The book Excellent Catholic Parishes: The Guide to Best Places and Practices by Paul Wilkes, identifies several key factors that can assist a Catholic parish in becoming a vibrant and dynamic community. These factors are the result of extensive research conducted by the author, Paul Wilkes, and his team of researchers, Marty Minchin and Melanie Bruce. The team visited hundreds of Catholic parishes across the United States, conducting interviews with pastors, staff, and parishioners, and observing the various programs and initiatives that were in place.
These factors include:
- A focus on evangelization: Successful parishes are intentional about reaching out to people who are not currently active in the Church. This can involve developing programs and initiatives to welcome newcomers, as well as creating a culture of invitation where parishioners are encouraged to invite their friends and family to Mass and other events.
- A commitment to stewardship: Successful parishes encourage their members to give of their time, talent, and treasure. This can involve developing a culture of giving, where parishioners are encouraged to support the parish financially and through volunteer work.
- A dedication to pastoral leadership: Successful parishes have strong and visionary pastors who are committed to building up the parish and its ministries. These pastors are often supported by a team of dedicated staff and volunteers who work together to create a welcoming environment.
- A focus on youth ministry: Successful parishes recognize the importance of engaging young people and creating programs and activities that meet their needs. This can involve developing a vibrant youth group, offering religious education classes, and providing opportunities for young people to serve the community.
- A commitment to social justice: Successful parishes are often involved in a wide range of social justice initiatives, including supporting local food banks, advocating for immigrant rights, and sponsoring community gardens. These initiatives help to create a sense of purpose and mission within the parish, and attract new members who are passionate about making a difference in the world.
Overall, the book emphasizes the importance of creating a welcoming environment where all are invited to participate in the life of the Church. By focusing on evangelization, stewardship, pastoral leadership, youth ministry, and social justice, Catholic parishes can become vibrant and dynamic communities that are truly transformative.
Pierre-Alain Giffard
Other articles on evangelization and parish revitalization:
- Sharing The Gospel According to People’s Needs And Receptivity
- A Prayer for Inviting Others to Evangelization Meetings and Services
- Welcoming Church Guests and Visitors: Dos and Don’ts
- Various Dimensions of Evangelization
- The True Measure of Success
- Pope Francis on Evangelization
- Revitalizing the Rural Parish for Mission
- Factors Leading to Christian Conversion
- Evangelizing Through Random Acts of Kindness
- Questions To Start Spiritual Conversations
- Three Feet From Gold
- Spreading the Gospel One Act at a Time
- Gather, Witness and Invite
- Prayer to Receive the Spiritual Gifts of The Holy Spirit
- The Language of Evangelization
- Key Factors for Parish Growth According to Rich Birch
- How to defeat Satan?
- Bringing Love, Hope and Healing Through the Gospel
- Love: Our Fundamental Vocation
- Touched by the Master
- A Man, a Dog, and the Ultimate Love
- The essence of evangelization: Loving God and our neighbours
- Loving Our Enemies and Reconciling with Others
- A Powerful Prayer for Healing: You Are The LORD Who Heals Me
- Living a Life of Love: Mother Teresa’s Legacy
- Living a Life of Love: Lessons from the New Testament
- In The Shadows Of Darkness, A Powerful Force Is At Work
- 19 Pastoral Orientations for Parish Renewal and Growth
- The Missionary Renewal of Catechesis
- Characteristics of missionary parishes
- Powerful healing prayer attributed to St. Padre Pio
- We are called to share our faith with others
- Should we seek to grow the Church?
- Find a Need and Fill It – Revealing God’s Heart in the Community
- 15 Habits to Evangelize on a Daily Basis
- The Church’s Mission
- Three Barriers to Building An Invitational Culture In Your Parish
- The Relational Evangelizer
- Doing Church at Home
- The Blind Girl
- A Group of Frogs
- The Elephant Rope
- A Shared Faith is a Growing Faith
- In The Shoes Of The Unchurched
- Parish Evangelizing Cells
- Six Unique Features of Missional Parishes
- Steps Towards Becoming A Missional Parish
- What Is Evangelization, And How Should It Be Carried Out?
- Discussion And Self-Assessment Questions For Parish Evangelization
- A Missional Church Is A Church That Prays
- The Jesus Prayer: A Method To Pray At All Times
- What can help children raised Catholic continue practicing the faith as adults?
- An Example of a Missionary Parish: Phoenix First Assembly of God
- Satan’s Tactics
- Learning to Be a Missionary
- When we cry out to God, he answers
- Presence and Proclamation
- Saving those who are lost
- Saint-Nazaire Parish: The story of a missionary transformation
- Small Groups and Evangelization
- Evangelizing By Inviting People To Receive Jesus As Lord And Saviour
- You Will Receive Power…
- Have You Heard About the Law of Three Hearings and Seven Touches?
- Three Habits of a Fruitful Christian Life
