Pastor’s Letter: October 15, 2023

Pastor’s Letter: October 15, 2023

13 Oct 2023 | Posted by: chadmin

Dear friend,

We had a nice meeting on the Growing Disciples Pastoral Plan this past Monday. About 80 people attended to learn the reasons for the Pastoral Plan and the growth opportunities for Catholics in the Diocese of Peoria. St. Philomena Church is expected to work with the neighboring parishes in Peoria to offer Mass times that meet the needs of Catholics throughout the city. One of the goals of the Pastoral Plan is to communicate that we are one Catholic Community. Although we register at a particular Parish, we are all in a relationship. It is important to support efforts to bring all the Parishes closer together to meet the needs of all the Catholics in Peoria. Part of meeting the needs of local Catholics is offering growth opportunities in our understanding of the faith and as disciples of Jesus Christ. This Pastoral Plan will take years to fully implement and assess the success of growth in the Catholic Community. The Growing Disciples Pastoral Plan is driven by Bishop Lou’s Five Foundations of Evangelization, Discipleship, Eucharist, Vocations, and Legacy of Fulton Sheen. Please see the note in this bulletin to learn more about the Pastoral Plan or to learn how to offer feedback to Bishop Lou.

This week, the priests of the Diocese of Peoria will have the annual Clergy Assembly Days. Tuesday and Wednesday, all the priests of the Diocese will gather to pray, socialize, and learn together. This year we will focus on the Growing Disciples Pastoral Plan. Some of the Parishes in our Diocese will consolidate with other Parishes. This will require support, education, and guidance for our priests. Please pray for the priests as they wrestle through this challenge to our Diocesan ministry and desire for growth in the local Catholic Church.

Thank you for your patience with the St. Philomena Financial and Pastoral Update last weekend. I find it important to take one weekend to articulate the status of our Church and School. In broad strokes, we are in a good position financially and with sacramental ministry. However, we can all do more. As we celebrate the good that currently takes place at our Parish, we are mindful that as Bishop Lou calls us to grow as disciples, our presence at Mass, our sharing of our time, talent and treasure, and our prayer for the success of God’s Word to change the hearts of all will continue to inspire us to deeper participation. I can’t thank you enough for helping us proclaim Christ Jesus to the community and your willingness to be active participants in ministry. May we all continue to grow in what we offer, what we receive from Jesus Christ, and how we live the moral life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ. Have a great week.

God bless,

Father David