The Church on mission: Renewing parish life in the Diocese of Worcester

By Father Nicholas Desimone, pastor, St. Mary Parish, Uxbridge
Special to The CFP

In his apostolic exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis reflected, “I dream of a ‘missionary option,’ that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything so that the church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation.”

What would it mean for every parish in the diocese to embrace this “missionary option”? What if all our customs and ways of doing things were channeled for the purpose of making disciples who joyfully live out the mission of Jesus Christ?

Recently a committee of priests and lay people was formed and tasked with considering answers to these questions and assisting parishes in becoming the kind of parishes envisioned by Pope Francis.

The committee is led by myself and includes Father Diego A. Buritica, pastor of St. Luke Parish in Westborough; Father Juan D. Escudero, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Northborough; Toni Harvey, pastoral associate at Divine Mercy Parish in Blackstone; 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 James S. Mazzone, pastor of St. John, Guardian of Our Lady Parish in Clinton; Diane Moriarty, pastoral associate at St. Mary Parish in Uxbridge; Msgr. Richard F. Reidy, vicar general for the diocese; Father Jose A. Rodriguez, pastor of Holy Family of Nazareth Parish in Leominster; and Stephen Sycks, diocesan parish liaison officer.

Of course, the transformation of parish life goes hand in hand with the transformation of priestly life. For many priests, the work of parish renewal is energizing - it’s what keeps them up at night and what gets them out of bed in the morning. Yet for others, the work can be daunting or even overwhelming, especially in light of the real challenges that many parishes face (fewer people, fewer resources, fewer priests).

How can our pastors recapture the joy of being called to serve as parish priests and, at the same time, realistically confront the challenges parishes face? This is the focus of this year’s presbyteral assembly.
    
Each year, the priests of the Diocese of Worcester gather with Bishop McManus for the presbyteral assembly. This annual gathering is an opportunity for priests to cultivate deeper priestly fraternity while engaging in discussions on some aspect of priestly life and ministry.

Topics for the assembly have ranged widely from better understanding Sacred Scripture to properly interpreting the Code of Canon Law, and everything in between. This year, the assembly, which will be held from June 5-7 in North Falmouth, will focus on the theme of parish revitalization and the renewal of parish life. The presenters for the assembly are Kurt Klement, executive director of Divine Renovation USA, and Matt Regitz, global leadership coach for Divine Renovation Ministries.

Divine Renovation is a Catholic ministry dedicated to parish renewal that accompanies priests and lay leaders who desire to see their parishes come alive. Divine Renovation is not a program, but rather, it provides pastors and their teams with the tools and coaching they need to lead their parishes from maintenance to mission.
 
The leadership team from St. Mary Parish in Uxbridge and I have been connected with Divine Renovation Ministries, and have been directly supported by Matt Regitz through coaching since January 2021. It’s easily one of the best decisions that I’ve made as a pastor - adopting the principles of parish renewal supported by Divine Renovation, including a radical reliance on the Holy Spirit, the primacy of evangelization, and the best of leadership practices. Adapted for our parish’s own unique pastoral context, these principles have helped to create a culture and environment in which our parish is able to thrive and grow.

Mrs. Moriarty shared a similar sentiment: “Since we began working with Divine Renovation and adopted their principles, our parish has become more welcoming, our attendance at Mass has grown, and more people are living out the call to mission as Christ called us to do,” she said.

The work of parish renewal is not something that priests can do all on their own, or even with the help of Divine Renovation only. Priests rely upon the support of the people entrusted to their care who likewise share the dream of belonging to parishes enhanced by vibrant worship, rich community life, ever-deepening formation in the faith, service to the poor and a tireless commitment to the work of evangelization.

As a first step to partnering with our priests, all the faithful of the Diocese of Worcester are invited to join in praying for our priests beginning now and especially throughout the presbyteral assembly as they grapple with the challenges facing parishes and begin to imagine the revitalization of parish life in our diocese. By our collective participation in prayer, we will gain a stronger sense of unity and hope as we seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance and together set out on mission.  


Prayer for Our Priests On Mission

Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of our priests.

During the Presbyteral Assembly, set their souls on fire with love for your people and zeal for the mission of your church. Help them to become instruments of your divine grace and allow them to experience joy in their ministry.

Please grant our priests courage in leadership, humility in service, fraternity with their brother priests, and a stronger bond with the laity, so that together we might be one, as you are one.

Allow them to fully surrender to you
as you continue molding them into vessels filled with your love. Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom and prepare their hearts for the mission ahead.

Amen.