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Sample Agenda

Welcome & Renewal Prayer
Lectio Divina
Pastoral Renewal Video
Presentation on Pastoral Renewal
Small Group Conversations
Parish Pastoral Renewal Timeline
Summary

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Welcome & Renewal Prayer

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Prayer of Renewal

Father in heaven, may the faith You have given us in Your Son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of Your Kingdom.

May Your grace transform us, into being more faithful missionary disciples, capable of sowing the seeds of the Gospel in our families and our parishes.

May those seeds transforms humanity and the whole creation in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil overcome, Your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Renewal in our Diocese reawaken in us, the call of our baptism to be Pilgrims of Hope, and in the witness of our faith, to seek always the treasures of heaven.

May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To You our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen.

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Lectio Divina

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Pastoral Renewal Video

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Renewal Video

https://youtu.be/teOWJCzLBF0?si=I3G3M6bpWfBROj70

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Pastoral Renewal �in the Diocese of Calgary

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Bishop’s consultation with priests, deacons, and parish visits

Pastoral Letter on Spiritual Renewal “Duc in Altum”

Pastoral Discernment Advisory Committee

Diocesan Phase of the Synod – Diocesan Synthesis

DIOCESAN PASTORAL RENEWAL

2017

2020

2021

2021/2022

2023

2017: When he first came to the Diocese, Bishop McGrattan asked the priests, deacons, and religious what they saw as the priorities that he should be aware of and begin to focus on. He also started parish visits to meet many of the lay faithful in our parishes. During those pastoral visits, he was able to listen to what our parishioners saw, in light of their experience of parishes, as the priorities of the Diocese.

2020: In February 2020, Bishop McGrattan initiated a path of spiritual renewal in his Pastoral Letter titled “Duc in Altum” (Put Out into the Deep) (access here, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HKwnazgxYA-jVbhkqebGy19yNJ-fENB7/view?usp=sharing). Drawing inspiration from St. John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Nove Millenio Ineunte (At the Beginning of the New Millennium), the Bishop invited the entire Diocese to rediscover and renew our common mission of proclaiming the Gospel. This renewal was to be achieved through the spiritual and pastoral renewal of our clergy, religious, and lay faithful, as well as our parishes, in anticipation and preparation for a formal process of Diocesan pastoral planning. However, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted our path of renewal.

2021/2022: As we emerged from the pandemic, Pope Francis invited the entire Church to embark on a process of synodal renewal. In response, Bishop McGrattan established the Pastoral Discernment Advisory Committee in our Diocese, comprising laity, youth, priests, deacons, and religious. One of the Committee’s initial mandates was to organize and coordinate the Diocesan Phase of the Synod on Synodality, which took place from October 2021 to June 2022. At the heart of the synodal experience is the act of listening to God in His Word, enabling us to genuinely listen to one another. Over 500 youth, 2,400 individuals across 49 parishes, 8 lay associations, 5 Catholic School Districts, Clear Water Academy, and the Association of Women Religious participated in small group listening sessions. Participants were invited not only to listen but also to engage in dialogue, sharing their experiences of faith and expressing their desires for the future, not only for our parishes but also for the Church throughout the world.

The culmination of our collective listening and discernment is reflected in the 10-page Diocesan Synthesis (https://www.catholicyyc.ca/uploads/6/5/5/7/65570685/synod_synthesis_diocese_of_calgary_updjune17.pdf) which gathers and articulates the major themes that emerged from the listening sessions and written contributions. This Synthesis expresses how the call of the Holy Spirit to the Church has been understood in our local context.

2023: The Pastoral Discernment Advisory Committee continued its year-long process of further prayer, dialogue and discernment by examining the pastoral priorities that emerged during the Diocesan phase of listening and consultation. This effort culminated on October 4, 2024, the Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi, when Bishop McGrattan formally invited all the faithful in the Diocese of Calgary to embark on the journey of Pastoral Renewal.

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A Pilgrim Journey

Pastoral Renewal is the commitment of the clergy, religious, and the faithful in the Diocese of Calgary to being pilgrims on a journey of growing closer to JESUS, who calls us to follow Him and live His mission in this particular moment in time.

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Our Renewal Compass

The Pastoral Renewal is meant to orient us towards the direction of the true “north” or guiding star – Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.

Discerning how to navigate this pastoral journey requires attentive consideration of our immediate surroundings – the unique pastoral realities of our people, parishes, and communities.

The Diocesan Pastoral Renewal is not a pastoral planning process equipped with GPS technology intended to provide turn-by-turn directions or predetermined pastoral programs and/or initiatives.

Instead, it is presented as a renewal compass, with Christ at the centre. Just as we use a compass to ensure our eyes are focused on a destination and to help us navigate, the Church and the Diocese similarly need this focus in order to experience the fruits of renewal.

The three areas of pastoral priority and nine actions presented are meant to orient us towards Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. They serve as coordinates, indicating the path of discernment and the direction we will embark upon, with the Holy Spirit as our guide, and taking into consideration our immediate surroundings, the unique pastoral realities of our people, parishes and communities.

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The reality of the three areas of pastoral priorities must also be incorporated and experienced within what we recognize as the five basic areas of a parish’s pastoral life.

WORD – Each faith community, formed as disciples of Jesus Christ, is grounded in scripture, tradition, and the teachings of the Church. A vibrant faith community places a central focus on the Word. Its members not only hear the Word preached effectively but also engage in personal devotion to reading and praying with the Word. Equally important, they are dedicated to transmitting this understanding and prayerful formation to the younger members of the community. Faith formation appropriate to all ages and levels of development, including adults, is an integral part of the ministry of the Word.

WORSHIP – Faith communities, by their very essence, are formed by the Eucharist and are nourished by the sacraments and the rich devotional traditions of the Church. Liturgies serve as both signs and causes for the deepening of God’s life within the community members. Both communal and individual prayer life are essential for the vitality and vibrancy of the parish community.

COMMUNITY – In a faith community, we journey together in the company of other disciples. A vibrant faith community values each individual member and nurtures a sense of coming together each Sunday or throughout the week, providing the reality of community that many long for in their lives.

SERVICE – We follow Jesus who made it quite clear that he and each of us are called to do works of justice and mercy in the world. A vibrant faith community lives the fullness of its life outside its church and even outside its own confines. Formation of the Word, vibrant worship, and a strong community are to enable precisely these works in the world.

LEADERSHIP/STEWARDSHIP – We are an incarnational church. While financial, human and temporal resources should never be the sole focus of a faith community, it is necessary that they are sufficient for accomplishing the mission of the community. Proper management and stewardship of the resources available to a faith community are essential for renewal.

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Small Group Conversations

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Choose an area of pastoral priority

Share how and why this priority resonates with you in the context of renewing your life, your faith, and your parish.

As you listen to each other’s reflections, identify the aspects that resonate most deeply with you.

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We will resume in

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Parish Pastoral Renewal Timeline

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Parish Renewal Team

The Parish Renewal Team serves as a consultative leadership team responsible for envisioning, directing, developing, and implementing the 5-Year Parish Pastoral Renewal Plan, along with its priorities and actions.

Mission & Mandate

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Process Formation Phase�April to June 2024

PARISH RENEWAL TEAM

Gathering Parish Information

Relevant information on the parish’s life in preparation for the planning stage: parish profile; parish ministries inventory; parish-wide survey (developed by Diocese)

PARISH PROCESS

Parish-wide Questionnaires

June 2024

DIOCESAN SUPPORT

WEBINAR 1: Parish Information Gathering & Assessment

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Q & A

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Feedback Form

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THANK YOU �for your participation