Saturday, July 26, 2014
Staff report
youngstown
The Catholic Diocese of Youngs-town will engage in a General Assembly from August through November to address the new evangelization and the continuing demands of reconfiguration.
The General Assembly will include priests, parish leadership groups, youth and young adult groups from our parishes, Catholic high schools and colleges and vowed religious.
The purpose of the assembly is:
To bring together the diverse peoples of the diocese for prayer and reflection.
To define the future direction of the diocese and the model of Church that can be most helpful in guiding our people to Christ.
To make collective efforts to encourage the necessary changes that will be required to reach the diocesan and parish goals.
To help deanery parishes better collaborate on issues of finances, staffing, scheduling of Masses and other parish services.
Once this process is completed, the diocese will have a clearer vision for the future based on the teaching and example of Christ. The assembly also will focus on needs of each deanery and how parishes respond to the communities they serve.
A survey will be available on the diocesan website for anyone who wishes to participate. The survey evaluates seven areas of church life that have been most discussed during the past three years of reconfiguration and evangelization efforts throughout the six-county diocese. The areas of church life include worship and prayer; Christian service (caring for the poor); catechesis/faith education (religious education and Catholic schools); evangelization; finances; administration, and family life and formation.
The survey will be available online during September by logging on to www.doy.org. Copies of the survey can be obtained at parish offices or by contacting the Office of Evangelization at 330-744-8451, ext. 237. The results of the survey will be discussed and shared at deanery gatherings throughout October.