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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)

CCCB Submits its National Synod Synthesis

On Friday, September 2, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) released a media statement about our national response to the Synod, as requested by Pope Francis.  The message reads in part:

The first phase of the “Synod on Synodality,” listening at the diocesan level, has concluded. Synthesis Reports were prepared by each of Canada’s four Regional Episcopal Assemblies - Western, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic regions. These four regional reports were then received by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and used to draft a national synthesis, which has been submitted to the General Secretariat of the Synod of the Holy See on 15 August 2022. The national synthesis document is divided into 11 sections, collectively reflecting on the major themes of this process and the voices heard.

This report is the culmination of a sincere listening exercise that occurred in every diocese across the country. What was most present in the regional reports has been included in the national synthesis, providing a thorough and thoughtful account of the exchanges which took place during the initial phase of the synodal process.

“Catholics in Canada want their Church to be relevant and engaged in our world's ongoing transformation. They recognize an urgent need for the Church to undergo a profound missionary renewal” said the Most Rev. Raymond Poisson, President of the CCCB, and member of the Canadian National Synthesis Writing Team.

Click here to read the full media release.

Click here to read the National Synod Synthesis Report.

The next phase of the synodal process will involve the development of a “Document for the Continental Phase” by the General Secretariat of the Synod in Rome. Once complete, this document will serve as the source document for reflection during the continental phase. More information on the continental phase for North America will be released in the coming months. The synodal process will conclude with the Synod of Bishops in Rome in the fall of 2023.

To read our local Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth Synod Report and/or the Atlantic Region Synod Report visit www.halifaxyarmouth.org/synod

Emergency Shelters Project

tiny shelters home

For more information and
to donate to
Emergency Shelters Project
click
www.halifaxyarmouth.org
/shelters

Pastoral Life & New Evangelization Contacts

John Stevens 
Pastoral Life & New Evangelization Manager
(902) 429-9800 ext. 331
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Aurea Sadi 
Project Coordinator
and Communications
(902) 429-9800 ext. 310
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Chris O'Hara
Project Coordinator Faith Formation
(902) 429-9800 ext. 322
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Wanda Comeau
Coordinatrice de la Catéchèse
Secteur francophone
Religious Education Coordinator (French)
(902) 769-3844
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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”

 

Priority- Catechesis

Catechesis family Bible together PD 356x200

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.

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