Diocese of Gary

CROWN POINT – “This is why we exist: to lead every person to the Lord.”

Most Rev. Robert J. McClory began with this quote from Pope Leo XIV as he presented at a Saturday formation event on Oct. 3 at St. Matthias in Crown Point. The topic for the morning was “A Vision Framework for Renewal,” focusing on where the Diocese of Gary is headed following pastoral planning.

Saturday formation events are designed for parish leaders, especially participants in the Lay Ecclesial Ministry (LEM) program, but they are also free and open to anyone who wishes to attend. For Bishop McClory’s presentation, simultaneous translation was also available for people who preferred to follow along in another language.

The bishop began his presentation by reviewing the recent events that brought the Diocese of Gary to its present “moment of grace”: the diocesan synod led by Bishop Donald J. Hying in 2017, the pastoral planning process that began in Merrillville in 2020 following the death of Father James Meade, and then the synod in 2022 at the request of Pope Francis, which renewed many of the same priorities from 2017. Most recently, the rest of the diocese went through a pastoral planning process to realign human and material resources for mission.

“Restructuring is for the sake of ministry and mission, moving past existing just to maintain the status quo,” Bishop McClory said. “If we restructured but did not equip our parishes, clergy, and laity, it would be unsuccessful.”

The bishop then outlined three priorities for the Diocese of Gary moving forward: a culture of missionary discipleship and evangelization, strengthening parishes and schools for mission, and leadership development.

“There is a danger of wanting to preserve nostalgia as opposed to looking to the future with courage,” Bishop McClory explained. “But when we align parish configurations and priestly assignments for mission, we can ask the question, ‘Who is not here who should be here?’ and look for ways to comfortably invite people who have never walked into a church before.”

Based on the three priorities, the bishop then outlined “The Four Marks of a Vibrant Parish,” which would be the standards by which success would be measured as a part of ongoing pastoral planning. The four marks are: missionary impulse, spiritual maturity, a vibrant Sunday experience, and shared leadership among clergy and laity.

Toward the end of his presentation, Bishop McClory encouraged participants to reflect on the question: What hopes do you have for the Diocese of Gary for the future?

Vivian Szyndrowski attended the presentation along with her friend Patty Sinkiewicz, who is in the LEM program. Reflecting on the bishop’s question, she said, “I’ve been making the rounds to different parishes and some are less welcoming than others. The more you invite people to be involved, the more they are on fire for the faith. You have to invite people.”

Szyndrowski also said that a renewed focus on older members of the parish could help spur renewal, saying, “They are vibrant and want to share their faith, but so often they feel forgotten.”

Maria Patino teaches Spanish and environmental justice at Bishop Noll Institute in Hammond and attended the morning session with her husband, Martín Patino. She emphasized the importance of transformational faith experiences for youth, while her spouse stressed the need to make practicing the faith accessible for working Catholics through offering a variety of daily Mass times.

“It is so important that we mention our faith,” Maria Patino explained. “We do Kairos retreats and the young people find it inspirational. Providing opportunities for community service really connects the faith with their lives.”

Szyndrowski, who has been unable to attend the last two cohorts of the Lay Ecclesial Ministry program due to knee replacements, expressed her gratitude for being able to attend Saturday formation sessions, stating, “I’ve found the more I talk about my faith, the more it comes out in others. I can see the glow on everyone’s faces here– they light up when they are talking about God.”

The next Saturday formation session will be on Nov. 21 at St. Matthias in Crown Point, beginning with Mass at 8:30 a.m. in the church. Father Steven Caraher will be presenting in English, and Santos Reyes and Felicitas Villa will be leading the Spanish session on the topic of “Models of Evangelization.”