catholic University of America has released a recent study entitled "Morale, Leadership, and Pastoral Priorities: Highlights from the 2025 National Study of
Catholic Priests." Read More >
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Coming together as a community
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St. John Paul II Family of Parishes recently released a series of videos that explain many facets of the process of canonical unification of parishes. While these succinct videos were developed for their Family, the information that is presented is informative for parishioners in any Family that is or will proceed through this process. Consider using a communication tool like this in your own Family!
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“As we journey through the process of canonical unification, it was important for us to communicate openly and clearly with our parish families. These videos were created to help everyone understand not only what is happening, but why it’s happening — to ensure that each parishioner feels informed, included, and confident in the future we are building together as a family of faith.”
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- Rachel Prindle, Director of Involvement and Engagement, St. John Paul II Family of Parishes
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Culture for Mission
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Dec 2
St. Paul Catholic Church
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Join us for a two-series workshop that will help your Leadership Team, Evangelization Team, and Parish Leaders form an imagination for mission.
Learn More
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100 East Eighth Street | Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 | CatholicAOC.org
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