St. Monica Hosts NAPRC Conference July 24-27
By Katherine Duck; Photography courtesy of Ric Chilson
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| Bishop Morneau presenting at NAPRC. |
Against a backdrop of images created by the words of the
prophet Jeremiah, “Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my
hand,” St. Monica hosted the annual conference of the National Alliance of
Parishes Restructuring into Communities, July 24-27. The theme of the
conference, “Shaping the Church of the New Millennium: The Spiritual Roots
of Small Church Communities,” was evident in the many earthen vessels—both
whole and broken—that decorated the church and reminded participants that
all of humankind is at one time or another whole, broken, or in the process
of being recreated. Participants from 17 states, the District of Columbia,
and Canada worshipped together, heard speakers, attended workshops, and
worked together at tables to learn more about how small church communities
help parishioners connect faith and life on a regular basis.
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| NAPRC participants in song. |
St. Monica has had small church communities since 1988,
when then-pastor, Fr. Clem Davis and several parish leaders attended a
workshop and began the restructuring process by starting three small groups.
In 1992, following the dedication of the new worship space, small church
communities began to grow in earnest, and today, there are 37 groups in
varying stages of development and maturity. When asked how he views small
church communities today, Fr. Davis said, “The pastoral mission of the
Church seems more possible to me when I’m in contact with people that make
the connection and help one another make the connection between faith and
life. As members of small church communities, people are in a perfect
position to minister as Church.”
Members of the NAPRC board, including Fr. Art Baranowski, founder, say of
small church communities, “The model for the parish being developed by the
NAPRC employs two basic structures: 1) deliberately and perseveringly doing
every program and activity in the parish in a way that offers an opportunity
for participants to say something to each other about their lives and faith;
and 2) promoting the establishment of small church communities as basic
building blocks of a parish in a long-range plan for parish development.”
Successful synthesis of small church communities into the life of a parish
leads the congregation into becoming an evangelizing church where ministry
is accomplished by every baptized person and is facilitated by the pastor,
staff, and lay leadership.
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| A NAPRC participant trying her hand at pottery. |
In his two keynote addresses, Bishop Robert F. Morneau,
auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, talked about “Tending the
Spiritual Roots of Small Church Communities” and “Shaping the Church in our
Postmodern American Culture.” He noted the importance of the three-legged
stool of prayer, asceticism (particularly the role of discipline in life),
and service in tending our personal spiritual roots. “Use your gifts,” urged
Bishop Morneau, who then went on to say that we are using our gifts when we
are doing what we love to do. He impressed on those in attendance that along
with alienation, civil strife and violence, consumerism, and the
ever-widening gap between the “haves and the have nots,” there are signs of
hope in the keen interest society is showing in spirituality and in the
intrinsic goodness of the Spirit and of the human heart. Bishop Morneau
reminded participants that small church communities could nurture the
positive aspects of American culture, remediate the negative, and allow the
Spirit of God to work in the day-to-day lives of ordinary people.
During breaks and at mealtimes, participants had an opportunity to try their
hands at doing some shaping of their own by sitting at the potter’s wheel
(with the potter’s help) in St. Augustine Hall and creating their own
earthen vessels. Those not quite so adept at working with potters, Peggy
Jones and Darryl Craddock, were invited to purchase pieces made by local
artisans. Fr. Paul proved to be quite creative at the wheel and threw a
lovely piece that will be fired and glazed and then placed on display—it is
hoped—in his office upon his return from sabbatical!
Banners made by St. Monica’s small church communities adorned the walls of
the Emmaus Center and St. Augustine Hall, and Bonnie Jackson-Harpring and
many volunteers lovingly decorated the entire parish for the event. At the
Saturday evening banquet, each participant received a clay tile decorated
with a Christian symbol on one side and an inspirational word (provided by
members of St. Monica’s small church communities) on the other to remind
them of the conference and of their own spiritual gifts. The conference
ended Sunday morning with participants gathering to talk about what they had
heard during the weekend that excited and challenged them and to discuss
where they will go from here to create and nurture small church communities
in their local parishes.
Many thanks to Kim Ort for producing the small church communities DVD
which was shown at the conference, and to Brian Haselby for arranging to
show the DVD at all Sunday Masses this past weekend. Thanks are also in
order to the conference committee, Lynne Brennan, Jean Galanti, Bonnie
Jackson-Harpring, Amy Magan, John and Jo O’Sullivan, Rose Rosenbalm, Cindy
Sabuda, Patrick Snyder, and Mike Thibault. Participants appreciated the
musical talent of parishioner Paul Barnett, who played the Estonian bagpipe,
the bass pentatonic flute, and glass flute. Finally, thanks to the many,
many parishioners who assisted committee members and displayed the
extraordinary hospitality for which St. Monica parish is so widely known.
Fr. Paul Koetter, pastor of St. Monica, remarked after the weekend, “Small
church communities are an opportunity for six to twelve parishioners to come
together twice a month to come to know each other, reflect on the Scriptures
to discover how the word of God applies to daily life, pray together, and to
have fun.” Parishioners soon will have an opportunity to join a small church
community or to start a new small group. Watch the bulletin and tune in to
the announcements. Don’t miss this splendid opportunity to be church in a
new and different way.
