Eight priests conclude kickstart phase of parish renewal with Divine Renovation

By Diane Moriarty | Special to The CFP

Parish renewal, which focuses on revitalizing and growing Christ’s Church, has become the topic of discussion in the Worcester diocese.

In June, Divine Renovation principles were introduced to the presbyteral assembly, an annual gathering of priests in the diocese.

Divine Renovation is a Catholic ministry dedicated to parish renewal. They have three key principles for renewal: the power of the Holy Spirit, the primacy of evangelization and the best of leadership. They coach priests and lay leaders who wish to see their parishes move “from maintenance mode to mission.” This service is offered at no cost because this apostolate is generously donor-funded.

As part of this renewal, eight priests gathered six times over twelve weeks to complete Divine Renovation’s kickstart program which includes watching videos and discussions. This program is the first step to begin the process of parish renewal. Kickstart encourages the priests to review the basic principles of Divine Renovation and begin to discern a vision for their parish. Potential ways to do this include thinking in different ways to envision what is possible, developing a leadership team with parishioners, discussing how to create change in the parish and utilizing other tools such as Genesis Compass offered by Divine Renovation.
The eight priests who participated in the recent kickstart were: Father Carlos F. Ardila, pastor of St. John Paul II Parish in Southbridge; Father James M. Boland, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Rutland; Father Diego A. Buritica, pastor of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Westborough; Father Juan D. Escudero, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Northborough; Father Enoch K. Kyeremateng, administrator of St. Joan of Arc Parish in Worcester; Father John F. Madden, pastor of St. John Parish in Worcester; Father Miguel A. Pagan, pastor of St. Denis Parish in Douglas; and Msgr. Michael F. Rose, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Shrewsbury.

Father Kyeremateng loves collaborative ministry and found the time with his brother priests edifying and invigorating. He said he values sharing ideas and listening to the wisdom of others, knowing that the Holy Spirit is always working in our lives just like in the lives of the Apostles. He especially enjoyed praying with his brother priests and is grateful to continue the work of mission with new motivation, new tools and inner joy. “This is just the beginning and there are many good things ahead of us,” he reflected.
Father Buritica echoed these sentiments and appreciated that all initiatives should begin with prayer. He said, “My experience is in the charismatic renewal, which I had such a passion for, so I am very familiar with the language of charismatic renewal. I was very excited to see such reliance on the Holy Spirit and the power of prayer. It was if I was seeing an old friend after a long time.”

Change begins with the heart of the pastor. Without a supportive team around the pastor, change can seem daunting. By strengthening church structures, pastors can learn to serve in different ways, grow in their leadership abilities, and inspire leadership and participation among the laity. Forming a leadership team enables other volunteers to enliven the workings of the parish.

Father Boland noted people can focus on the pastor and the life of the parish can orbit around him. “Divine Renovation showed that there are different ways of doing things than was usually done in the past and that is not a bad thing,” he said.

“I like the idea of forming a leadership team to help me in areas where I am not strong. The Lord is always asking us to grow, and this will help bring healthy feedback and make communication stronger in the parish.”

Christians are called to deepen their faith and proclaim the Gospel message to all. Evangelization has remained primary throughout the Church’s history. By keeping evangelization primary, people can be invited into a relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church.  

Msgr. Rose found the experience eye-opening. Having been a pastor at St. Mary Parish in Shrewsbury for nineteen years, he is still challenged by the perennial idea of how to make disciples, but realizes intentionality is essential.

He said, “Being a disciple means forming a deeper, fuller relationship with the Lord and that all comes from a sense of mission. I realize that mission is a shared role.”

Divine Renovation leadership coach, Diahne Goodwin, facilitated the gatherings and said it was extremely fruitful.

“The priests were able to talk about the realities in their parishes, but also imagine exciting possibilities in regard to vision and mission. It was a nice balance,” she said. All priests interviewed felt the experience was positive and they offered encouragement for their brother priests who have yet to join in a Kickstart session.

“None of us can do this by ourselves. This program gave us good encouragement and will help us in the future,” said Father Boland.

In the kickstart process priests are asked to identify their “holy discontent.” This discontent is something that frustrates them and can be a catalyst for change in the parish. Through discernment, solutions can be generated, and a new vision can launch change in the parish. With rigor and new ideas, these priests have begun the process towards parish renewal.

“I cannot wait to see the outcome of this process in the diocese. My expectations are high because I know the Lord will not disappoint. Something very good is going to happen as a result of these efforts,” said Father Buritica.

The Diocesan Evangelization Committee seeks to support pastors and are developing ways to assist through this process. Parishioners can support their priests and evangelization efforts in the diocese by praying the New Prayer for Evangelization.

For more information about Divine Renovation and kickstart, visit divinerenovation.org/regions/.

– Diane Moriarty is the pastoral associate at St. Mary Parish in Uxbridge and a member of the Diocesan Evangelization Committee.