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No doubt Archbishop Dolan is impressed with what he is finding as he visits our parishes. The mission of Jesus is alive and well throughout our ten counties. People are warm and welcoming. There is tremendous openness to our new leader. Eucharistic celebrations are packed and vibrant. Schools and religious education programs are off to an enthusiastic start. As we celebrated his installation, we dug deeper to support outreach programs. This could be a time to rest on our laurels. To wait and see where this new shepherd will lead us. Or parish councils could take a cue from Archbishop Dolan’s energetic start and “kick it up a notch.”
One of the council’s responsibilities is to know how the parishioners feel about what is happening in their parish. What would happen in your parish if you took time at coffee and doughnuts to engage in focused conversations? What if you invited parishioners to answer the “question of the week?” What if you started a parish-wide conversation on your parish website?
What would you ask? Simple questions that might give you insights about parishioners’ values, spirit and hopes for the future. Sharing the responses with staff, committees, and the parish at large might transform a good status quo into a great future. Try these for starters:
- What attracted you to this parish? What were your initial impressions of the parish? What excited you about the parish?
- What was your most life-giving experience with the parish? Recall a time when you felt most alive, fulfilled or enthused about being a parishioner. What made it a peak experience for you?
- What do you value most about our parish? What is the single most important thing the parish has contributed to your life in the past year?
- What represents the essence of this parish? What is its most life-giving force, without which it would cease to exist?
- If you could enhance or transform this parish in any way you wished, what three things would you do to heighten its vitality and over-all health?
For more information, contact Noreen Welte in the Office for Parish Councils and Planning, 414-769-3380, 800-769-9373 ext. 380, or e-mail mail to: welten@archmil.org.
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