October 2023 - Good News Notes - Diocese of London

October 31, 2023

When we started activating Families of Parishes, someone asked Bishop Fabbro about his vision for the Diocese of London. Since then, he has included his vision in all of his correspondence.

Diocese of London: Being a mission-oriented Church that forms disciples of Jesus.

This is Bishop Fabbro’s vision for our Diocese and all of the Families of Parishes in the diocese. Each word or phrase has an important meaning that drives the work and ministry we are striving for. In an effort to help us find shared meaning in this vision, lets break down each part.

Diocese of London: Led by the Most. Rev. Ronald P. Fabbro, CSB, the Roman Catholic Diocese of London serves the people of God across Southwestern Ontario. Our 31 Families of Parishes cover a geographical area of 21,349 square kilometers from Windsor to Woodstock, Goderich to Port Dover, and communities in between.

Being: 'Being' is the present participle of be. It is used in a continuous tense when referencing how one is currently acting or behaving.

Mission-Oriented:To be mission-oriented means our eyes, hearts, and actions are set to our deepest nature:"The Church's deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility of proclaiming the word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia), and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia). These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable."¹

Church: The Church is not a building or institution. We are the Church. "The Church has been seen as 'a people made one with the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.'”²

Forms: To bring together parts or combine to create. Faith formation is more than an education. It is a lifelong process with physical, moral, intellectual, and spiritual aspects.

Disciples of Jesus: A disciple is a friend and follower of Jesus. One who knows Jesus, loves Him, and shares Him with others. "Discipleship must begin with a living experience of God and his love. It is not something static, but a continuous movement towards Christ."³

As co-labourers in the vineyard, we are all called to share in this vision. Priests, deacons, those who work for the church, parisioners in our pews and in their homes and in their workplaces are all called to participate.

You are invited to reflect on this vision and the role you can play in it. Share this with your parish groups, parishioners, and teams and invite them to do the same. You can find a printable PDF version of this resource on our website. Click for the resource.

Footnotes: 1. Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, 25; 2. Pope Paul VI, Lumen Gentium, 4; 3. Pope Francis, Homily, Sept. 9, 2017.