After laying out the mission statement, the Fourth Diocesan Synod offers four pillars as a way to focus on how to give flesh to this mission. Here is what the next declaration reads:
To further this mission, the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is committed
to implementing the Four Pillars of Discipleship and Stewardship, namely:
- Hospitality – to invite people proactively to join us in prayer, especially Sunday Mass;
- Prayer – to provide well-prepared celebrations of the sacraments and other occasions for prayer as signs of hope and paths of grace to Heaven;
- Formation – to study the Bible and learn more about Jesus and our Catholic faith; and
- Service – to serve each other, especially those in need, by practicing charity and justice. (Synod Declaration 1b)
When I presented this declaration to our parish Pastoral Council a few months ago, we reflected briefly on how each of these pillars are being lived out here at the Cathedral. For each of them, we were able to point to efforts that are already in place, but we also acknowledged that there is certainly room to grow in each of these areas.
In the next few articles, we will be looking at each of these pillars, reflecting on how they are essential expressions of what it means to be a parish community of disciples. I will also point out some of the ways that we see these pillars at work here in our parish. Then I will invite us to pray and think about how the Lord is inviting us to go deeper with each of these pillars.
As we begin these reflections, I am seeing the Providence of God working in the timing of this topic! As you will see later in the bulletin, we are looking to hire a new member of our parish staff. In the past year, we have experienced some major changes with the sudden passing of our former Business Manager, Bill Vogt. Our bookkeeper, Jan Sgambelluri, retired and moved away from Springfield. Her replacement, Steven Kehoe, left last month for the seminary. We have been getting by, thanks in large part to the great work of our Parish Secretary, Kim Gunter, who has picked up several things. However, we are all doing more than we can probably handle, limiting our availability to do the things that would be most beneficial to our roles and the flourishing of our parish. Therefore, we are looking to hire a new Business Manager. I have it in my mind that an ideal candidate would be an intentional disciple who reflects these four pillars in how they live. In a parish that is dedicated to helping our parishioners to grow as missionary disciples, those who work for the parish really need to have that same passion. Technical skills are great, but far more valuable is one who brings with them a love of Christ and His Church, and a hunger to share the Good News of the Gospel through their support of the mission of the parish, hidden though it may be at times.
Since so many of you have been so good at praying those three Hail Mary’s each day for the parish, I would ask that as you offer the first one, which is for the parish in general, that you specifically ask that the Lord would help identify the person He most desires to fill this position of Business Manager.
Father Alford