A STUDY GUIDE ON THE PASTORAL PLAN FOR PARISH COUNCILS

INTRODUCTION

An initial step in implementing the Pastoral Plan in our parishes is engaging our parish councils in examining some basic questions about who we are and what we are called to be as Catholic Christians.

The Pastoral Plan invites us to take an in-depth look at the cornerstone upon which it is based- namely EVANGELIZATION- proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ by word and testimony of life.

G. K . Chesterton , the English author, once said that we need ‘to look at familiar things until they become unfamiliar’. It was his way of stating what we have to do in order to more deeply examine many of our assumptions and get new perspectives on those things that we take for granted.

PART 1

A

The following questions are offered as an introduction into a dialogue with your parish councils which can be used as part of a format for your meetings. They are based on the opening three paragraphs of the segment on Evangelization in the Pastoral Plan [ cf. page 5- Evangelization: Witness and Mission]

We might begin by asking:

What DOES ‘being a Catholic’ mean and what DOES it call us to do?

　

If we go to the New Testament scriptures [Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47] we get an idea of how the earliest Christians lived and how they saw themselves.

How does this compare with your understanding of our mission as Church?

　

Ask yourself: Why DO I go to Church? [Would some of the reasons below sound familiar?]

‘Because it’s a mortal sin to miss Mass on Sunday’

‘to get to heaven’

‘to help me be good’

‘family pressure’

‘for public acceptance’

‘assurance of a place to be married or buried’

‘to get my children into a Catholic school’

‘because I was born into a Catholic family’

So what exactly do you ‘get out’ of Church? 　

B

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states [# 904] that ‘lay people fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization, that is , by the proclamation of Christ by word and testimony of life.

What does that mean to you?

What does that imply or look like in your experience?

As a layperson , what do you see as your role in the Church?

　

As Christians, we are called to proclaim the ‘Good News’ of the Gospel to the world.

WHAT exactly is this, ‘Good News’?

HOW is it-‘ Good News’ ?

C

We often retain ‘words’ or teachings because of who spoke them. [ Recall that it was said that Jesus spoke with ‘authority’]. ‘ Hearing’ the Word implies taking it to heart, changing our attitudes and leads to different ways of living.

If your Christian faith has made a life changing impact on you, how did this happen?

Was there a particular teaching that remained with you over the years?

What ‘life testimonies’ have made a deep impression on your faith?

When we say that the ‘Word became flesh’, does that only apply to Jesus or does that include us as well?

How Is the Word ‘enfleshed’ in us? Do you have stories or experiences of that happening in your life?

The Pastoral plan states, ‘parishes are the privileged places where the Catholic faithful can learn ways to be witnesses of the Gospel to those around them and to grow in understanding of their part in the mission of the Church?

Has this been your experience in your parish?

If so -how? If not- why not?

　

A priest once confided that in all his years of ministry he had brought many people into the Church through baptism and the other sacraments but he questioned how many people he had actually ‘brought to God’.

The underlying question here is:

Is our mission to bring people to church or is it to bring people to God and in the process- to become Church?

What would be your response to the above question?

PLEASE NOTE:

This pamphlet is Part I of a series of Study Guides based on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan.

Future Study Guides , focusing on Education, The Role of the Laity and Liturgy will be forthcoming.

A STUDY GUIDE

ON THE

PASTORAL PLAN FOR PARISH COUNCILS

Archdiocese of Regina

445 Broad Street N.

Regina, SK S4R 2X8

Tel: (306) 352-1651

Fax: (306) 352-6313

E-mail: chancery@archregina.sk.ca