Since my middle name is “Thomas”, and since I saw here an emphasis on “active listening”, I’ll wait to see how synodal that Christophe Cardinal Pierre’s dictated outcome for the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio turns out.
(Remember Ed or JD saying how meaningful that outcome will be to the broader US church? Also why is Cardinal Pierre meddling in the ecclesial affairs of a U.S. diocese with only 28,000 Catholics?…No bigger fish to fry or multiply?)
The Archbishop here reminds me of a US Cardinal on whom I once pinned such synodal hopes for the US church. I prayerfully hope that the English Archbishop cares more about his flock than himself and his own career. A great start. 🙏
I thought Southwark had run successive, diocesan wide, Life in the Spirit seminars as well as the other initiatives mentioned. How wonderful t to see a Bishop willing to let the Holy Spirit in!
> The agency helped to craft the plan known as Some Definite Service — a quotation from the English theologian St. John Henry Newman’s celebrated reflection on God’s call to each person to fulfill their mission within the Church.
I like this name for a plan. It is a little uncanny to me to see it right now because I was looking for a different quote earlier today on the internet (I could not remember enough words to find it) and kept finding St. JHN's quote instead.
> Through discernment, she discovered she had the spiritual gift of encouragement
I like this also: different people have different gifts, and administration (as a charism) is deploying the right gifts in the right places (if I am remembering a podcast correctly.)
> People are talking a lot more about the need to evangelize. More and more people who were doing it in an atomized, or limited, or local manner are being connected one with another.
This reminds me of someone (from some time and place when we burned wood a lot more than I do) writing about coals that are raked together staying hot, vs. coals that are scattered that go out.
I am so happy to see articles like this, and any shout out to St JH Newman makes me happy, but there is one glaring omission - nothing from the parish priests. Comments from the archbishop, comments from parishioners, but nothing from the parish priests? I wonder what they think of all of this.
I’m loving the impromptu ‘summer good news stories’!
I also love a bishop going to his flock and looking to actually feed them good grass and water… not just throw some corn around and then ignore it for five years…
Beautiful! Archbishop Bernard Hebda is attempting something similar here in the Twin Cities with a network of small groups in each parish that provide mutual support to members of the small groups (which is important) as they bring Christ’s light to the others they encounter in their everyday life.
I think beauty and friendship are the things that tend to draw others to Christ and Holy Mother Church. It’s very rare for someone to be converted through reading apologetic arguments (I only know of one individual for whom that was the case). I think we need to be willing to reach out in friendship to non-Catholics when Jesus gives us opportunities to do so, support and pray for our brother and sister Catholics in their efforts to do that, and do more things like the incredible multi-state walking Eucharistic Processions that literally take Jesus to the streets where others can encounter Him.
When people see real beauty or are offered real friendship, some people are going to be repelled by it, but others are going to be drawn to it. Evangelization through beauty and through friendship is like sowing seeds in the hearts of people, and we just don’t know in which hearts those seeds will germinate and grow and in which they won’t germinate and grow. Only God does, and that’s the hard part, we just have to wait and see and trust that God knows what He is doing.
Great post Michael. I'll add one thing: There is a huge host of non-practicing Catholics that need to be evangelized in addition to non-Catholics. Peace!
Since my middle name is “Thomas”, and since I saw here an emphasis on “active listening”, I’ll wait to see how synodal that Christophe Cardinal Pierre’s dictated outcome for the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio turns out.
(Remember Ed or JD saying how meaningful that outcome will be to the broader US church? Also why is Cardinal Pierre meddling in the ecclesial affairs of a U.S. diocese with only 28,000 Catholics?…No bigger fish to fry or multiply?)
The Archbishop here reminds me of a US Cardinal on whom I once pinned such synodal hopes for the US church. I prayerfully hope that the English Archbishop cares more about his flock than himself and his own career. A great start. 🙏
I'm confused because I don't see Cardinal Pierre or Ohio mentioned in this article but maybe the comment landed on the wrong article.
Ed is working on a story. Sit tight.
I thought Southwark had run successive, diocesan wide, Life in the Spirit seminars as well as the other initiatives mentioned. How wonderful t to see a Bishop willing to let the Holy Spirit in!
Looks like they’ve also raided Sherry Wedell’s insights too!
> The agency helped to craft the plan known as Some Definite Service — a quotation from the English theologian St. John Henry Newman’s celebrated reflection on God’s call to each person to fulfill their mission within the Church.
I like this name for a plan. It is a little uncanny to me to see it right now because I was looking for a different quote earlier today on the internet (I could not remember enough words to find it) and kept finding St. JHN's quote instead.
> Through discernment, she discovered she had the spiritual gift of encouragement
I like this also: different people have different gifts, and administration (as a charism) is deploying the right gifts in the right places (if I am remembering a podcast correctly.)
> People are talking a lot more about the need to evangelize. More and more people who were doing it in an atomized, or limited, or local manner are being connected one with another.
This reminds me of someone (from some time and place when we burned wood a lot more than I do) writing about coals that are raked together staying hot, vs. coals that are scattered that go out.
Wow. A lot here for all dioceses to chew on. Thank you so much for this story, Luke.
I am so happy to see articles like this, and any shout out to St JH Newman makes me happy, but there is one glaring omission - nothing from the parish priests. Comments from the archbishop, comments from parishioners, but nothing from the parish priests? I wonder what they think of all of this.
I’m loving the impromptu ‘summer good news stories’!
I also love a bishop going to his flock and looking to actually feed them good grass and water… not just throw some corn around and then ignore it for five years…
Beautiful! Archbishop Bernard Hebda is attempting something similar here in the Twin Cities with a network of small groups in each parish that provide mutual support to members of the small groups (which is important) as they bring Christ’s light to the others they encounter in their everyday life.
I think beauty and friendship are the things that tend to draw others to Christ and Holy Mother Church. It’s very rare for someone to be converted through reading apologetic arguments (I only know of one individual for whom that was the case). I think we need to be willing to reach out in friendship to non-Catholics when Jesus gives us opportunities to do so, support and pray for our brother and sister Catholics in their efforts to do that, and do more things like the incredible multi-state walking Eucharistic Processions that literally take Jesus to the streets where others can encounter Him.
When people see real beauty or are offered real friendship, some people are going to be repelled by it, but others are going to be drawn to it. Evangelization through beauty and through friendship is like sowing seeds in the hearts of people, and we just don’t know in which hearts those seeds will germinate and grow and in which they won’t germinate and grow. Only God does, and that’s the hard part, we just have to wait and see and trust that God knows what He is doing.
Great post Michael. I'll add one thing: There is a huge host of non-practicing Catholics that need to be evangelized in addition to non-Catholics. Peace!