Pastoral Themes

The Church is the people of God and the embodiment of Christ’s continued presence on earth. The mission of the Church is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and reveal how much God loves us. Our mission was given to us by Christ Himself after His Resurrection when He told His disciples to “go forth and make disciples of all, teaching them to observe what He had commanded.” As a family, the Church reaches out to those in need both within the family and in the world.

Understanding that our mission is to share the Good News of Christ, we make preparations to carry out that work. That process is called Pastoral Planning. Pastoral Planning is a critical tool in helping us manage the resources available to meet the needs of the people of God. Needed at all times, it is particularly important as we cope with demographic and other major changes.

The Lord calls each of us to the Universal Call to Holiness, a life of friendship with God. Additionally, there are specific vocational calls—to marriage, the consecrated life and the ordained priesthood. The priesthood, instituted by Christ Himself at the Last Supper, exists to lead us to the Eucharist and to preach the Gospel, to carry on the saving mystery of the cross in the world. There is a great need in the Church today to increase the numbers responding to this vocational call, and every Catholic has a role to play in this effort.

Our Catholic schools provide both academic excellence and Catholic values, giving our young people the tools to excel and the moral compass to guide how they use those tools. Making sure future generations continue to benefit from a Catholic education is a critical priority. Through the 2010 Initiative, we are drawing upon the collective experience of principals, pastors, education experts, and community leaders to revitalize our schools.

Spiritual renewal is an ongoing process for each of us as individuals and for the Church as a whole. The Archdiocese of Boston has brought a three-year program to parishes designed to help foster that renewal. It is called Arise: Together in Christ, and has already nurtured a stronger sense of community among parishioners. Through prayer and action, participants have been strengthening their relationship with God and one another. The program will continue through 2011, and parishes are welcome to join at any time.

Many will find it hard to adjust to unfamiliar texts after nearly forty years of continuous use of the previous translation. The change will need to be introduced with due sensitivity, and the opportunity for catechesis that it presents will need to be firmly grasped. I pray that in this way any risk of confusion or bewilderment will be averted, and the change will serve instead as a springboard for a renewal and a deepening of Eucharistic devotion all over the English-speaking world.

Pope Benedict XVI's Address to Vox Clara
Posted on April 30, 2010