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God is calling each baptized Christian to a work of love that will fill their lives with purpose and joy, and discerning charisms can help them discover that call.
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What is a Charism?
"Charism" is the Greek word used in the New Testament for "favor" or "gratuitous gift." Charisms, or spiritual gifts, are special abilities given to all Christians by the Holy Spirit to give them power both to represent Christ and to be a channel of God's goodness for people. Whether extraordinary or ordinary, all charisms ought to be exercised in the service of God (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2003).
Why should my Family of Parishes consider it?
Discerning charisms communally enables a parish to thrive on the gifts of its people. Far from being "just another program," this is a whole new way to look at our parishes. Our communities are filled with organizational and pastoral needs that are usually met by recruiting anyone who shows any interest or who, perhaps, is just unable to say "no." Because we seldom look first at the gifts and call of individuals, our communities too often contain generous and energetic people who have been burned-out or even traumatized trying to fill "vacuums" for which they were ill-equipped. But if we look first at our gifts, our communities will come to be shaped by our loves, because God calls each of us to (and gifts us for) the work that we most love.
What is the Program?
Called & Gifted is a 3-part process to learn about and discern charisms offered through the Catherine of Siena Institute. The three parts are workshops, a gifts interview, and a discernment in depth small group. It is best when offered in-person, but technology allows us to offer it online, when appropriate. It can be led by a parish leader who has gone through the 3-part process and complete Team Training.
What are the details of the Sessions offered by Pastoral Services of the Diocese of London?
The best way for parish leaders to know about this program is to experience it. That is why we offer the 3-part process through the Pastoral Services office. These sessions are intended for parish staff and key volunteers who may be interested in starting the process for their own Family of Parishes. These sessions are virtual over Zoom. The first 4 sessions are 2 hours long, then a break, then the last 4 sessions are 1 hour and a half long. There is a $65 fee per person.
How do I get involved as a parishioner?
Some of our Families of Parishes are implementing this discernment process. Contact your pastor or a pastoral minister and ask about it. If they have not begun to use it, perhaps God is calling you to help bring it to your parish now. There is also the opportunity for individuals to complete the process online through the Siena Institute.
Our Pastoral Team wants to begin using this process. How do we get started?
The Pastoral Service Office offers the 3-part process to parish staff and key volunteers. It is our intention to allow people to experience it as they discern running it in their own Family of Parishes. We put together some information for Families of Parishes to get started: Info Sheet.
Is this the same thing as Called, Gifted & Sent?
No. While there is some overlap, Called, Gifted & Sent is an internal policy for the Diocese of London. Called, Gifted & Sent focuses on equipping volunteer ministers and ensuring safe and caring communities of faith.
For more information or to get started, contact Chrisandra Skipper (cskipper@dol.ca).