A Prophetic People
The focus for the Diocesan Congress2002 was on a reflection on what it means to be a prophetic people, how this fits with new evangelization, and how the Small Christian Community model can be a valuable vehicle to help bridge the Word and our daily lives.
"We want people to gain a deepened sense of what it means to be a church centered on the Word of God, to not only hear it but to share it, live it and proclaim it," said Bishop Albert LeGatt.
"This isn’t something we’re asking people to do in isolation. We’ve got a unified direction for the diocese for the next two years where our efforts will focus on how we are centered on the Word of God."
LeGatt noted that could include not only liturgies, but educational efforts,
catechetical efforts, social justice activities and the daily life of every
parishioner.
"Every parish will have its own efforts, suited to its own community but we have a common vision that ties us together," he said.
"Small Christian communities can be a very, very crucial way in which people, as they share their faith, as they share the gospel message in relation to their life, come to know together God’s love and God’s will," he said.
By now, through the deaneries, many parishes will already have received the parish vitality reflection tool (PVR). This tool, which is in a questionaire-type format, is designed to help parishes reflect on what it means to be a prophetic people. It will help parishes identify what they are doing well as a prophetic people, encourage them to plan ways to celebrate this and finally, identify one or two areas where they could grow as a prophetic people.
"There will be support for this process from the diocese but I have to point out that it is not diocesan directed,” said the bishop. “Parishes and deaneries can expect support with resources and formation to help them carry out their initiatives but the key is that these will be parish initiatives.
"The pastor and parish pastoral council are the real crux of where this work will be done. They will be the ones analyzing the information and deciding what they need to celebrate and setting forth any new or expanded efforts that need to be done."
LeGatt noted there is not set time line for parishes.
"What we have provided is a common vision, a common energy, and a sense that we are carrying forward this vision together."
Asked if results from the PVR took would be filtered back to the diocese, the bishop replied that is not the intention.
"The tool is designed to help further animate the life of your parish. It’s about parish vitality growth. It is designed to help us build an idea of what it means to be prophetic and where we go from here."
As such, the Diocese plans to make available the following resources to educate
people on the prophetic dimension:
1. A letter from Bishop Albert;
2. A Diocesan Prayer Card;
3. A video on the "Prophetic Understanding of Church";
4. A List of resource material available from the Resource Library and from the Scripture Resources office at the Catholic Pastoral Center;
5. Sample Intercessory prayers for use First Sunday of Advent through to Sunday before Ash Wednesday;
6. Homily outlines for two sequential homilies on the prophetic dimension;
7. A Prairie Messenger Issue on the Prophetic Dimension including centerfold articles which can be used for group study purposes;
8. Prayer for individual or communal prayer during this time of diocesan reflection on the prophetic.
In February, the priests of the diocese will also be meeting for three days
of study with Dr. Elaine Park of Mount Angel Seminary from Oregon. The focus
of this gathering will be "Prophetic Understanding of Church". This will be
followed by a priests’ retreat in April.
For more information, call Dorothy Fortier at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Saskatoon (242-1500 or 1-877-661-5005).
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