Grace & Gratitude
Last week, we shared some excerpts from Pope Francis’ recent address to the Pontifical Mission Society, which Vatican News correspondent Andrea Tornielli states, “warns of various pathologies that risk disfiguring missionary activity, obscuring the action of grace.”
Francis stresses a number of points about mission and evangelism that may give us cause for reflection in our current situation. We will highlight two additional points here, and encourage readers to take a look at the rest.
The primacy of grace.
In the Holy Father’s address, he speaks of the impetus to share one’s faith as being the result of a gift from the Holy Spirit and of the gratitude this gift engenders. He states clearly that this impulse is not “the consequence of our ideas and projects.”
It is not engineered by human beings through core guidelines, training programs, pastoral or strategic planning.
It is not tied to a method or a program or a system, nor does it look the same everywhere:
“If we recognize that the Holy Spirit ignites and preserves the faith in our hearts, everything changes. Indeed, the Spirit enkindles and enlivens the Church’s mission, bestowing all those individual accents and styles that make the proclamation of the Gospel and the confession of the Christian faith something different from all political, cultural, psychological or religious forms of proselytism.”
Here we can note again Pope Francis’ pointed warning on the danger of “functionalism,” in which Church entities strive to imitate “secular models of worldly efficiency, [giving] the illusion of being able to sort matters out in a balanced way, keeping things under control, maximizing one’s own relevance, and improving the everyday management of existing structures,” and his remark that “a Church afraid of entrusting herself to the grace of Christ and focusing on the efficiency of its bureaucracy is already dead.”
Francis reminds us that missionary activity arises naturally from the joy and gratitude of knowing God. It cannot be imposed from without:
“Only in the freedom of gratitude can one truly know the Lord, whereas it is useless and above all improper to insist on presenting missionary activity and the proclamation of the Gospel as if they were a binding duty, a kind of ‘contractual obligation’ on the part of the baptized.”
Respect for the People of God
We mentioned last week Francis’ warning of the tendency toward “control anxiety” over the communities one serves, and the tendency to look down on those less involved in certain activities than oneself or to see the People of God as an “inert mass, always in need of being awakened and mobilized.” This can show itself in the need to practice excessive oversight, to demand special training , to re-engineer or recapitulate mission principles and to give “missionary patents” only to those who fit the newly-created bill.
In contrast, Francis states:
The holy People of God are gathered together and anointed by the Lord, and in virtue of this anointing are made infallible “in credendo”, as the Tradition of the Church teaches. The working of the Holy Spirit equips the faithful People with an “instinct” of faith, the sensus fidei, which helps them not to err when believing the things of God, even if they do not know the theological arguments and formulas that define the gifts they experience. The mystery of the pilgrim people, who with their popular piety travel to shrines and entrust themselves to Jesus, Mary and the saints, draws from this and shows that it is connatural to the free and gratuitous initiative of God, apart from our pastoral planning.”
We noted last week Francis’ call to proximity, personal knowledge of people, and going with them together toward deep faith. He reminds us that the baptized, living out faith, hope, and charity in their daily lives are already participating in the work of the Church, a point that has been made repeatedly in our tradition (see Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi nos. 21 & 41 for instance).
Francis also invokes the story of the father of the Prodigal Son as an image of the missionary heart:
“At times this means imitating the father in the parable of the prodigal son, who leaves the doors open and looks out each day awaiting the return of his son (cf. Lk 15:20).”
Some evangelization works by way of direct invitation, much is the silent witness of Christian life, and finally there is the aspect of ensuring that home is still ‘home’–the open door of the Church.
For us in this diocese, we’ve been told to follow a plan based on the strategic analyses of secular experts, to adopt a recapitulated core mission, to change up leadership, culture and practice, and to get re-trained for the real business of being Catholic. We speak about sharing the faith and growing the Church while simultaneously planning to cluster, close, and control. Everything will be managed by directives from the top, and no one is to disagree.
Pope Francis has articulated what many have been feeling with unease for some time: that this is not the spirit in which the mission work of the Church is carried out.
Meanwhile, the May 24 edition of The Catholic Moment includes a front page article on the call to embrace coming changes at the parish level:
“We will need to examine and even change how we accomplish some of these tasks in order to better evangelize …. we may even need to stop doing some good things in order to free up resources and time to do other good things that will have a more direct impact on our ability to proclaim the good news.”
What is it that makes a person or community able to proclaim the good news? Resources? Training? Programs? New personnel with special “missionary patents’?
According to Pope Francis, no. It is emphatically not the attempt to control from above all that occurs within a community, to mold everyone according to new programs, strategies and plans that will make us able to move forward. Yet this is how our diocese intends to proceed.
