Parishes to host two town meetings

All parishes in the Albany Diocese have been asked by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard to host two "town meetings" -- one in October and one in November -- as preparation for Called to be Church, the two-year-long effort to envision the future of the Albany Diocese.

In June, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard unveiled the program, which will formally begin in January. However, he also called for preliminary "thoughtful conversations" on the broad topics of mission and ministry by Church leadership and "the wider diocesan community."

An advisory council -- composed of priests, parish life directors, deacons and lay leaders -- has developed a two-part process to foster those conversations:

1. Every parish will conduct a town meeting in October on the topic of "mission" and another in November on "ministry." The meetings will include prayer, Scripture readings and extensive dialogue.

To assure successful meetings, each parish has been asked to appoint a skilled facilitator (who is not the head of the parish) to guide the conversations, ask questions and spur discussion.

2. Parish leaders will then participate in follow-up meetings during the last week of October and last week of November to summarize the findings of the town meetings.

These later meetings, which will include pastors, trustees, staff, parish council members and others, will be facilitated by persons chosen by the Diocese.

Every Catholic should participate in the town meetings, the advisory group said, in order to:

* broaden and deepen their understanding of Called to be Church;

* inspire deeper participation by the laity in the mission and ministry of the Church; and

* provide the pastor, administrator or parish life director with the opportunity to identify individuals who may become core team members for Called to be Church when it begins in January.

In turn, the leadership meetings:

* provide a forum to share summaries from the town meetings;

* begin dialogue among parish leaders in preparation for the formal planning process; and

* foster thinking about the Church in a broader sense than just a parish.

(In keeping with the logo of "Called to be Church," which is drawn from Jesus' parable of the sower, the inaugurating events are called "Loosening the Soil" conversations.)

(9/21/06) [[In-content Ad]]