Diocesan Jubilee Gathering helps faithful to be ‘Remade for Mission’

Expert encourages faithful to keep an open mind during initiative

As members from a number of parishes — big, small, urban and rural — gathered Sept. 20 to discuss new ventures in the Diocese of Albany, a national expert on discipleship briefly turned to the subject of blueberries in the New Jersey farmlands where he grew up.

Crowds flock every year to a festival in the town which calls itself the “Blueberry Capital of the World,” said Father Frank Donio, SAC, director of the Catholic Apostolate Center. Decades ago, he recalled, Hammonton had been peach-growing territory, but farmers opted for a different crop after they reassessed the local climate and the good-health accolades given to antioxidant-rich blueberries.

Father Donio, who belongs to the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, known as the Pallottine order, offered that story to encourage open-mindedness. He cited a phrase which has wittily been called the seven last words of the church — that is, “We have never done it that way.”

Embracing change with dependence on the Holy Spirit — and staying “focused on fruitfulness” in assessing the efforts we undertake — were among the priest’s themes summarizing the Saturday event. It was called a “Diocesan Jubilee Gathering” for “Pilgrims of Hope” and “Disciples on Mission.”

The pilgrimage of hope refers to the Jubilee Year intention declared by the Vatican throughout the world in 2025.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has produced a guide for “Living as Missionary Disciples.” It prescribes fresh planning for evangelization to energize the Church and reach out to today’s secular culture.

Father Donio, whose Catholic Apostolate Center collaborated on the guide, was invited by Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger to help in applying the book’s principles to the Albany Diocese’s own current initiative, called “Remade for Mission.”

As Bishop Scharfenberger wrote in a letter to the Diocese in June, “Remade for Mission” is a process for “turning our hearts, resources and efforts beyond our church walls to sustain a future in service to the Gospel” amid challenges and opportunities. “May we stay rooted in Christ,” he added, “trusting the Spirit to lead us forward — honoring our past, embracing our present and stepping boldly into the future.”

The fall of 2025 would bring “a journey of discernment” to parishes and groups of parishes, he reported. Questions to address would include: “What do we have? What do we need? What must we let go of? What are we being called to become?”

As foreseen, the Diocesan Jubilee Gathering played a big part in launching the journey. Organized by the Diocese’s Office of Discipleship Formation, the six-hour event assembled more than 150 people (mostly laypersons) for prayer, talks and extensive conversations — casual brainstorming and deeper, broader idea-sharing in the “synodal” spirit of collaboration among pilgrims.

Input from small discussion groups was saved in written form. The groups sought everyone’s suggestions with such questions as, “Can our parishes become vibrant centers of outreach, learning and compassion?” and “Are we stewarding our gifts — our buildings, programs and energy — in service to the Gospel?”

St. Matthew’s Church in Voorheesville hosted the event, with pastor Father Rick Lesser and a team of volunteers among contributors from varied backgrounds. Bishop Scharfenberger participated in the day’s agenda.

The proceedings will be available as video recordings, intended as resources to help guide “Remade for Mission” discussions in parishes and parish networks. Other online resources for encouraging missionary discipleship can be found not only from the Albany Diocese, but from catholicapostolatecenter.org.

Father Donio’s insights also included these:

•  “Fruitfulness” in a parish’s or individual’s mission may lead to discernment about shedding what Father Donio called the church “maintenance mode.” He suggested “pruning” away some status-quo practices or built-in assumptions if they’re losing effectiveness, relevance or sustainability.

•  Many people tend to “compartmentalize” their faith, separating it from “daily life.” However, we are called to witness to our faith while serving and inviting others all the time, he said. Witnessing need not be a big show of perfection or evangelization because faith often shines out in small, nuanced ways. Jesus and the Church thereby encounter and attract seekers through us: We’re sent on mission, but it’s Christ’s mission. For our part, we need encouragement and formation, he said.

•  Pilgrims of hope, responsive to the intention of the current Jubilee Year, are “called to deeper holiness,” to live out their baptism — and avoid despair — as children of God. We need to see Christ at the center of our lives and in others’ lives, Father Donio said, leading us to listen to and accompany them, spreading hope to many who hunger for the Gospel.

Bishop Scharfenberger called the diocesan jubilee day a “bellwether” or sign of “what will be going on all over” the Diocese. It was an opportunity to see the Holy Spirit doing new things, he said. The event’s enthusiastic participants showed how “the fire of the Spirit grows, one by one, as each of us carries that candle of the faith.”