Perhaps one danger of enforced change is the sweeping away of things through which many come to have genuine missionary fervor, namely encountering God and being moved to gratitude and to joy. Much of this surely happens in receiving the sacraments and in fellowship and shared ministry of one’s community. These things are not easy to quantify from the outside, but we know them when they happen.
Will these go by the wayside in favor of the required streamlined, new initiatives expected to better and more efficiently mobilize the ‘inert’ People of God?
It is not wrong to love those things by which one encounters the Lord and is stirred to gratitude. It is not wrong to work to preserve them even if a hired consultant does not see their value. It is not wrong to keep the home intact and the door open.
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23 Replies to “Grace & Gratitude”
SJC-
“Pervasive air of negativity?” Perhaps you’re catching a whiff of some of the scolds who come here to lecture the faithful Catholics who have no other forum to express themselves. Yes, people who write here are frequently angry. If you’re so naively and unyieldingly starry-eyed as to believe our leaders are “primarily concerned for the salvation of our souls, keeping our children Catholic, evangelizing from within”, then I don’t expect you to understand that anger. You can manage to see the statistics (even Dennis Cheesebrow could), but you just can’t connect any dots beyond that. You’ll cheer and applaud our leaders all the way into oblivion. Contrary to what you suggest, you’re welcome to do so here, but don’t whine about the rejoinder.
Some of us have clearer eyes than you seem to, and we are blowing the whistle on the betrayal. “Have we given UIH a chance?” Well, we’ve bothered to look at the other places it’s been tried, and we’ve torn the mask off of the lie that this was some organic development that grew out of a conversation with the faithful. This “framework” is a canned program based on secular methods and a modernist worldview, and looking at the results elsewhere is not encouraging.
It is unsurprising that you see Pope Francis’ words as encouragement, when they are so plainly an indictment of the motives, methods and spirit of Uniting in Heart. The ideologically possessed, the blindly partisan and the intellectually dishonest can generally squeeze a drop or two of justification for their own position out of any lengthy statement. I beg anyone who is honestly trying to be objective about Uniting in Heart to read the Holy Father’s words from RWR’s last post and consider how they apply to what our leaders are doing.
Ask yourself: are our diocesan leaders are promoting themselves and their own initiatives? Do they seem obsessed with redefining their own importance and their own bailiwicks within the Church? Do they act like elites who strive to increase their own influence and train their members according to secular notions of activism or technical-professional competence? Do they needlessly multiply instances of strategic planning in order to produce projects and guidelines that serve only as a means of self-promotion for those who come up with them? Are they staking everything on the imitation of secular models of worldly efficiency like those rooted in competition, whether economic or social? Are they concerned with specialized training programs, creating parallel worlds, or constructing slogans that echo their own thoughts and concerns?
I could go on and on turning Francis’ words into questions, but you should do it for yourselves. I don’t expect this exercise to change the minds of those in the chancery, who have invested so much of our money and their pride in this project, but if you are not yet so invested it may be fruitful.
In looking through the Red Wolf Report, which calls itself an “independent forum,” I’m struck by the pervasive air of negativity toward the Bishop’s Office & anything that comes out of it. Anyone who responds in support of anything from the Bishop’s Office is attacked or accused of being a diocesan representative (which I am not). I fail to see how this is following the RW request to speak in “charity & truth.” Isn’t a faithful Catholic a follower of Jesus who acts with love in their hearts & words? You can disagree respectfully. But it seems there is no room for anyone who supports the Bishop’s Office.
In fact, leaders in the Bishop’s Office, are addressed very disrespectfully as “dolts” & other terms that are less than charitable & which I would not expect any Christian to use. “Independent” readers would not find this blog “independent” but single-mindedly focused on undermining their own diocese.
Beyond that, some RW posters (not all, of course) come across with a negative doom & gloom attitude, about programs that they “feel” won’t work or they know are just “bad.” Has there been prayerful consideration? Have we given Uniting in Heart a chance? Have we asked the diocesan leadership our questions?
Our reality is that our culture is blatantly opposed to Christian values. We need a way to address this reality & meet people where they are in 2020. What worked in past centuries does not work in an age of social media, 24/7 news coverage, & a bombardment of our children with immorality everywhere they look. We must adapt. We can adapt while teaching our children our faith, a love for the sacraments, & keeping Jesus as our core.
