Renew My Church

ON THE PATH OF SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

The Archdiocese of Chicago began a journey more than six years ago — a movement that has included changes to parish structures but is ultimately focused on the spiritual renewal of the local Church. Today, pastors and parishioners are beginning to see the fruits of this hard work as parishes foster new ways to inspire Catholics to deepen their sense of discipleship and invite more people into a fresh, new encounter with God in the parish community.

Sara Pekar’s role as a parish vitality coordinator finds her accompanying pastors and their teams as they move from the Discernment and Decisions phase, which often results in unification of parishes, to the Building the New Reality phase.

“The work is transformational,” Pekar said. “Our parish communities desire growth and vibrancy, so we share our strategies for renewal, ideas and best practices to help achieve that goal.” Using these strategies and tools equips parish leadership teams to begin the work of spiritual renewal within each parish community. “Hearts are on fire through the work of the Holy Spirit,” she explained.

Similarly, the Alpha program director at Immaculate Conception St. Joseph Parish, Michelle Farrell, has seen lives change during the Renew My Church effort.

“I hear so many wonderful stories of how God is active in people’s lives,'' she said. As a member of the senior leadership team, Farrell sees “folks who typically only came to the parish to attend church, now feel inspired to become involved in a ministry or event.” While the process of renewal takes time, prayer and reflection, people have “I hope that through our efforts everyone will have an encounter, or re-encounter, with Jesus and the desire to share His unconditional love with others and grow

His kingdom.” — Michelle Farrell

told her that thanks to the 11-week Alpha class, they are happier, more fulfilled and enjoy giving back.

According to Farrell, programs like Alpha raise people up, light a fire in them and make them want to be more involved in the parish. “They feel more confident talking to people about their faith and praying in small groups,” she continued. “They feel that their faith has been renewed.”

Jose Coronel, a senior coordinator for Hispanic evangelization in the Office of Evangelization of Missionary Discipleship, supports parishes by helping them create a culture of evangelization — the foundation for ongoing renewal efforts.

“It is rewarding to talk to people who are genuinely longing for renewal. At the same time, I also accompany people who might be skeptical about spiritual transformation. It’s gratifying when they understand the vision of the renewal movement and the value of where we are heading,” he said.

“As we proceed, parishes will continue to discern where the Holy Spirit is leading them so that they will not fall back into maintenance mode,” he continued. “I truly believe that the Holy Spirit is working in the Church today through the Renew My Church movement and that thousands of people in the Archdiocese of Chicago will enter into a relationship with God, grow in that relationship, allow themselves to be transformed by God's love and seek to share it with others without discrimination.”

For more information, please visit RenewMyChurch.org.