Archbishop Cupich recently sent a letter to the pastors of the Archdiocese regarding the Renew My Church initiative. He has begun this initiative in the spirit of St. Francis, who heard the Lord give him the same commission of renewal. If Renew My Church is a bit confusing to you, please know that you are in good company as St. Francis struggled with the details of our Lord’s message.
Archbishop Cupich says in his letter, “There is the promise of claiming and renewing our ecclesial life as the community of Jesus’ disciples charged with a mission to proclaim to the world the coming of the Reign of God. That is why we must take up questions dealing with our identity and our mission, who we are and what is our purpose.
At the same time, we are not naïve about the challenges before us. It would be a mistake to define those challenges solely in terms of statistics, whether that be the decline of participation, major demographic shifts, or even dollar figures projected to maintain and repair aging infrastructure. Admittedly, we would be wise to be conversant with the data. However I am convinced that the greatest challenge lies elsewhere. In a word it is about creating ownership for the process among our people.
The whole process of Renew My Church depends largely on mobilizing the participation of all the Catholics across the Archdiocese of Chicago. And, if we are to do that successfully, we will need to help them develop a clear and true sense of what it means to belong to the Church. This is so important and foundational. Thus I want to make unambiguously clear that I need and I fully expect you to join me in this task of ecclesial formation of our people.”
The following refers to the Archbishop’s explanation of some of the resources available to us along with some further details.
“This is a short course in ecclesiology written in non-technical language. With seven modules and in the space of eleven pages, you will have in hand a convenient summary of our faith convictions about the Church. Each module is followed by questions for reflection, so that readers can make applications to their own lives. Here are the modules:
1: I believe in the Catholic Church, I belong to the Catholic Church: What does that mean?
2: The beginnings of the Church: disciples gathered around Jesus.
3: The Church is born in the death and resurrection of Jesus, the great mystery celebrated and made present in the Eucharist
4: Empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Church fulfills the mission which Jesus entrusted to al believers.
5: The many ways we experience and live our life in the Church.
6: God’s essential gifts which give the Church its form and identity.
7: The pilgrim people of God on their journey to God.”
(We will provide information on these modules as it becomes available.)
These are just some of the Archbishop’s insights regarding this very important endeavor. We will be sharing more details, particularly in terms of our collaboration with St. Anne’s in Barrington, as it pertains to our participation in Renew My Church. Their pastor, Fr. Bernie Pietrzak, and I are recommending that our Parish Pastoral Councils and our staffs continue to dialogue on the details of how our parishes can share resources and programs.
I want to thank all of you who worked so hard to make our Fall Fest wildly successful. Many of you have commented that this year’s two day event was the best ever. Special thanks to our Fest chairs, Joe and Joseph Ferlita; Dean Dallay for coordinating the set-up of the grounds; Ray Lacek and our maintenance crew for helping get everyone connected with power and lighting and securing our grounds; and to everyone who volunteered to make both Hops on the Vine and Fall Fest a rousing success.
I’d also like to thank the restaurants who provided samplings of their food for Hops on the Vine. The best way for you to thank them is by patronizing them. They are:
Agio Italian Bistro
Brandt’s of Palatine
DiBenedetto Trattoria
Francesca’s
Gianni’s
Gino’s Pizzeria
Incontro A Tavola
Kinfork BBQ & Tap
Seville Banquets
Zeal
If you missed it this year, make plans to attend next year!