When the National Eucharistic Revival was launched, the plan called for three distinct phases: 1. Year of Diocesan Renewal, 2. Year of Parish Renewal, and 3. Year of Mission. Having just two weeks ago celebrated Corpus Christi Sunday, we have embarked on this third phase focusing on Mission. Key events that will kickstart this year will be the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage (currently taking place) and the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis next month.
Although I do not plan to do an entire year-long series on mission, I do want to take some time reflecting on mission as our country focuses on this final phase of the Eucharistic Revival. The first question that might be asked is: What is our mission? Many churches and organizations go through the process of crafting a mission statement to summarize what they are all about as an organization. The work of preparing this statement can be a fruitful exercise. Perhaps you may wonder: Does the Cathedral have a mission statement? As a matter of fact, we do! It was not the fruit, however, of a long period of discernment among parishioners and our pastoral council. Rather, our mission statement has, in a sense, been handed to us, wrapped up as a nice gift. What I am talking about is the Mission Statement that was decided on as a result of our Fourth Diocesan Synod in 2017. Here is what the Synod came up with:
The mission of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is to
(Synod Declaration 1a)
build a fervent community of intentional and dedicated missionary
disciples of the Risen Lord and steadfast stewards of God’s creation who
seek to become saints. Accordingly, the community of Catholic faithful in
this Diocese is committed to the discipleship and stewardship way of life
as commanded by Christ Our Savior and as revealed by Sacred Scripture
and Tradition.
One might read this and think, “That’s the mission statement for the diocese, but what about the Cathedral Parish?” My response is that it is one and the same. As a parish in the Diocese of Springfield (incidentally also the mother parish of the diocese) it seems unnecessary to think of our mission as different than what has been given for the entire diocese as our mission. So I have no problem simply accepting this overarching mission for the diocese as our mission for this parish. To be sure, how that mission is put into practice will look different in each parish, but I think it is important to be clear on what our starting point is as we move forward.
Therefore, in this Year of Mission, we will be praying about and discerning how the Eucharist will be the “source and summit” of our mission, fueling us with God’s grace to live as His missionary disciples, then returning to the Eucharist each Sunday to give thanks for His many blessings which we offer to Him for the work of building His Kingdom.
As I said, I do not necessarily intend to spend the entire year just on this topic, but it is a theme I would like to give a significant amount of time to in my articles and in our efforts here over the next year.
Now seems to be a fitting time to remind everybody of the invitation that I made a couple of years ago, to pray three Hail Mary’s a day for the following intentions: the parish, the clergy of the parish, and ourselves individually. All of us play a role in this mission, so it is good for us to ask Mary’s intercession each day to help all of us in embracing this Year of Mission with faith, hope, and love.
Father Alford