This is the New Evangelization that Popes Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, & Francis have all promulgated. “The work of the New Evangelization invites the baptized to renew their own faith in a way that leads to the Evangelization of others- ultimately transferring our culture with the love of the Lord & His teaching.” (Excerpt p. 7, Living as Missionary Disciples, USCCB). The New Evangelization calls us to know the Faith, live the Faith, & share the Faith. It is always about Jesus Christ. This is what Uniting in Heart is all about.
Truly look at the 3 Pillars of Mission, Community, & Witness. The primary focus of these pillars is the salvation of souls!
Pillar 1: Mission includes:
-Missionary Discipleship: “Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, is calling each of us to a personal relationship with Him; to conversion & salvation, through His Church, Word, Eucharist, Sacraments & service to glorify our Heavenly Father, & become disciples & saints like Mary, our heavenly Mother. To invite others within our parish membership, parish boundaries & beyond to a true encounter & lifelong relationship with Him as His disciples in His Church. This call flows from our Baptism & Confirmation.”
What strikes me about this “evangelization” is that it starts with us, our parish families, & then beyond. It is inclusive. Jesus’ Great Commission to us is that we spread the Gospel to all the world. Matthew 28:16-20. And we start first, within our parishes.
I’m encouraged that our Diocesan Leaders want all of this for us! I do not interpret this as we will be “told what to do.” We, as a diocese, are being given a framework within which to work-not a mandate. I’ve never come across anything that says this is what you must do. Yes, we all have gifts- & maybe we’ll use the gifts we’ve always used- or maybe we’ll discover new gifts. Let’s be open to the opportunities to grow ourselves, our parishes, & ultimately our Church.
I’m struck by how critical this evangelization within our parishes is when we look at young Catholics who leave the Church. The median age is 13 for leaving Catholicism, with 39% leaving between the ages of 13-17. Reference “Going, Going, Gone: The Dynamics of Disaffiliation in Young Catholics” a study by Saint Mary’s Press of Minnesota in collaboration with the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). Most of us are likely familiar with Bishop Robert Barron’s articles on the “Nones,” on why Catholics are leaving the faith.
Missionary Discipleship is designed to keep our young Catholics invested in our Church. I’m sure we all know &/or have family members who have left the faith-often shortly after Confirmation. Let’s evangelize our young people to their own Catholic faith.
-Universal Call to Holiness: “Fostering prayer & worship opportunities, such as a deepened devotion to Mass & Eucharistic Adoration as the source & summit of our faith so we may more closely configure our lives to that of Jesus in perfect charity & service.” What a beautiful, Christ-centered approach for all Catholics.
I know many in our diocese, including priests, who are very excited about Uniting in Heart!
With all due respect, I don’t see Pope Francis’ remarks as undermining Uniting in Heart or the Amazing Parish. Rather I see both of these as opportunities, as Pope Francis states, “to let our missionary activity arise naturally from the joy & gratitude of knowing God.”
I’m not sure where the negative interpretation in bringing these programs to our diocese comes from. Two things do stand out: change is generally not liked & rarely does anyone like priest moves. A pastor once said the hardest part of his job was that “people are allergic to change.” So in that regard, people will always be upset with the diocesan leadership, especially in our culture that requires increasing adaptation. “Enforced change,” “to mold everyone,” “cookie cutter,” “Marxist,” are a few of the words used in these posts. I don’t see this. A framework isn’t negative but rather provides a context for allowing our God-given gifts to be naturally expressed.
I see a leadership that loves us! I see leaders that are primarily concerned for the salvation of our souls, keeping our children Catholic, evangelizing from within first to strengthen our parishes, being solidly Catholic, & willing to battle the culture to preserve our Church. I see leaders who work & pray, day & night, for our souls.
In closing,
“Where there is no love, put love, & you will find love.” Saint John of the Cross
I really wish that all the nice things you have said about our leadership were true. But they are not. Their actions and their unfolding ramifications have spoken far louder than their empty, overly-pastoral corporate buzz-speak. And no amount of declaring from the rooftops that our diocese is AMAZING will make it so. Pride truly is a soul killer. What our leadership needs, even more than our constant prayers, is a devastating blow of humility straight to the heart. Only from that very low place can they fulfill the duties of their offices and build something real in the Church, something beautiful, something truly amazing. If only…
I know we’ve been encouraged to write letters which I will do but I was wondering if anyone has any other ideas in terms of how to respectfully and prayerfully protest all of this? I don’t know that it would necessarily stop anything but maybe a petition demanding answers to all of the questions and concerns that have been brought up throughout this website? I do think a lot of people would sign it as long as it is laid out in a concise way. I also think it would help raise awareness about the many flaws of this plan. I know many people are concerned about the plan and not on board with the priests being switched around but they might not be aware of the specific details regarding the dangers of implementing Uniting in Heart. I know it is a complicated issue but a lot of great points have been raised on Red Wolf that should be shared with others. There are tens of thousands of people in the diocese. I’m certain many still don’t know all of the deeply sad things going on.
