The One Accompanied 85
Other life transitions
In addition to sacramental moments of transition, parishes should at-
tend to other life transitions of the people of God, as well as those with
more subtle needs that might be met through accompaniment. Examples of
those with more subtle needs for accompaniment include couples that have
been married for a substantial amount of time and seek marriage renewal,
young adults who join the parish after moving to a new city, and people who
are grieving the loss of a loved one. In all parts of parish life, the community
of faith should actively seek out those who are in need of accompaniment to
bring renewal and hope to their journey of faith Accompaniment to those
with these needs affirms that “... Jesus is risen, and he wants to make us
sharers in the new life of the resurrection. He is the true youthfulness of a
world grown old, the youthfulness of a universe waiting ‘in travail’” (Ro-
mans 8:22) to be clothed with his light and to live his life. With him at our
side, we can drink from the true wellspring that keeps alive all our dreams,
our projects, our great ideals, while impelling us to proclaim what makes
life truly worthwhile” (Christus Vivit, 32).
Central to the experience of Catholic life, “parishes are the place where
God's people meet Jesus in word and sacrament and come in touch with the
source of the Church's life” (Communities of Salt and Light, 1). The parish
is the place of encounter between people and God where the faithful grow
in holiness and community together. In order to renew the parish and re-
fresh its ministry, the integration of spiritual accompaniment is essential for
building relationships and calling the faithful to the sacramental life. Parish
staffs have a challenging role in being all things to all people (1 Corinthians
9:22) in order to foster a community of disciples, but can find renewal in
their ministry through building a culture of relationship, community, and
support.
Despite the multitude of needs of the faithful, a parish should not feel
pressured to create new formal parish ministries for each and every circum-
stance of the life of faith. Parishes are often burdened by limited resources,
such as meeting spaces, staff, and finances. It can be difficult to institution-
alize a ministry for every imaginable need. Since the art of accompaniment
is an apostolate of the baptized, it falls upon the parish to equip, train, and
encourage parishioners to serve and accompany those in need whenever the
Spirit presents the opportunity. In this sense, the parish can “outsource”