MICHIGAN CITY – As members of the Diocesan Pastoral Council gathered at Queen of All Saints for a meeting in September, they were greeted with a message of hope as they continued to discern future goals for the Diocese of Gary.
During the opening Mass, Bishop Robert J. McClory explained that the Catholic Church is preparing to celebrate its next jubilee year in 2025. Jubilee years, he said, are a time in which “we celebrate in particular all in which the Lord has given us.” He went on to share that Pope Francis has already announced the theme for the year as “Pilgrims of Hope.”
“Hope is a virtue that Pope Francis explained he feels needs to be lifted up as we continue to come out of a period of pandemic and isolation,” said Bishop McClory.
As the diocesan group met on the Feast day of St. Peter Claver (Sept. 9), the bishop took the opportunity to share details about the saint’s life.
Claver was a native of Spain, born to impoverished parents. At a young age, he left his homeland in 1610 to be a missionary in the colonies of the New World. He was called to the priesthood and was inspired to go to serve those in the greatest need so he went to Columbia and dedicated himself in service to those caught up in the slave trade.
“He went into that pit of hellishness slavery and was the light of Christ,” said Bishop McClory. “And those that encountered him were given that witness that they could have hope.”
Bishop McClory then encouraged the Pastoral Council to take the time to reflect on the Diocese of Gary and “look for signs of what we inspired to be, what the Lord has called us to be, that we might express in the here and now.
“Today is a day to open our hearts and say to the Lord, “Give us hope. Allow us to know we are on a pilgrimage and we are pilgrims of hope.”
After the Mass ended, Father Chris Stanish, vicar general and moderator of the curia, began the meeting by going over the 10 Principles of Missionary Discipleship in Bishop McClory's pastoral letter "We Proclaim Jesus at Lord!"
“When we encounter Jesus it doesn’t just end there,” he said. “It should well up inside of us so much so that we are compelled to be able to share the Good News with other people. That's what it means to be missionary disciples.”
He reminded members of the Pastoral Council that at the last meeting they used those principles to then discuss the Kerygma and the relationship between prayer and action.
“Our lives are not just a single blip in history. Our lives are actually these ingratiated moments in time that we are born into – to be a part of the story of salvation, to be a part of history.”
Missionary discipleship, Father Stanish stated, is about being sent out, so in order to actually do evangelization, he proposed that the faithful need three values. Those values include being ambitious for God and his kingdom, being authentically human and being docile to the Holy Spirit.
“God created us in this moment for a reason and if that’s true then he also gives us the grace to live in this moment for a reason,” said Father Stanish.
He continued, “If we are going to restore the initiative to God then we need to pray how the Lord has taught us and discern how the Lord has taught us.”
At their last meeting, members of the Pastoral Council were also introduced to different forms of prayer. The first of which was stewardship prayer when they discerned "What are the gifts of the diocese?" Next, they practiced diagnostic prayer and asked the Holy Spirit for guidance as to “What is the greatest need in the Diocese of Gary?” Finally, they focused on strategic prayer and called upon the Holy Spirit again in answering the question “What do you want us to do about those needs?”
Having reviewed those key ideas, the Pastoral Council took it one step further. Members spent a half hour in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit one question, “What is the most important thing right now the diocese should focus on?” then came together to discuss with others seated at their table.
Betty Ring, of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hobart, said that during her time in prayer she felt the importance of unity being placed on her heart. She referenced that the origins of the word Catholic relate to another word – universal. Therefore, she suggested more diocesan-wide events could be planned, creating opportunities for families to come together.
Ring shared that the discussion at her table centered on families spending time together and the importance of forming strong faith habits in the home. She said they felt that if families are involved in their faith, then the kids are also likely to become involved.
“A lot of us never just sat there and waited for the Holy Spirit to talk to us,” she said. “And we should teach this to the youth so they know how to listen through their hearts.”
John McGinley said his table, like many of the others, featured good communication and participation. He said their conversation focused on the personal limitations in the Church. He explained they felt there are "too few people doing too much." He added they also talked about how the Church wants to bring people back to Mass after a period of time where people were watching it on TV or failed to go at all, prompting them to ask the question “How do we reach out?”
“I don’t think we know exactly how to, but I think being more personal and focusing on who it is that we are looking for is important,” he said, referring to people seeking God..
McGinley attends St. Mary in Kouts and said the parish has been planning more services and programs with members of St. Helen in Hebron and Holy Spirit in Winfield.
“We are starting to do more together, and I can see it in my parish - faces that I have not seen before,” he said. “It may be slow and (with) small steps but I think that’s where the focus is, whatever that particular parish needs.”
Prior to the conclusion of the meeting, it was announced that next year on July 2-5, the Diocese of Gary will be hosting the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage that will process through Northwest Indiana on the way to Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress. Some discounted tickets are still available for those who wish to attend the National Eucharistic Congress on July 17-21, 2024, in the state’s capital. Those interested are encouraged to speak with their pastor or call the Pastoral Center at (219) 769-9292.
Caption: Shelia Brune, of St. Matthias in Crown Point, spends time in prayer as part of the Diocesan Pastoral Council meeting on Sept. 9 at Queen of All Saints in Michigan City. Members were asked to discern what is the most important issue currently facing the local Church. (Erin Ciszczon photo)