I agree with all you’ve written. I DO think that letters written to the nuncio or wherever should stress NOT priest reassignments and the like, but rather, that our trust in the bishop is undermined.
He has failed in his leadership.
He has cut himself off from us.
We have lost confidence in him.
And when we tried at diocesan meetings to express our doubts about UiH, we were met with silence.
We sit in the pews and are expected to remain passive and pay for everything. This is all so disturbing to me.
Where is Disgruntled Catholic when you need him? I would really like to hear how Uniting in Heart squares with the Holy Father’s cautions.
Thank you AGAIN Red Wolf for this excellent highlight of the Holy Father’s exhortation for true mission and a real pastoral plan for the people of God. The problems that Pope Francis has highlighted is exactly what is wrong with UinH. Sadly, it appears from the recent articles by the VG in the Catholic Moment that our Church Hierarchy is doubling down on the plan to be AMAZING. The people of the Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana have been betrayed and if you don’t like the new world order- get out. As has been mentioned here before, the ONLY thing that will speak now is money. Friends, do. not. give. another. penny. to. the. local. church.
The diocese is, thanks to the terms of the grant, contractually obligated to be AMAZING or face devastating financial consequences. The leadership of our local church are on puppet strings now. They’ve drunk the world’s kool-aid and surrendered their duties to a soulless corporate machine. I agree with my anonymous brother or sister. Best to get out of the way of the drunk driver before he takes you out on his way to that proverbial brick wall. That means no money in the basket. No support for empty “AMAZING missionary disciple” programs. Attending parishes (likely outside the diocese) that aren’t AMAZING and giving them your tithe. And above all: Stay Catholic! Don’t give the devil the pleasure of seeing another soul leave Holy Mother Church. That’s what all this division is really all about anyway.
The fact remains — they locked us out. Receiving communion behind a sneeze guard is not reverent at all. Let’s pray for all of them.
I couldn’t agree more: First, the leadership treats our priests like lotto-balls with nonsensical new assignments and parish consolidations. Second, they locked us out of our churches and took away access to the sacraments just when we needed them most. Third, they pandered to us during the lockdown about how great “TV mass” and “virtual gatherings” were, all but ensuring that there will be far less people ever coming back to church again. Fourth, they impose mind-bending new restrictions on “returning to public worship” (it’s called “The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass”, you dolts) that are so confusing, so ridiculous, and so humiliating that what’s left of the faithful are already attending their favorite new parishes, outside of the diocese. Then lastly, they have the gall to ask us for money to keep this mockery of the Church going. No thank you! You don’t get rewarded for treatment like this. You will reap what you have sown: Nothing.
No earthly human can stand against Satin’s attacks without divine assistance. Looking back, one might wonder if every generation before this current “superior” generation simply didn’t know what they were doing. But now we know that the Roman Catholic church isn’t capable enough by herself, she needs special help from “superior” business minded individuals, conceited enough to believe they’re capable of making her better, and who can dupe the entire world. Wow! Who’s the master of lies and deception? So, we need to double down on praying for our priests and consecrated religious, because without our prayers, they have no chance of seeing through the smoke and resisting these lies. The Rosary is the ultimate weapon for we the “Church Militant”. There will always be religious and laity who want to be the captain and steer this ship into the right port. They just haven’t figured that their idea of the right port is going to be the wrong port. The Holy Spirit will decide the port to enter and when. God Bless Pope Francis and all our priests.
Beautifully written. It is hard at this time to feel like our home is intact and that the doors are open, because they literally are not. And when they are opened again fully and without restriction (if that every happens) what will they be opening to? A very different place, with new leadership and staff and ideals and goals. How many people will not be going back, or who will go back, but then leave again when they realize their old home no longer feels like their home?
I thought it striking that the vicar general’s Catholic Moment article on May 24th stated:
“We will need to examine and even change how we accomplish some of these tasks in order to better evangelize …. we may even need to stop doing some good things in order to free up resources and time to do other good things that will have a more direct impact on our ability to proclaim the good news.” – Fr. Ted Dudzinksi
I would like to know which good things we are going to be told to stop in order to do what somebody else tells us is better. We all feel called to do good and wonderful things based on our gifts, and the grace from God. For some people that is being involved in the church choir, or being on a finance council. Others help by organizing campaigns for adoration, or silent prayer outside of abortions clinics. Some people feel called to teach catholic education or volunteer their time and labor in other ways at their parish. But according to the vicar general, we are going to be told what is good and how we need to direct our efforts in order to do what we are told is better.
