On Thursday, May 13, 2021, the Pastoral Council for the Windsor Heritage Catholic Family of Parishes met via Zoom. This was the first meeting of the council since the work of the Transition Team concluded last June.
In his opening remarks, Fr. Steven commented on how our family has been in a time of “waiting” ever since we were activated. We have been waiting for COVID to end, waiting for Fr. Maurice to get better after his COVID diagnosis, waiting for things to get back to some semblance of normal- the list could go on and on! What has become clear, though, is that if we are going to fulfill Bishop Fabbro’s vision of moving from maintenance to mission, and truly become a missionary church that forms disciples of Jesus Christ, we cannot wait any longer to begin that work. There is no time like the present to begin moving forward!
Much of this first meeting was spent allowing the members of the council to get acquainted with each other. We spent some time sharing the blessings that we have received from the Family of Parishes thus far, as well as the trials that we have faced. Blessings included the expanded online presence, the ability to connect with new Priests, and the fact that the Family constantly pushes us out of our comfort zones. Trials included the impact that the pandemic has had on our ability to gather, concerns about the financial state of our Parishes, and a frustration with a lack of communication in certain areas, especially surrounding the ever-changing COVID restrictions.
After the discussion, Fr. Steven informed the members of the council that the staff of the Family of Parishes will be participating in a Diocesan workshop on June 1-2, which will focus on the themes of intentional discipleship, and our mission as a Family of Parishes. It is our aim to bring the relevant information from these days back to the Pastoral Council, so that the information can be used to develop and implement a Pastoral Plan for our Family of Parishes.
Our next meeting will take place sometime during the third week of June. We look forward to sharing more information with you about the work of the Pastoral Council!
Fr. Steven Huber, CSB