Downtown Renew My Church Update: June 2022
Discernment Process
During the past few months, Assumption, Old St. Mary’s, Old St. Patrick’s, St. Peter, St. James and Holy Name Cathedral Parishes engaged in the Renew My Church (RMC) review and discernment process. The Grouping Feedback and Discernment team (GFDT), which was made up of members from each community, met to review and discern how to respond to the call to renewal for the grouping’s parishes, including any potential changes to parish structures.
Based on their meetings and feedback gathered from the larger parish community, they submitted feedback to the archdiocese. The Archdiocesan Standards and Recommendations Commission, which includes representatives from across the Archdiocese of Chicago, reviewed the feedback and other information, including financial summaries and parish trends.
Cardinal Cupich, Bishop Bartosic, Bishop Lombardo, and Bishop Perry are grateful to the parish leaders who gathered as a Grouping Team, as well as all the parishioners who offered feedback through the discernment process.
Outcome
In the past few weeks, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, the archdiocese’s auxiliary bishops, and the archdiocese’s Presbyteral Council met to discuss the Commission’s recommendation. Based upon those discussions and prayerful consideration, Cardinal Cupich made the following decisions regarding the Downtown grouping.
- All parishes and schools will remain in their current structure.
- Cardinal Cupich affirmed the feedback that formally uniting the parishes would not be fruitful for the sake of renewal.
- Cardinal Cupich affirms the grouping team’s vision that continued work, especially in the area of evangelization and re-evangelization of parishioners, will be necessary to reground people in their discipleship. We know that only disciples can invite and inspire other disciples.
–Pope Francis calls us to not only be disciples of Jesus, but Missionary Disciples who share the Good News of Jesus in the world around us, a world yearning to hear and know Jesus.
–The Renew My Church imperative of making disciples will continue to be the mission into the decades to come.
Next Steps
The parish communities will continue to the next phase of renewal, focusing on strong evangelization to the world around us. Specifically, with the support of Parish Vitality Coordinators and the Evangelization team of the Archdiocese, your parishes will continue to build the new reality, focused on deepening discipleship, and supporting disciples in becoming missionary disciples for the work of evangelization.
The renewal process calls us to become a stronger, more sustainable presence for the future, capable of reaching more people by sharing our discipleship in Jesus Christ, building communities with one another and inspiring witness in the world around us.
A Prayer for “Renew My Church”
Lord Jesus, you speak to us today,
as you spoke to holy men and women
who have gone before us.
In every age and in our own time,
you call to us and say: Renew My Church.
Pour out the gift of your Holy Spirit upon us,
and so enable us
to hear you clearly
to listen to each other attentively
to imagine our future boldly
to discern your direction wisely
to persevere in your holy will courageously
to stay together in charity
to surrender our own plans readily
to embrace the greater good
to hand on your gifts to future generations.
May we remain in the holy company of
the Blessed Virgin Mary, the apostles and all the saints.
May their example and presence
inspire us with patient confidence
in the work of your grace.
We ask this of you who live and reign
with the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God,
forever and ever. Amen
Vision for Renew My Church for Our Parish
We are called to be Missionary Disciples
We recognize that we are committed to each other
We engage in unflagging hospitality
We participate in Vibrant Liturgies
We are in the world, but called to lead beyond the world.
Fr. Brad