“For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another.” — Romans 12: 4-5
St. Paul reminds us that we are part of “one body in Christ and are individually parts of one another.” This is true for all baptized Christians. None of us stands alone. It is also true for our parish communities. None of our parishes stands alone. “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy” (1Cor12:26). We are part of the local church, the Diocese of Trenton, and we are interdependent.
The Faith in Our Future cohort process is asking parishes to explore how our interdependence can be a source of strength. One of its goals is that we become more intentionally collaborative. Collaboration goes beyond cooperation on Penance services and coordination of hospital coverage. It involves giving up a false sense of autonomy, in order to participate in something better, bigger, more impactful than what your parish can do on its own. Collaboration is based on mutual respect and the sharing of gifts placed throughout the one Catholic community. It is inherent in what it means to be church.
We offer our thanks and appreciation to the more than 500 people who attended the five cohort training sessions in four counties this week. We are grateful for your willingness to share your gifts of faith, time and leadership skills to the important work of Faith in Our Future.
Other comments:
The twenty or so members of the Diocesan Planning Commission are priests, deacons, women religious, lay men and women from all four counties of the diocese who have been identified because of their experience in the parish, school and ministry setting, as well as their professional expertise. Each was specifically invited to serve by Bishop O’Connell in order that the Diocese might assemble a group with a wide variety of church, education, and business perspectives. The group will meet several times for formation before they begin their work. Their names and a brief profile of each member will be posted on the diocesan website and in The Monitor in April.
They will review the suggestions that come from the cohorts in June in light of the goals of the Faith in the Future process, and return preliminary recommendations to the cohorts with a rationale. After the cohorts have taken a few weeks for further study and comment, the Diocesan Planning Commission will meet again in October to review the cohort responses and bring together a set of final recommendations for the Bishop to consider.
Please let us know what other questions you have and we will answer them in future updates. Thank you once again for contributing your time and energy to Faith in Our Future.
Msgr. Leonard Troiano, [email protected], 1-609-403-7159
Sherrie Sporek, [email protected], 1-609-403-7193 FAX: 1-609-406-7413
MAILING ADDRESS:
Faith in Our Future, Diocese of Trenton
701 Lawrenceville Road
Trenton, NJ 08648
Tom Reid, [email protected], 1-206-947-2990
John Reid, [email protected], 1-206-947-1055
Cleo Molina, [email protected], 1-206-383-2536