February 21, 2018

UPDATED: Parishioners voice concerns at first diocesan listening session

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Stephen Kiltonic

GREENFIELD – On Feb. 20, close to 60 parishioners from across the Franklin County Deanery attended the first of nine scheduled diocesan listening sessions.

This first session was held at Father James Casey Hall at Holy Trinity Parish.

During the hour-and-a-half session, participants had the opportunity to respond to three questions: What is the church doing well?; What is the church doing that needs improvement?; and What should the church be doing? 

Prior to the session, Nick Morganelli, who served as the moderator, laid out the ground rules for the evening. Each question was allocated 30 minutes and participants had one minute to articulate their viewpoint before Springfield Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, who attended to just listen and not respond to any issues raised.

“What I deeply appreciated was the investment of time the people took to be here and then to express their hopes, their dreams, their desires and their concern for the church as we move into the future,” said Bishop Rozanski. “It was a very enlightening session for me. I was just very encouraged by the comments of the people. I did not respond purposely so that people could say what was on their minds.”

Some of the responses to the question “What is the church doing well?” included reaching out to the diocese via media efforts; the Hispanic Mass; the Take and Eat program; Montague Catholic Social Ministries; the adoration chapel at Blessed Sacrament; the “Chalice of Salvation” TV Mass; the Rosary Society; the Knights of Columbus’ involvement in the diocese; diocesan pilgrimages; and the jail ministry program.

Responses to the question “What is the church doing that needs improvement?” included reaching out to teens and young adults; reaching out to those who have left the church; more support for young, married people; sharing of talents; the addition of more bereavement programs, especially for parents who have lost a child.

In response to “What should the church be doing?” people suggested  more marriage encounter programs; more missions and retreats; welcoming back Catholics who have left the church; better opportunities and activities for youth; having parishes work on getting concessions for Sunday youth sports programs; give deacons the power to anoint; establish more CYO programs.

Bishop Rozanski said the listening sessions were set up to “respond to Pope Francis’ call to go to the peripheries.” Last July, nine members of the diocese attended the Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando. From that three-day gathering, the diocese was asked to “look and see how we need to be energized in the faith and then how to go out and reach those who are seeking the Lord Jesus in our lives.”

It was decided that the listening sessions would be held, after which pastors will then appoint four parishioners to attend a day of discussion and discernment at a pastoral synod on June 12.

Diocesan director of youth ministry, Gina Czerwinski, took notes at the Greenfield session. She was part of the committee that attended the convocation and will help to coordinate all the information from the nine listening sessions and identify key themes that will be used to develop a unified diocesan pastoral plan.

“I think what we’re hearing the people saying in our diocese is a tone across the country and what I’m hearing from different conferences I’ve been at and what other dioceses are struggling with.

“So, I think it’s a good thing that we’re all struggling with the same things. Hopefully, because we’re bringing this out and talking about it, maybe we can come to some consensus on how do we get there from here,” said Czerwinski.

One of the recurrent themes addressed during the session was a concern with the youth of the diocese. “You can’t separate young people from their families. So, you have to take the comments about what’s happening with young people today with what’s happening to family dynamics today. There’s definitely a concerted outreach that our diocese is going to need to do with youth and their families,” added Czerwinski.

“I think of how we bring our faith to our youth,” said Bishop Rozanski. “How we keep them engaged in the church is an issue for us a as a diocesan church here in western Massachusetts, but it’s also really an issue for the wider church in the United States and even throughout the world. It is a different time, a different era, a different generation and different thinking.

“So, the church needs to be where the people are if we’re truly to engage our people in the activity and life of the church, in the spirituality and the prayer that the church is,” Bishop Rozanski said.

Those who were unable to attend the session but would like to share their thoughts on the three questions, can visit bit.ly/franklincountydeanery.

The next listening sessions will be:

• Feb. 28 at St. John Cantius Hall in Northampton;
• March 6 at St. Joseph Parish, Pittsfield;
• March 7 at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Palmer; 
• March 15 at Mary Mother of Hope Parish, Springfield;
• March 19 at St. Rose de Lima Parish, Chicopee;
• April 2 at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Holyoke;
• April 12 at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, West Springfield.

All begin at 7 p.m. In addition a Spanish session will be held on March 3 at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Springfield.

A video version of this story will be featured in an upcoming edition of the Springfield Diocese’s weekly magazine, “Real to Reel,” which airs Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. on WWLP-TV22 NEWS.