Schenectady effort: Six parishes combine for Renew mission

Next week, hundreds of Schenectady Catholics will gather for "Mission 2000." Parish missions, similar to retreats, are a popular annual event in many parishes. The Renew 2000 program actually trains lay Catholics to serve on "mission teams," planning the missions themselves.

In Schenectady, the parish mission turned into a cluster mission when six parishes decided to band together for the four-evening Mission 2000: St. John the Evangelist, St. Mary's, St. Joseph's, Holy Cross, St. Anthony's and St. John the Baptist. (The latter two parishes are not members of the same Schenectady cluster as the others, but planning the event together has boosted their enthusiasm for future collaboration.)

"The whole idea of Renew 2000 is reaching out to community," said cluster Renew 2000 coordinator Patty Gutch. "Our pastors have said this has really worked out well. Everybody's been very cooperative."

Best of all, she said, holding Mission 2000 as a cluster gave the parishes a large pool of guest speakers to choose from. The mission's schedule includes:

* An "opening night" with a novena, Mass and guest speakers Bill Danko, a Holy Cross parishioner and author of the best-seller, "The Millionaire Next Door, and Christopher Cross, a St. John the Evangelist parishioner who has visited the Holy Land 29 times and wrote the pamphlet "To Jesus Through Mary";

* A "family night" with speakers Joseph Barry of St. Anthony's parish, who will talk about strengthening family life, and Jim Nelligan of St. John the Evangelist, who will speak on making a difference in the lives of children;

* A more solemn evening featuring Taize prayer, a Reconciliation service with all the priests of the expanded cluster and guest speaker Pat Marcinkowski, whose topic will be meaningful relationships and the reconciliation of differences; and

* A final night focusing on community, with a Mass concelebrated by the priests of the cluster and Jim Dillon speaking on "Community for the 21st Century: Building a New World." The mission will end with a candlelight blessing of the community and a dessert banquet.

Coordinators estimate that between 350 and 500 people will attend each night. Mrs. Gutch said that many Renew small group members will be attending together -- and hopefully talking about the mission's impact on them when they meet the following week.

"This is a very exciting and challenging effort," she said of Mission 2000. "The way people have pulled together has been a blessing. This is really going to be a venue for the Holy Spirit to touch a lot of people!"

(Mission 2000 will take place Feb. 22-25, beginning each evening at 7:30 p.m. For information, call Patty Gutch at 372-3381, extension 113.)

(02-18-99) [[In-content Ad]]