In the year 2000, Archbishop Vlazny established an Archdiocesan Pastoral Council to serve as the primary pastoral planning body for the Archdiocese of Portland. He invited the council to discern and recommend to him three pastoral priorities which could provide a specific focus for the evangelizing mission of the Church in western Oregon. After a three year collaborative process that included input from annual vicariate meetings, parishes that participated in Disciples in Mission, and two archdiocesan pastoral assemblies, the council recommended three pastoral priorities to the archbishop. Archbishop Vlazny has adopted the three priorities and is promulgating the following pastoral plan for the coming three years.
INTRODUCTION
Jesus Christ has entrusted His evangelizing mission to the church.
People of faith of all ages and places have been empowered by the Holy
Spirit to carry out this sacred task of proclaiming the good news in word
and deed. We Catholics of western Oregon sense a special and unique
opportunity here and now to enliven our own faith communities and our neighbors
with gospel truth, love and values. Daily we encounter many challenges
and opportunities in our desire to accomplish this task. For now,
we shall focus our energies and resources on three pastoral priorities.
We humbly acknowledge our own limitations and prayerfully seek the guidance
of the Holy Spirit in fulfilling our mission.
I. FAITH FORMATION AT ALL LEVELS
Catholics of all age groups are hungry for their faith. They are
seeking a deeper relationship with God and a better understanding of their
Catholic faith. It is the aim of the Church to help foster and fulfill
these desires and to walk with all baptized believers on the path to holiness.
By its very nature, faith formation involves
the whole person. Learning about the Catholic faith without having
experienced the love of God cannot constitute true faith formation.
Likewise, an experience of God’s love without a corresponding knowledge
of Jesus Christ and his Church is incomplete. Faith formation engages
both the head and the heart. Growing intellectual knowledge of the
faith coupled with a deepening experiential knowing of the person of Jesus
Christ comprise a genuine faith formation.
The Eucharist is the “source and summit” of our faith. Faith formation should therefore be centered on the Eucharist. Ways must be found to lead adults, youth, and children consistently and creatively to an ever deeper personal encounter with Christ in the Eucharist. It is not enough to live our faith one hour per week on a Sunday. We are called to be a holy people. It is the grace of the Eucharist that empowers us to live the faith in our daily lives.
II. YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY
Youth and young adults together represent the largest single age grouping
of Catholics. The Church has a special concern for these younger generations.
Youth and young adults deserve the opportunity to experience a vibrant
and meaningful faith so that their lives are rich and full of hope.
When youth catch on fire with their faith, they provide a profound energy
and inspiring presence that is a leaven for the entire community.
When young adults become actively involved in parish ministries, they become
building blocks for the future of the Church.
One of the primary goals of youth ministry
is to create and maintain strong ties between young people and the Church,
providing a firm foundation to which they can return and upon which they
can rely during the challenging years leading to adulthood. Popular
culture often presents, as values, attitudes and behaviors that run contrary
to Gospel living. Catholic youth and young adults need support from
friends and from the Church in order to live their lives as Christ is calling
them to live it – as faithful followers of the Gospel.
Youth and young adult ministry is seen as a major component of faith formation
at all levels. One of the fruits of successful youth and young adult ministry
will be an increase of vocations. With help from their families and
guided by the wisdom of the Church, youth and young adults will grow strong
in their faith and become a sure source of hope for all.
III. MULTI-CULTURAL MINISTRY
The APC and Archbishop Vlazny recognize that the face of the Catholic community
in western Oregon has been changing rapidly with the addition of people
from many different cultures – particularly the Spanish speaking cultures.
As a result, we face an important and timely opportunity, not only to meet
pastoral needs, but especially to embrace the diverse gifts and spiritual
heritages brought to us by peoples of different languages, cultures and
regions.
As a community of believers, we must develop a vision of what we can become together. Surely, we will become a greater reflection of God’s love in the world if we share our gifts and our lives with one another. Rather than viewing each other as strangers, we wish to see each other as friends and companions on the journey of faith. In order to achieve this goal, we must learn about each other, spend time together, pray and worship together, take meals, celebrate, work, and live out our one Catholic faith together. We must share our art, our customs, our music, our food, and our devotions for the mutual enrichment of one another. As well, we must share our hearts, our dreams, our talents, and even our brokenness with one another.
Multi-cultural ministry is a vital part of the future of the Church. Only through cooperation and genuine, concerted effort amongst the many cultural groups within the archdiocese can we meet and minister to the spiritual needs of the Church as a whole. Reaching out to each other will sometimes be a difficult challenge, but just imagine what we can become together!
The Pastoral Plan should be seen in the context of the Church’s overall
mission of evangelization. While not exclusive of the many other
pastoral needs which require ongoing attention, these top priorities are
intended to be points of special focus, funding and unity in our life and
work together for the upcoming three years. A collaborative approach
will be taken at various pastoral levels to determine the best ways to
promote and implement the priorities in the Pastoral Plan. Archdiocesan
resources will be developed to assist parishes, communities and schools
in addressing the priorities. It is also anticipated that local communities
will begin to inform their members and do creative work on these priorities
on their own, some of which we hope will become exemplary.