Northern Burlington Deanery Update
June, 2006
Mission-based workshop is successful first step in effort to 'build vibrant parishes'
Excerpted from The Monitor, May 10, 2006
By Mary Stadnyk, News Editor
For John Tiene, a 17-year member of All Saints Parish, Burlington, the recently held diocesan workshop, The Mission Motivated Catholic, was something that "every Catholic should attend." The program served as a reminder that even though Catholics worship in individual parishes, "we are all members of the Universal Church," said Tiene, who is also parish council president. Tiene was one of nearly 90 taking part in the intense, three-part workshop that was co-sponsored by the diocesan Offices of Research and Planning and Parish Life during February, March and April in All Saints Church. The majority of participants were selected representatives of 13 Burlington County parishes, which are preparing to be involved in a diocesan study that will focus on building vibrant parishes.
The Mission Motivated Catholic also helped participants recognize similarities and challenges that exist in all parishes and provided them an opportunity to see the potential for future collaboration in ministry. "We can't be close-minded" in how we approach ministry, Tiene said. "If the Church is to flourish, we have to work together." Slated to begin in the fall, the study will be conducted by the Office of Research and Planning and will concentrate on parishes that encompass the Northern Burlington Deanery: St. Mary, Bordentown; St. Andrew, Jobstown; Holy Assumption, Roebling; St. Clare, Florence; All Saints, Burlington; St. Paul, Burlington; Corpus Christi, Willingboro; St. Joseph, Beverly; St. Casimir, Riverside; St. Peter, Riverside; Holy Name, Delran; St. Charles, Cinnaminson, and Sacred Heart, Riverton.
The study, which will be built, in part, on a survey given to parishioners in all 13 communities during June, will explore all aspects of parish life, said Father Joseph Tedesco, director of the Office of Research and Planning. For them, the study will be "about looking at how they do what they do and finding ways of doing it better." Workshop presenter John Boucher, director of the Office of Parish Life, explained that the three sessions centered on "what Catholic spirituality looks like today." He added, "It goes beyond saying that we are members of the Church. It is saying that we are disciples of Jesus in the community of disciples and that means we have certain calls and expectations to fulfill." Other parish representatives found the workshop to be thought-provoking and insightful. John Brady of St. Mary Parish, Bordentown, thought it gave good suggestions on how to get people more involved in their parishes and allowed each parish to thoroughly examine its strengths and weaknesses.
An active participant in parish life, Brady observed, "Parishes should help one another more," he said. "There are a lot of ministries in the Church and we need to get people more involved because we can't always depend on the priests to do everything."
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Update will be issued monthly to all parishes involved in the Northern Burlington study.
Office of Expansion and Restructuring
Diocesan Pastoral Center
PO Box 5147
701 Lawrenceville Road
Trenton, NJ 08638-0147
Director: Rev. Joseph A. Tedesco
609 406-7400 ext. 5635
Fax: 609-406-7444
E-mail: jtedes@dioceseoftrenton.org
Associate Director: Michael Fabian
609 406-7400 ext. 5636
Fax: 609-406-7444
E-mail: mfabia@dioceseoftrenton.org
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