Many parishes and dioceses have joined together to have A Lent to Remember this year, and already the results of this campaign have been encouraging and incredibly fruitful. But what makes a parish-wide campaign so beneficial? What is the goal of a campaign like this?
Proposition
A parish wide study empowers a pastor to be the chief catechist of the parish as he leverages his influence as spiritual father to draw his flock into studying the faith. This will serve not only to deepen the faith of parishioners, but foster a culture of faith sharing in the parish, the absence of which is the biggest restraining force to creating a culture of discipleship.
St. John Paul II wrote this in terms of the role of the pastor in catechesis: All believers have a right to catechesis; all pastors have the duty to provide it. I shall always ask civil leaders to respect the freedom of catechetical teaching; but with all my strength I beg you, ministers of Jesus Christ: Do not, for lack of zeal or because of some unfortunate preconceived idea, leave the faithful without catechesis. Let it not be said that ” the children beg for food, but no one gives to them.” (On Catechesis in Our Time, 64).
Goals
1. Increase the number of users on FORMED
2. Get the entire parish talking about the same teaching at the same time
3. Create a habit where the Pastor is directing his parishioners to regular study during the week
4. Drive faith formation into homes
5. Acquaint parents with YDisciple to inspire meaningful conversations with their teenager(s)
6. Inject dynamic content into existing small groups
7. Launch and multiply new small groups
8. Empower parishioners to be missionary disciples and share content on FORMED with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.
Example
Fr. Gregg Pedersen, pastor of Our Lady of the Valley in Windsor, CO, drives his parishioners to content on FORMED in his homilies.
Our Lady of the Valley
506 registered users on FORMED
3 months in use
Parish size: 1200 [42% participation rate]
