There is a story of the desert fathers that is a favorite of mine. It goes like this. Abbot Lot came to Abbot Joseph and said: “Father, according as I am able, I keep my little rule, and my little fast, my prayer, meditation and contemplative silence; and according as I am able I strive to cleanse my heart of thoughts: now what more should I do?” The elder rose up in reply and stretched out his hands to heaven, and his fingers became like ten lamps of fire. He said, “Why not be totally changed into fire?”
I recently told this story at the annual clergy conference held in October. I love this story because it shows the goal of our lives as baptized Catholics: to be totally changed into fire: full of the Holy Spirit, full of love, full of zeal to make God known, loved and served. In essence, to become something new.
Together, as missionary disciples, I invite you today to embark with me on a journey. Most of you know by now that as a diocese we are taking a big leap toward restructuring. It won’t be a surprise to see statistics that show a significant decline in Mass attendance, the reception of the sacraments, participation in faith formation and in giving.
With the help of Emmaus Partners, a consulting firm for Catholic organizations, and in tandem with our diocesan director of planning, Brenda Kresky, and a newly comprised planning team, we have collected and analyzed data from across the diocese. This information helped us develop a Guiding Change document that outlines the “whys” and “whats” of how we arrived here, a timeline of where we’ve been and where we’re headed and guiding principles to help us carry out the next phase of our pastoral planning process. Soon, parameters for the “hows” will be developed and shared with ACCs that will help move us forward. This will be a bottom-up process, not a top-down process.
Grounded in the promise of Revelation 21:5, we adopted the theme “All Things New: Honoring the past, inspiring the future.” The work we have to do now is nothing less than that — to honor all the beauty and tradition and hard work that those who came before us left to inspire us and to activate in us to do what we need to do to inspire a future for those who come after us.
What is most essential is trusting in the work of the Holy Spirit. In the spirit of a synodal approach, we must not come with too many preconceived ideas as to what we think should happen. We need to pray constantly for our ACC leadership teams, invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and learn to listen first and foremost to what the Spirit is saying. Then we can discern the way forward, trusting that the Holy Spirit will never abandon us and will show us the way.
This will not be an easy process, I know. There will be moments of pain, grief and anger for those most affected by changes we must make. This is when we truly need to embrace the love that flows from the Eucharist and accompany those who are hurting, welcome those who are grieving and trust in the process.
As Father Bill Miscamble put it, “Decline and loss cannot be our narrative. Our narrative is Gospel inspired.”
As we approach Thanksgiving, I am especially grateful to be serving here in central Minnesota among such amazing people of God. I believe that this process will surely give birth to an even more dynamic diocese, reenergized and more focused on knowing Christ on the deepest level.
Yes, we will always have our share of challenges, as has the Church in every age. The cross is always before us, but it is also the tree of life. All things new indeed.
Yours in Christ,
+ Holy Cross Bishop Patrick M. Neary, the 10th bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota.
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Join Bishop Neary in praying for the Diocese of St. Cloud using the “Prayer for All Things New”
Ever-present God,
just as you accompanied our biblical ancestors, so, too, you accompanied our ancestors who came to Central Minnesota generations ago to begin a new life and set down their roots of faith in our churches.
Be with us now as we, the people of the Diocese of St. Cloud, embark on a new, uncharted journey, heeding your call for renewal and transformation.
Send forth your gifts of courage, compassion, trust and collaboration.
Help us discern the best ways we can fulfill your call to missionary discipleship with vibrant communities and effective ministries.
Open our hearts to the stirrings of the Holy Spirit and give us the grace we need for this journey as you make all things new.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the intercession of Mary, our Mother, and St. Cloud, our patron.
Amen.
Bishop Neary’s Priorities 2024-2025
PRIORITY: The well-being, support and
enrichment of pastoral leaders across the diocese
Support for ongoing formation, professional development
and pastoral and spiritual care for our priests, deacons,
diocesan pastoral team and lay leaders across the diocese.
PRIORITY: Seeing synodality as a model
for the Church in the Diocese of St. Cloud
Encountering the Lord in others, listening, accompanying,
discerning where the Holy Spirit is leading us.
PRIORITY: Fostering a eucharistic culture in our diocese
In the “Missionary Year” of the Eucharistic Revival, how do we help people
to see themselves as modern missionaries? How can we bring people together
to listen to one another’s experiences of the Eucharist —
their own Eucharistic love stories?
PRIORITY: The Latino presence in the Diocese of St. Cloud
Continue to listen to our Latino brothers and sisters
and invite them more fully into the life
of our ACCs and the Church as a whole.
PRIORITY: Strategic planning for the next phase of our ACCs
ACCs represent a needed transition from a traditional one-parish-one-priest model
to what we have at present. But given present and future realities,
we need to look at a new way of “being Church.”