Pastoral Plan

Have you thought about your relationship with Jesus?  Do you have one?   As followers of Christ we are called into relationship with Jesus and ultimately the Holy Spirit, and God the Father too!  And not only that, we are also called invite others to encounter Jesus!  While it is not always an easy task, there are ways to help.

Evangelization is often thought to be foreign word to many Catholics.  Many would even say that Catholics don’t do that!  But as followers of Christ we are called to evangelize – meaning we are called to actively proclaim the Good news of Jesus Christ and invite other to encounter him. Don’t know where to start?  How about discovering (or re-discovering!) who Jesus is by  checking out the evangelization initiative happening at your parish or a parish near you.  Churches all across the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth will host various programs this fall to help Catholics, non-Catholics, and anyone who is interested encountering Christ and learn about how knowing him can change their lives.  Check out some of our upcoming initiatives:

As followers of Christ do we know who we are following?  Sometimes in the busyness of life we can take for granted our faith and the fact that our faith is a relationship with Jesus. Parishes all across our Archdiocese want to help people discover or re-discover for who Jesus is and the transformative power He can have in our live.  Check out the details of the various programs being offered below!  Please note: for more information on any of the programs below please contact the parish directly.

To help the people and parishes of the Archdiocese focus their ministry, Archbishop Dunn designated four pastoral priorities: Parish Identity, Homelessness, Evangelization, and Catechesis.   Would you like to know more about these priorities?  You can!

Knowing who you are is important. As followers of Christ, we know we are sons and daughters of Christ, individually. Yet we live our faith communally as part of a parish.  What is the identity of your parish. In the last 18 months, the parishes of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth have not only lived a new reality in light of a global pandemic but ALSO as new parishes. 

 “For you always have the poor with you...” Matt 26.11

We heard Jesus express this to his Apostles in Matt’s gospel only a few weeks ago.  The phrase is as true for us today, as it was then. We know everywhere around us there are many who go without or have to make difficult choices about what basic necessities they can afford. Living through a global pandemic has only highlighted the needs of those who are vulnerable.  If the poor are always with us, then as followers of Christ today we must always seek ways to help those in need.  When Archbishop Dunn moved to Halifax, he was struck by the number of poor and vulnerable he came across as he walked down the street. Moved by this new-to-him experience he reflected on what he could do, and what we as a people faith could do.

In January Archbishop Dunn shared with the faithful four pastoral priorities that he asks us all to focus on this year.  The four priorities are Evangelization, Homelessness, Parish Identity, and Catechetics.  From many these are familiar terms, for others the words may be new.  What is also important is to know what is meant by each of these words.