What are the Pastoral Priorities?
As followers of Christ we are called to live the mission that he entrusted to us: Go preach the gospel and make disciples!
How are we doing this in the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth? In January of 2020 we began the journey of becoming a diocese with 20 parishes (plus the Cathedral). At the end of year that saw us trying to become new parishes oriented to our mission in the midst of a global pandemic, we also faced another major diocesan change: the succession of a new bishop. Archbishop Dunn became the second archbishop of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth on November 27, 2020. As our new bishop, Archbishop Dunn wanted to build on the hard work the people and parishes of the Archdiocese began. To so, in January 2021 he shared four pastoral priorities that he wants us as a diocese to focus on. These priorities are shaped by our already established diocesan values of mission, community, and, formation.
The four pastoral priorities are: Evangelization, Homelessness, Parish Identity, and Catechesis. Archbishop Dunn offers his reflections on these priorities in a Pastoral Letter to the faithful release on January 28.
Parishes across the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth are making disciples! In other words, they are helping people grow in their faith and finding ways to share it! Check out what’s happening at…
Christ the King Parish in Dartmouth:
WHAT: Alpha
WHEN: Thursday, January 26, 2023 @ 6:30pm
WHERE: St. Vincent de Paul Church, 320 Flying Cloud Drive, Dartmouth
WHO: For more information or to register go to ctkdartmouth.com/alpha
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Dartmouth
WHAT: Alpha
WHEN: Thursday, January 26 at 6:30pm.
WHERE: OLG Parish Centre 3 Creighton Avenue
WHO: For more information or to register: ourladyofguadalupe.ca/ministries/alpha#information
Saint Ignatius Parish in Bedford
WHAT: Alpha Lite (Daytime Alpha)
WHEN: Beginning Wednesday, January 25th and finishing April 5th
WHERE: 2:00pm in the Parish Hall
We will begin each session with a “Lite” Refreshment.
WHO: For more information, please contact Peggy at the Parish Office at 902-835-2910
Or email:
Priority - Parish Identity
“Every one of our new Parishes needs to commit to developing a new Parish identity that is positive and united, regardless of the number of people or number of buildings. The focus must be on the whole community of the faithful that makes up the parish, rather than particular groups that gather at individual churches. Doing so will require fostering healthy relationships and new understandings of Parish life and roles.”
Priority - Homelessness
“While many are without homes in Nova Scotia, many more are presented with the impossible choice of whether they spend what little they have on shelter or food. I realize that many of our Parishes have ministries dedicated to these and other social issues, e.g., food banks, various kinds of outreach, etc. This can provide a variety of opportunities where we can collaborate with our brothers and sisters of other Christian denominations. Our new Parishes have many properties, some of them surplus, and I ask Parish leadership to consider whether some existing resources can be diverted for the service of the homeless in some way.”
Priority - Evangelization
“Evangelization – proclaiming the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ – is the primary activity of the Church. Each new Parish must have a plan for evangelization with a commitment to a particular program of evangelization. Significant time, energy, and resources should be invested in reaching the various audiences of the new evangelization: those who have never heard the Word of God, those who have heard the Word of God but fallen away, and those who have heard the Word of God yet require ever deepening conversion”
How do we live out these Priorities in our Archdiocese?
So how do we, as a local Church bear fruit under each of priorities? For each of the above priorities Archbishop Dunn gives parishes a task and a timeline for those tasks. To support parishes in these activities the team in office of Pastoral Life & New Evangelization (PL&NE) and other diocesan staff will:
- develop and implement resources related to each priority
- research and curate existing initiatives and tools to share with parishes
- pray with and for parish leadership, that our combined efforts will be guided by the Holy Spirit!
Resources for this work will be made available on this page – so check back!