Parish Listening Session Themes Introduction
I am excited to report to you the themes of our Parish Listening Sessions. You may remember that in the month of November we held sessions on two different dates with the intention of accommodating people’s schedules. I offered these sessions because, as your recently appointed administrator of the parish, I was eager to hear your thoughts about parish life from your experiences of the past, and also to know what is on your minds and hearts as hopes for the parish in the years to come. While these sessions were not mandatory for me to hold, I readily agree with guidance offered by the Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests that states, “Priests must willingly listen to the laity, consider their wants in a fraternal spirit, recognize their experience and competence in the different areas of human activity, so that together with them they will be able to recognize the signs of the times” (9). My aim is that as we move forward together as a parish family, this united fraternal spirit with Jesus Christ as our Master will indeed mark all of our efforts.
Over 40 people of varying ages attended these sessions and provided valuable input. The questions I asked were the following:
When I consider these themes and bring them to my prayer for our parish, I am motivated about what lies ahead for us as a parish community. Expressed in these is a great opportunity for building upon the wonderful foundation that exists at St. Patrick Parish and furthering the Kingdom of God. Stay tuned for more details on what I heard regarding each of these themes – and eventually considering where this leads us in our work ahead as disciples of Jesus Christ.
I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow