Renew training connects program to parish missions

Summer's arrival means warmer weather and lengthier days, but some Catholics in the Albany Diocese have sacrificed a few balmy evenings to be trained in one facet of the Renew 2000 process: parish mission teams.

Parish missions, similar to retreats, are held in many parishes of the Diocese once a year. Often, religious order priests or other guests are brought in to run the missions, which are spread out over four evenings.

Renew 2000 has entered into this process by training about a dozen parishioners per parish to lead the missions themselves -- from preparing and presenting talks to planning music for Masses held during the missions.

Opportunity

"The value of a parish mission for Renew 2000 is that it's a highly visible, inclusive event," said diocesan Renew 2000 coordinator Kathy Menard.

Having much of the parish in attendance, she said, will give Catholics the opportunity to learn about Renew and get involved in its activities.

Since parish missions will be held at the beginning of one "semester" of the three-year Renew process, Dr. Menard added that the missions will serve as kick-off events for Renew 2000.

Workshops

A series of workshops to train Catholics of the Diocese in forming their own parish mission teams was recently completed. Dr. Menard told the Evangelist that "some parishes are really ready" and plan to hold their missions in the first semester of Renew this fall, while others will first focus on developing Renew's small faith communities.

Additional training sessions will be held as needed for parishes that choose to postpone their missions. An audiotape of previous workshops on Renew 2000 core communities, invitational ministry and mission teams is now available as well.

The coordinator highlighted parishes from Northville to Troy as being enthusiastic about their parish missions. Holy Cross parish in West Taghkanic, she said, plans to modify its mission's time schedule to a one-day retreat.

"That's the kind of creative problem-solving we really want to encourage," she stated.

Gearing up

Mission teams are only one part of the ongoing Renew process. Dr. Menard said that parishes have already begun doing publicity for the kickoff of Renew's small faith communities this fall, and some are designing banners and other materials accordingly. St. Margaret Mary's parish in Albany, she said, even designed its own Renew 2000 logo.

"There's a lot of energy, a lot of interest" in Renew 2000, Dr. Menard stated. "The momentum doesn't seem to be diminishing. People are coming out for meetings on a nice evening in June!"

(Renew 2000 banners, t-shirts, baseball hats and audiocassettes are available from the diocesan Renew 2000 office. Call 453-6646.)

(06-18-98) [[In-content Ad]]