Where Do We Go from Here?

By VERY REV. WILLIAM THOMPSON

In February and March, I wrote articles that reflected on the Holy See’s document: The pastoral conversion of the Parish community in the service of the evangelizing mission of the Church. In those two articles, I reflected on the life of parish communities. In “What is a Parish,” I reflected on the primary components of a parish—the people of God with their pastor—as the necessary composition of a parish, while the church building is only secondary to the people. In “How Does a Parish Behave,” I suggested that local traditions and practices always need to be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit, especially as a parish fulfills its evangelizing character in making the Kingdom of God known near and far.

This month, I would like to explore the future as it relates to Pastoral Planning. The most recent Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester was named Vision 2016, though its original title was Vision and Mission. It is important not to lose that second part of Pastoral Planning, because we never lose the mission of the Church, even if the vision may change according to contemporary needs. Everyone should be involved in both the vision and mission of the Church.

The laity have both a right and a duty to bring forward to their pastors their spiritual needs. By doing so, you help your pastors at a local level to determine the vision for the parish. The mission is shared by laity and clergy alike, even if in different ways. One way in particular that laity share in the mission of the Church is by living out the grace of your Baptism and allowing the light of Christ to shine through you. When you live in the light of Christ in all you do and are, you are furthering the mission of the Church. You can find ways to do this by reading the other articles in the Courier or other spiritual reading, through prayer, and through service to your sisters and brothers.

When discussing Pastoral Planning, the impression may be given that its only real intent is to close (that is, merge) parishes. While that does happen, it is not the goal of Pastoral Planning. Church buildings are meant to foster the support and growth of the people of God, the Church. It is always important to remember that our faith is in God, not in buildings. Nevertheless, buildings become a principal place where we encounter God, especially as a community. Any decision about a church building should be made in faith and as a result of the gift of conversion. Faith gives roots; conversion keeps us focused on the mission.

Think about the need for conversion in your parish in a collective sense. Where is there need for conversion in the vision? How does the culture of your parish need conversion? What would it look like to see a conversion in the budgeting process? These questions can help determine where we go from here. What’s more is that we are in a great time to engage in this process of conversion: as we re-engage parishioners this Fall, how will that be done? Will everything be the same as normal, or will we allow this past year to bring a conversion to the vision we have for each of our parishes? Will the culture of our parish mirror the general culture, or will we find ways to be leaven in society? Will our budgets start with buildings and grounds (maintenance mode) or the pastoral and spiritual needs of the parish (missionary discipleship mode)? It is necessary, but also difficult, for us to answer these questions.

Why? Because change is difficult. Even when the normal way of operating is frustrating and inefficient, we tend to stay with that path because it is what we know. Several years ago, many of the pastors in the diocese took part in a program called “Good Leaders, Good Shepherds.” One of the strong images that remains with me from that program is the game “Whack-a-Mole.” That is how many of our parishes operate (though, truth be told, that is how most of our lives work!). Experiencing a conversion in vision, culture and budgeting can help a parish to be more purposeful, rather than reactionary, in their mission.

What can a parish do about this? As the Diocese worked through Vision 2016, each individual parish was asked to prepare their own plan. Even if a parish did that five years ago, it may be time to consider making a parish pastoral plan again or, at the very least, reviewing the plan to see if it is still appropriate and effective. The goal of this process is to gain clarity in a parish’s vision as it seeks to fulfill its mission.

Jesus said “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). We want to be fit for the kingdom of God. There is often a tendency to revert to the norm, even if that norm is frustrating and inefficient. Parish Pastoral Planning offers an opportunity to take a step toward a new way of imagining the life of the parish; it helps us to see the work needed to enter into the unplowed field ahead of us.