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Pastoral Priorities

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.

Pastoral Priorities: September 1 Report Template (MS Word)

Pastoral Priorities: Catechesis

Sunday School is a familiar to term to many of the faithful.   It is in this setting that we have traditionally done, catechesis, that is, the passing on of the faith.  This task is essential to the growth of our Church universally and locally.  For Archbishop Dunn this is a priority - a pastoral priorities.  In his January letter to the faithful he said:

“In addition to a program of evangelization, each Parish must have a process of ongoing formation in faith for children and adults. Growth in our closeness to the Lord and friendship with Him comes not only from study but also from encounter. All of our methods should be holistic in their approach to formation: human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. On this page throughout the year, we will post material and resources to help all of us work towards strengthening these priorities in our parish communities.”

In a recent presentation to clergy he reiterated the importance of the task of catechesis and also made clear that it is not just about teaching and educating the faithful but it is also about learning to walk with Jesus and become is his disciple throughout our whole lives. Let us continue to encourage one another, the young and the young at heart to constantly learn more about our God, share that Good News, and make disciples.

To read  the full text of Archbishop Dunn’s January pastoral letter click here.   

Priority - Parish Identity

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

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

“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!

2021 Pastoral Priorities Presentation by Thinkific

Archbishop Dunn has recently offered webinars that highlight each of the four pastoral priorities he has set for the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth.  These webinars were presented to parish leaders across our diocese to help encourage and inspire their parish communities to live as missionary disciples. These presentations are available to the faithful on Thinkific, an online learning platform.  See the links below: 
 
• Parish Identity - Thinkific Link 
• Homelessness - Thinkific Link
• Evangelization – Thinkific Link
• Catechesis – Thinkific Link