September 16, 2020
Christ the Divine Shepherd Parish Resource Task Force
In order to plan for the future ministry of Christ the Divine Shepherd Parish, we have formed a Resource Task Force. The purpose of the Task Force is to study and recommend sustainable building and structural needs. The vision for this task force comes directly from Pope Francis’ document The Joy of the Gospel. He states, “The renewal of structures demanded by pastoral conversion can only be understood in this light: as part of an effort to make them more mission-oriented, to make ordinary pastoral activity on every level more inclusive and open” . The values of the Task Force are Mission and Vision. What is the long-term sustainability and stewardship for the next generation of parishioners? How do we understand that Christ is present in His people the church, and that the building is the space for His people to thrive?
This is a process of study and evaluation by the Task Force with the parish staff, Parish Pastoral and Finance Councils, and the Priest Team Ministry with respect to the following issues:
- Use of the buildings in our parish
- Physical condition and cost of operation of the buildings in our parish
- Impact of the use of our buildings on the overall life and mission of the parish and other parishes in close proximity
Our Task Force will be comprised of members from each of the predecessor parishes of our grouping. The unique aspect of this Task Force is not just the physical plant of Christ the Divine Shepherd, but in the spiritual dynamic of how the overall mission is being accomplished in the liturgical life of the parish with regards to Eucharist, Evangelization, Catechesis, Faith Formation and Stewardship. Their challenge will be not only to discern our parish’s needs going forward, but how we might best utilize our resources in order to meet these needs.
Once we gather the information about our buildings, we plan to hold a parish assembly (perhaps a virtual one), in order to share this information with the entire parish community.
