ST. ALBANS (VT)
WCAX TV
January 10, 2019
By Connor Cyrus
Aseries of public meetings with Bishop Christopher Coyne seek to improve communication and transparency within Vermont’s Catholic Church.
Catholic Church leaders say they are ready and listening.
Thursday marks the first of six town hall meetings across the state where Bishop Christopher Coyne will be listening to what people have to say. It’s part of an effort to improve communication and transparency within Vermont’s Catholic Church. The Church says The Diocese of Burlington is seeing the fruits of its effort to be more transparent and to improve communication.
Bishop Coyne says the clergy has met to discuss the future of the Catholic Church. They looked at things like, who they are as a church, how they are living their lives and what they are doing in terms of their mission in Burlington and around the state.
One of the big topics and the inspiration for the meetings is communication. Bishop Coyne says he feels that communication needs to be two ways and the meetings are a way to make sure people are heard.
He says the Catholic Church has changed in many ways over the years, most notably the way it retains its parishioners.
“Now in many ways we are a missionary church, we have to go out and encourage people to come. We can’t just open our doors and expect people to come. It used to be you’d open your doors and the church would be full, you open your doors now people leave,” Bishop Coyne said.
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