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Rebuilding trust and hope: A journey from brokenness to healing
By Sister Agnes Burrows
[with pdf]
Do you remember the Garden song? Seeds that were sown by the Diocesan Congress have to be nurtured in order to grow. The Diocesan Implementation Team is co-ordinating efforts to bring about an abundant harvest. What initiatives can we take at the parish level? Two groups in the Glace Bay area are adding their efforts to the task: The Rebuilding Trust and Hope Group and the Joint Pastoral Parish Council of Holy Cross, St. Mary’s and St. Gregory’s The Rebuilding Trust and Hope Group: As a recommendation of the Pastoral Plan of the Diocese of Antigonish 2013 -2018, parishioners throughout the Diocese were invited to participate in a process of reconciliation in their journey from brokenness to healing. In response to this invitation, Sister Martha Eileen and I invited parishioners from the Glace Bay area for a facilitated study of the book, "Healing the Church: Diagnosing and Treating the Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis," by Sister Nuala Kenny, MD. This was facilitated by David Nearing and Bryan MacDonald. We took time to discern factors contributing to the pain and brokenness, to seek ways to heal the wounds and to bring about constructive change. Through the breaking of the bread of our experience and the sharing in a caring community we were able to return to our lived reality with new learnings, a sense of hope for the future and for the healing of the legacy of unequal relationships. This group meets monthly with the two Glace Bay/New Waterford deanery representatives on the implementation Team: Karen Bray and Jim O’Handley. Updates from their diocesan meetings are shared. We learn about the actions being taken on the six strategies of the Diocesan Plan and we offer insights and suggestions which they bring back to the Team. The Joint Pastoral Parish Council also meets monthly with Karen and Jim to discuss their updates and to share ideas about the seeds of change that need to be sown. So far members of the parishes have participated in events organized by the Diocese to ensure that the spirit of the Congress is fulfilled. These include: Reconciliation: book study, holy hours, diocesan service; workshops for parish ministries: liturgical: hospitality ministers, readers and extraordinary ministers of Eucharist; Finance; catechetical workshops for confirmation, for the new catechetical series that will be used in our diocese; Youth workshop; the “Welcome Back” campaign. In the New Year we look forward to presentations on Family Life and Social justice. Since all Pastoral councils who will be taking leadership, may not be aware of what efforts have been made, hopefully we will have an area presentation and update on the progress being made by the Diocesan Committee. The Glace Bay and Area Adult Faith Committee continues to organize programs for evangelization. At present they are presenting the Alpha Program which is ecumenical as well. In Holy Cross church we have a “Lending Bookcase” in which there is material for adult faith development. The Diocesan Mission statement says: We commit ourselves to the building and the promoting of the Reign of God. Is not the Reign of God the call to live in right relationships with one another and with all of creation, to live the Beatitudes which are at the heart of our Christian commitment? As Pastoral Councils and parishioners we must move from words to action. Who will take the initiative or leadership? We can liken the Reign of God to a garden. Will we use our power to nurture or to neglect? Will the seeds of justice thrive in our garden or will they fall on the rocky soil of profit and gain? Will those who live in poverty, those who are homeless or marginalized be able to take root? Will a culture of peace flourish over a culture of war? Will we take care of the earth or will we abandon it to climate change? Will we identify, assess and address the needs of our parishes/parishioners? Will we reach out with love and understanding to those who no longer walk with us? Will we right the wrongs we see around us? Will we engage the young in our endeavours? Will we be collaborative in our ministries? Who or what will empower us to work toward constructive change in our diocesan “garden?" Together we can help bring about change! May the Spirit of a new Pentecost in our Church and in our diocese grow strong! For further information on the Diocesan pastoral plan go to: http://www.antigonishdiocese.com/PastoralPlanNov2013Final.pdf
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