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February 22, 2023
The Perth Huron Crossroads Catholic Family of Parishes was activated during the Covid-19 pandemic, like many Families of Parishes in our Diocese. The transition to a Family of Parishes brings about the challenge of getting to know each other. Parishioners need to get to know new priests and staff, staff need to get to know parishioners, and parishioners need to get to know each other. Beginning this process, when in-person worship and gathering was not happening added to the challenge.
We spoke with Fr. Philip Joseph, pastor of Perth Huron Crossroads Catholic Family of Parishes, about connecting with parishioners. Fr. Philip shared a bit more about the challenge of connecting. He said, “When we became a Family of Parishes during Covid no one knew me and even now, I don’t know everyone.” He recalled, during the height of the pandemic, he and the rest of the staff took to the phones and called parishioners. This was a terrific way to make connections when face-to-face meetings weren’t possible.
Once he was able, Fr. Philip wanted to really get to know the people in his communities. So, he started visiting parishioners. Beginning in spring 2022, Fr. Philip and associate pastor, Fr. Ronnie, accepted invitations to parishioners’ homes on Friday nights. They would spend about 2 hours visiting with the primary goal of just getting to know each other.
He let parishioners know that they wanted to visit and asked for people to book an evening with the priests! “The response from the parishioners was good.” said Fr. Philip. They took a break over the summer and began visiting again in the fall.
We also spoke with one of the parishioners who had a visit with Fr. Philip and Fr. Ronnie. “I had our two parish priests for a Friday night dinner, along with another couple from our parish” she told us. “It was a great opportunity to get to know each other better and share some of the personal stories that we don't get to share while greeting the priests at the back of the church after Mass. I also find it is a sense of togetherness and acceptance to "break bread" or share a meal together.” The parishioner, who asked us to leave out her name, was so happy to be able to have this visit: “I like to cook and this was my way of also thanking the priests and my friends for all of their dedicated service.”
In the Family of Parishes model, making connections is different. Each priest serves multiple communities and is not able to do all of the things they did before. At Perth Huron Crossroads Catholic Family of Parishes, they are committed to continue to make connections, one home at a time.
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!
Important Dates in March 2023
Click the links for more information about the saint or occasion. (S=Solemnity, F=Feast, M=Memorial, OM=Optional Memorial)
4 - St. Casimir (OM)
7 - St. Perpetua and St. Felicity (OM)
8 - St. John of God (OM)
9 - St. Frances of Rome (OM)
17 - St. Patrick (OM)
18 - St. Cyril of Jerusalem (OM)
20 - St. Joseph(S)
23 - St. Turibius of Mogrovejo (OM)
25 - The Annunciation of the Lord(S)
Great Things We Found On The Internet This Month about Music:
- Christians Not Oppressed by Guilt, but Filled with Joy - USCCB
- Songs to Pray with During Lent - Unleash the Gospel
- Secret Ingredient of Great Hospitality - Ted Talk
- Reclaiming Sabbath Rest - Blessed is She
We want to, we are called to, grow our Church wide; to reach out to new people and those we haven't seen in a while and welcome them in. But what are they coming back to?
That is the question that drove us to organize the Nurturing Joy Initiative into three phases. This week we enter the last of the three phases of our Nurturing Joy Initiative: Grow. The first two phases build to this one.
Phase One was called Encounter. It emphasized the basics of hospitality and the way we interact with the people already in our communities. Phase Two was Ignite, with a focus on empowering and forming the people in our parishes. Now, Phase Three: Grow. this third phase is focused on intentionally welcoming people from outside of our current parishioners and reaching out and inviting others to join us.
If you haven't already, we encourage you to look to the resources from Phase One and Phase Two. There are simple tools for evaluating your physical spaces and website through the lens of hospitality. They include tool kits for outreach and recordings of webinars.
In the next couple of months, we will share new resources for growth:
- Welcome Desk Tool Kit
- Triduum and Easter Tools
- Promotional Material Templates
- and more!
If you have any questions or would like to consult with one of the members of the Pastoral Service Team about the specific hospitality needs of your Family of Parishes, please reach out!
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
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