A Parish on Mission

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” — Matthew 28:19–20

Dear Parishioners,

As I mentioned last week, we will hold new parish council elections this coming November. Before we begin this process, I want to reflect on where our parishes have been, where we are now, and where the Holy Spirit may be calling us.

Over the past eight years, our parishes have been blessed to welcome many new members into our communities. St. Joseph’s, in particular, has doubled in size, growing from approximately 50 families to 102. With this growth come both new opportunities and new responsibilities. We have more administrative work, which led us to hire a parish secretary to assist with the weekly operations of our parishes. We also have many more children, prompting us to consider what ministries and opportunities for formation will help this next generation encounter Jesus Christ.

We are already seeing what is possible. Through our marriage preparation program, Witness to Love, we have witnessed remarkable encounters with Christ among couples preparing for marriage. The fruit of this ministry has even led people outside our parishes to seek our assistance with their own programs.  These developments point toward something greater than simply keeping our parishes running. The Holy Spirit is inviting us to move from maintaining what we have to becoming missionary disciples who prayerfully discern God’s will and put it into action.

Maintenance is necessary. We must care for our buildings, manage our finances, maintain accurate records, and ensure that the ordinary work of parish life is done well. But these things are means, not the end. Our mission is not simply to preserve our institutions for another generation. It is to help people encounter Jesus Christ, become his disciples, grow in holiness, and bring the Gospel into their families and communities.

A parish is not merely a club, a social service agency, or a community center. It is the family of God and the local, concrete expression of the Church’s universal mission. We are called to continue the saving work of Jesus Christ here in Colon and Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska. As Pope St. John Paul II reminded us, the parish is not principally a structure, a territory, or a building, but the family of God—a welcoming home and a community of the faithful.

Our parish mission statement expresses this calling clearly:

“To foster Sacrament-nurtured disciples of Christ who live a bold and extraordinary faith, first in the family, then flowing out into our community.”

This mission must guide our decisions, our ministries, and our priorities. It calls us to ask how we can deepen our liturgical life, strengthen catechesis, promote evangelization, support families, and help each person discover and live out the particular vocation God has given them. Each of us has gifts from the Holy Spirit that are meant to build up the Body of Christ.

This is where our parish councils play an important role. A pastoral council is a group of faithful parishioners who cooperate with the pastor in discerning and advancing the apostolic mission of the parish. Together, they help identify pastoral needs, consider new opportunities for ministry, and keep our attention fixed on the spiritual good of the community. The council is advisory to the pastor; it does not replace his authority or function as a legislative or governing board. Its purpose is to assist the pastor in discerning how best to lead the parish in fulfilling its mission.

In other words, our parish council should not be concerned only with how to maintain the parish we have. It should also help us discern what God is calling our parish to become.

The difference is significant. A parish focused only on maintenance asks, “How do we serve the people who show up?” A missionary parish asks, "How do we help every person who walks through these doors become a saint and go set the world on fire?"

Here is a question worth sitting with: If a new family visited our parish this Sunday and never came back, would anyone notice? And if someone noticed, would they know how to reach out and welcome that family?

This is not meant to discourage us, but to challenge us. It reminds us that evangelization is not the responsibility of the pastor alone, nor is it limited to a particular ministry or program. It belongs to all of us. A welcoming conversation, an invitation to prayer, a commitment to catechesis, or a willingness to accompany another person in faith can become the beginning of a genuine encounter with Jesus Christ.

As we prepare for our November elections, I ask you to pray about who might help our parishes take the next steps in this mission. We will be electing two new members to each parish council. Please feel free to share with me the names of parishioners whom you believe possess the faith, wisdom, humility, and missionary spirit needed for this service.

Let us seek people who are willing not only to preserve what is good in our parishes, but also to prayerfully consider new ways to form disciples, strengthen families, and reach those who have not yet encountered the love of Christ.

May the Holy Spirit guide our discernment and give us the courage to respond generously to his call. May our parishes become ever more deeply what Christ desires them to be: communities where people encounter him, are formed as his disciples, and carry his Gospel into the world.

In Christ,

Fr. Luke Fleck