April 2023 Good News Notes

As we wrap up the Nurturing Joy Initiative, we are looking to grow our church. Bishop Barron shared about this topic in two YouTube videos earlier this year. In those videos, one of which is just over 6 minutes and the other around 25 minutes, he reflects on a meeting in his own diocese about consolidating and clustering parishes.

In that meeting, Bishop Barron shared with his priests that he doesn’t want to be planning only for this needed consolidation. He also wants to have a strategy to grow the church.

The word "strategy" can sometimes be seen as a secular or corporate word, but Bishop Barron reminds us that St. Peter and St. Paul strategized as they discussed who would set out to reach the Gentiles and how to reach the Jews as they shared about Jesus. We, too, can pair creative, intelligent, and responsible decision making with our evangelical purpose to fortify our efforts to fulfill the mission of the Church.

There are four specific ways Bishop Barron shared to strategically grow the Church:

1. Every family who comes to Mass invites one family to church this year. This strategy could not only double our Mass attendance in one year, it is also fulfilling our people’s personal call to holiness and their own evangelical responsibility. Invite parishioners to identify the wandering sheep and invite them to Mass. This does not have to happen overnight, but by investing in this for one year we allow people to prayerfully identify and encourage someone they know who should be at Church.

2. Pray for the growth of the parish. Nothing great comes without prayer. God delights in our cooperation. When we pair strategy with prayer, we participate in responsible evangelization. This is an excellent invitation for the elderly and homebound members of our community. You may also want to extend a specific invitation to people who pray before the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration.

3. Invite seekers to raise questions. We all know people who are disaffiliated. Ask them why they don’t come to church or if they have any questions about God or faith. This also requires that you are ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15). You should be ready to share why you believe what you believe and even help them find the answers to the questions they have.

4. Be kind. The first threshold of conversion is trust (from Forming Intentional Disciples by Sherry Weddell). The first step to bringing someone into faith is that they trust you. If someone thinks you’re a good and decent person, they will be more likely to listen to you about topics of faith. There are times when people could walk into a conversation in Catholic circles, in person and online, that are far from kind or decent. Remember that you are the Church and you represent the faith that you are inviting a person to.

Are there ways you could implement these in your own Family of Parishes? Discuss this at your next team meeting and strategize for growth.

Great Things We Found On The Internet This Month:

• Family Challenge: Living as Easter People - Unleash the Gospel
• Faith Advice from Holy Moms - Unleash the Gospel
• Bible Verses about Waiting - Blessed is She
• Church Summer Camp Tips, Tricks, and Hacks - Download Youth Ministry
• Laypeople, including Women, to vote at Synod Assembly - Catholic News Agency
• Eliminating Confusion around the Many Roles of a Leader - Amazing Parish Free Webinar TOMORROW

Important Dates in May 2023

Click the links for more information about the saint or occasion.

1 - Catholic Education Week begins, International Workers' Day
2 - St. Athanasius
3 - St. Philip & St. James
6 - St. François de Laval
7 - National Family & Life Week begins
12 - Canada Health Day
13 - Our Lady of Fatima (OM)
14 - Mother's Day
21 - Ascension of the Lord, World Communications Day, Collection: Pope's Pastoral Works
22 - Victoria Day
24 - World Day of Prayer for the Church in China
26 - St. Philip Neri
28 - Pentecost Sunday, end of Season of Easter
29 - Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
31 - Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

At many churches, the secular holiday of Mother’s Day offers the opportunity to honour mothers and other women in our parishes. We may pass out flowers or offer a blessing to mothers. These can be wonderful expressions of love, but they can also be challenging.

Mother’s Day is difficult for many. It is a day that some people are reminded of the loss of their mother or a close relationship with her. It may also be challenging for those who long to be mothers but are not due to infertility or because they are single. Others experience the grief of a miscarriage, the death of a child, or struggle with the pain or regret of an abortion. These challenges probably affect more people than you expect. Some statistics show that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage and 1 in 6 Canadian couples experience infertility.

Here are some things to consider for your Mother’s Day celebration to show love and compassion and meet people where they are at this year:

1. Remember and acknowledge the pain the day may bring. You do not need to focus or draw undue attention to it, but acknowledging it allows people to know that the Church grieves with them. Perhaps this is mentioned in the homily as it pertains to the readings or you can also acknowledge this if you offer a blessing, in your bulletin message, or in a social media post.
2. Pray for those who are experiencing grief and loss. You can include a specific intention in the Prayers of the Faithful.
3. Avoid centering out mothers, or even all women in a mothering role, during Mass. It is difficult for many women when they are asked to stand or even put their hand out to receive a flower in their pew. Read one woman’s reflection on her experience here. If you would like to offer a blessing to mothers, do it while the whole congregation stands at the end of mass and give out flowers to people on the way out of the church.

For more information, the USCCB offers a full action guide to Mother’s Day here.

Joe Bezzina - Director of Pastoral Services

Claire Bondy - Director of Ongoing Formation & Lay Ecclesial Ministry

Chrisandra Skipper - Pastoral Services Coordinator

Christine Coyle - Family and Youth Ministry Specialist

Olwyn Supeene - Administrative Assistant

Outreach Ministries:
Refugee Office

Migrant Worker Ministry

Ministry for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Holy Family Retreat House

If you have a Good News Story from your Family of Parishes, please share it with us! We have an online form available for staff, volunteers, and parishioners to share the Good News happening in their communities! 

dol.ca/pastoral-services

Diocese of London Pastoral Services: 

1070 Waterloo St

London, ON N6A 3Y2

Canada