Dear Parishioners,

We had our first Pastoral Council meeting this past week and have expanded the Pastoral Council to include members from each parish and several active ministries. The members are Alexis Peters, our chair, Patsy Cotter, Jill Chalmers, Tony Hansen, Jenn Dotts, Ron Christian, Dean Proszek, Emily Garner, and Amy Nixon.

This expanded council will have a particular focus on developing a Pastoral Plan to take our parishes from “Maintenance to Mission.”

All of the present demographics’ studies of the Church in the US show that the Church is dying; there is lowering of attendance, an aging population and less sacramental and faith formation activity.

Taking a parish(es) from Maintenance to Mission is a movement that is happening across the country and is something I’ve worked on in other parishes using a book by Fr. James Mallon called Divine Renovation (pictured upper left). Fr. Mallon focuses on five areas in which a parish will need to grow in order to thrive and make disciples. Those areas are: Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Service and Evangelization.

The council’s goal this year is to produce and present a proposed five-year Pastoral Plan to move our South Stevens County Parishes from Maintenance to Mission. Part of the pastoral council’s discussion will take a look at all resources and activity of the parishes of South Stevens County to make sure we are using our resources to move our Mission forward. Resources have to follow Mission and that is why it is important to continue the discussion on consolidation within this context.

As time goes on you will be hearing more about this work of the Pastoral Council. This work and plan will be essential for the viability and vitality of the Catholic Faith in our area.

 

OCIA Classes Beginning Next Sunday

I am very happy to announce that we will be starting an OCIA class. OCIA (formerly RCIA) stands for Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. We have had interested in some folks wanting to become Catholic and receive the necessary sacraments. These sessions will be for any adult wishing to come into the Catholic Church, any Catholic who needs to complete their full initiation with Communion or Confirmation and for anyone who just wants to learn more about the Catholic Faith. We will have an orientation session Oct. 1 and will meet every Sunday after the 10 am Mass in the library.