Renew My Church: The Journey of Renewal

At the heart of our Renew My Church efforts is the renewal of vital, sustainable parishes that have the leadership, resources, and vision necessary to create an effective culture of evangelization that makes disciples, builds communities and inspires witness. This requires prayerful discernment and challenging conversations on our part. It also necessitates great trust that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, will lead us to where He wants us to go.

As I’ve shared, Immaculate Conception and St. James are working as one group to discern and provide input into how we can best structure our parishes and ministries to make disciples, build community, and inspire witness. Together, we are working through three stages on a shared journey of renewal:

1.  Discernment & Decisions: This is the phase we are starting now. The Grouping Feedback and Discernment Team (GFDT) will reflect upon potential scenarios of how our local parishes may be organized differently in the future and develop potential ideas to achieve the mission imperatives. This stage concludes when Cardinal Cupich makes his final decisions regarding any structural changes affecting the grouping.

2.   Organizational Transition: Once decisions are made that result in structural/organizational changes to the grouping, a dedicated support team from the Archdiocese works on-site to help pastors manage the transition - both the pastoral accompaniment to walk with people through this time of change and operational transition to ensure new parishes have strong, sustainable operational foundations, upon which the great work of ministry can be built to achieve our mission imperatives.

3.   Building the New Reality: At this point in the process, with the structural, operational, financial, and personnel foundations in place, the grouping will focus its efforts on vibrantly living out the three imperatives. At the core will be a culture of evangelization that supports the work of making disciples, building community, and inspiring witness. This will be a journey over the next several years in our parish.

Along this journey, our Good Shepherd guides our steps. He is with us always and assures us in the Gospel, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (Jn 10:27-30). It’s on us to keep our ears open and to listen with our hearts throughout this process.

As always, for more information, visit RenewMyChurch.org

or email us at [email protected].

Renewal always begins within our own hearts. As we open our hearts to the renewal process, we will pray the special Prayer for Renewal (below) throughout the upcoming months. I invite you to reflect upon each line of this prayer slowly and deliberately. Thousands of people across our Archdiocese and beyond are praying these words on behalf of our local Church. Allow this to become your prayer, as well. 

Lord Jesus, you speak to us today,

as you spoke to holy men and women

who have gone before us.

In every age and in our own time,

you call to us and say: Renew My Church.

Pour out the gift of your Holy Spirit upon us,

and so enable us

   to hear you clearly

   to listen to each other attentively

   to imagine our future boldly

   to discern your direction wisely

   to persevere in your holy will courageously

   to stay together in charity

   to surrender our own plans readily

   to embrace the greater good

   to hand on your gifts to future generations.

May we remain in the holy company of

the Blessed Virgin Mary, the apostles, and all the saints.

May their example and presence

inspire us with patient confidence

in the work of your grace.

We ask this of you who live and reign

with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God,

forever and ever. Amen