This feels wrong to me. This whole plan feels wrong to me.
So true, and so well put.
I am struck by the all-justifying word used by the diocesan officials: EVANGELIZATION.. Evangelization means converting non-Catholics to the Catholic faith. Of course that is one core mission of the Church. But prudence genuinely understood means knowing the practical means to accomplish a good end. It doesn’t mean blind action, without assessing the situation. It also doesn’t mean cautious action or bold action. It can mean either of these, according to the situation. Therefore it seems to me that instead of sacrificing parish loyalty and the actual Catholics’ love for their church home in order to obtain “resources” for evangelization, WE NEED FIRST TO CONCENTRATE on PUTTING OUR OWN HOUSES IN ORDER. Instead of demolishing our own houses. It’s not “programs” or “outreach” that attract non-Catholics. It’s devoted and secure parish life. Not to speak of the fact that retaining our own membership, instead of antagonizing it, should be the primary form of “evangelization.”
Sure this sort of contrived, cookie-cutter parish reorganization program has failed everywhere it’s been tried. But like any true Marxist-minded totalitarians, our diocesan leadership blindly believes it will work this time because THEY are in charge. They better staff up and fast. They’re going to need some human shields to take the fall for this dumpster fire once it finally flies off the cliff.
It feels wrong because it IS wrong. I suspect your reaction is the Holy Spirit moving in you. Don’t believe the lie that the architects of this plan have a direct line to the 3rd person of the Trinity. Trust your gut. This plan is very wrong.
Well said. Poor Fr. Ted and so many others who are trying so hard to fix something that isn’t broken! It’s strange, I don’t recall Jesus or his disciples ever mentioning realignment, time studies, streamlining etc. Do you suppose that on the night Jesus was betrayed he said , “I think we need to reexamine this and perhaps do something different that will work better for the long term and in less time with more efficiency”? Thank Him! In reality, I believe the diocese of Lafayette, in Indiana has been heading down this road for a long time, we just have a different VP in the chair and a different group of managers in the field. They appear as though saving souls is the least of their concerns but saving “time and resources” is of great importance. Not saying that’s what they think, just saying it’s how they come across. Again, Satin is no dumby, he really knows a lot about efficiency, and he know how to distract and deceive. Oh Holy Ghost, please guide your Holy Church safely through these rough waters. Amen.
Amen to this!
I’m sure we have priests and laity disgruntled with all the changes and the top down approach but
dictatorship in church seems to be a reflection of dictatorship in gov’t. Maybe this is needed for a new world order. One of man and not of God. Funny the pope speaks of not controlling from above but he seems to have some major meetings with those in control for a new ecological understanding and integral human developement.
http://magister.blogautore.espresso.repubblica.it/2020/05/25/in-the-year-of-%e2%80%9claudato-si%e2%80%99%e2%80%9d-it%e2%80%99s-party-time-for-everyone-except-for-%e2%80%9cmy-lord%e2%80%9d/
Thank you for your very direct, clear assessment of what we all suspect about this consolidation of our parish families looming over us. Just today, I saw, in one of the blogs I get each morning, what such consolidation has done to the Detroit diocese. Several years ago, 400 Churches were consolidated into just 200. This week, on Pentecost Sunday, those remaining Churches are to learn that further consolidation is to happen, and when completed, there will only be 70 or less Churches for the faithful in the entire diocese. The Diocese of Detroit is disappearing. This is our future, too.
Great sales pitch for our diocese when the leadership of Uniting in Heart is hard up for new slogans after the plan inevitably crashes into the ditch : “Come to the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana! We’re not Detroit….yet.”
Did the Detroit Archdiocese play musical chairs with all their priests too?
How has it worked out in Detroit? What led them to this sorry state?
A few years ago they instituted a program called Unleash the Gospel, and it sounds eerily familiar. Some things to know about the Detroit program, from their own resources:
– It’s a movement powered by the Holy Spirit
– It focuses on “moving from maintenance to mission”
– Featuring Alpha as a primary resource to generate kerygma
– encouraging congregations to find ways make Mass a more meaningful experience through “radical hospitality”
– better use of music and more dynamic homilies
– “homilies that meet people where they are at and avoid ‘truth bombs’ that will only turn them away”
– extreme focus on “missionary discipleship”
Yeah, you guessed it. This was another diocesan wide overhaul and rebranding that was based on Fr. James Mallon’s ideas in his book Divine Renovation. They say as much in their materials. This is the model we are following. This is how we’re going to “adapt.”