Deacon Michael Houghton at St. John Vianney Parish, July 2019.
What lies ahead
Our move to Families will most certainly come with its fair share of challenges. To think otherwise would be overly optimistic.
Our priests who find themselves in an In Solidum Model will need to work out how to lead a group of parishes as a team, which is something they have never done before. The Moderator will need to find the balance of being first among equals while at the same time never dominating his brother priests.
We enter this process aware of these potential challenges and equipped with mitigation strategies. In order to help the priests of each Family discern how they will collectively pastor and support one another, they will mutually develop something called a Family Priests’ Covenant. This Covenant will reflect their prayerful discernment about interpersonal communion and ministerial relationships among the priests of a Family.
Our deacons will be challenged to expand their ministries beyond their current parishes as they will now serve all of the parishes in their Families. This will be both exciting and taxing at times.
Our newly created director positions will need to work closely with their One Pastors or Moderators to clearly lay out the plans for becoming more missionary. There will no doubt be some disagreement over what it truly means for these positions to be empowered, but
this type of dialogue is becoming more critical as the number of priests declines. Indeed, some might say this dialogue is long overdue.
Prayer, relationship, and responsiveness
Our responses to the challenges we will face as we move into Families can be summarized in three focus areas: prayer, relationship, and responsiveness.
Prayer is first and foremost because we are called and directed by the Holy Spirit in all that we do, including in our efforts to be more missionary. If we try to go it alone, without substantial and honest prayer for his guidance, we will fail because we will be pursuing what we think rather than following the direction that he gives.
Relationships are critical because we need to accompany one another as we make these changes. We need honest and transparent relationships among the clergy in each Family, between clergy and laity within each Family, among the Family pastors and Family staff, and even between the curia and the Families. We are all in this together.
Responsiveness may seem an odd third item on our list, but it is something that underpins both prayer and relationships. When we hear the direction of the Holy Spirit in prayer, we must respond. To hear but not respond is perhaps worse than not praying at all.
And when we are in a relationship with another person, our responsiveness to their needs is a tangible demonstration of our care for them. Responsiveness is not only about taking action, but it is also about taking action in a timely way— about moving with a sense of urgency.
All things new
In the introduction to Unleash the Gospel, Archbishop Vigneron states the following: Jesus Christ makes all things new! He himself is at work to renew his Church in the Archdiocese of Detroit. He is pouring out his Holy Spirit anew so that every member of the Church may be formed and sent forth as a joyful missionary disciple, so that the Gospel may be unleashed in southeast Michigan.
May we all embrace the renewal of our Church as we seek to unleash the Gospel through Families of Parishes.
Bishop Gerard Battersby was appointed auxiliary bishop of Detroit and regional moderator of the south region in 2016 and ordained as auxiliary bishop to Archbishop Allen Vigneron in 2017.
Deacon Michael Houghton is director of missionary strategic plans for the Archdiocese of Detroit. He was ordained a deacon in 2012 and serves as deacon at St. John Vianney Parish in Shelby Township.
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