Summer is speeding out of control. Next weekend is our Parish Picnic following the 12:15 Mass. The recruiting season for OCIA and Alpha is underway. We are being bombarded by advertisements for “back to school” sales, featuring cheerful children dancing off to school in their new outfits (a reality that only exists in the minds of the marketing department). A Taste of Chicago and Lollapalooza are behind us. The Cubs and the Sox are facing crunch time for making the playoffs; prospects for the Fire are pointing upward; our Bears, Hawks, and Bulls are starting to come out of their summer hibernation; and fans of the Sky are talking about next year. And, let’s face it. We have had more pleasant summers. We have had more severe storms, humid days, and smokey air than usual (all of which are partially funded by climate change).

            Before barreling into Labor Day, let’s take a look at few more findings from the Disciple Maker Index, that survey that about 15% of you completed during Lent. One of the questions was: “In the past year, how many parish-based ministries and parish-based organizations have you participated in?” 76% responded 0 to 3; 22% said 4 to 6; and 2% said 6 to 10. It would have been helpful if there had been an option for “0”. One of the big points of Renew My Church is to take seriously our own call to ministry, identifying our own gifts and talents in light of our own prayer and discernment, and not simply volunteering because the church needs help. If we are involved in too many ministries, we may be performing ministries which are not a good fit. On the other hand, if we are a regular at Mass, there should be something that we are being called to do. If something is in your heart and it is not listed in the “Opportunities to Serve” brochure in the back of the church, then maybe God is calling you to initiate it. Several people, for example, have noted that we need a Ministry of Prayer for members with physical limitations.

            There was another question about the expectations you have for a pastor for your faith community. Fifteen options were offered and one could choose five. The top half were: preaching homilies, celebrating the sacraments, providing spiritual counsel, teaching the faith, providing pastoral care, setting vision and direction, and empowering service and outreach to the poor.  On the bottom half, were the so-called administrative functions:  managing finances, managing staff and volunteers, overseeing care for the facilities, and raising money. Well, we are blessed with a really great but small staff, with generous parishioners, and with an able finance council. So, I don’t have to spend a lot of time pouring over financial reports or begging for money. But it is good to remember that based on what is in the Gospels, Jesus spent more time talking about money than he did about prayer. What we do with our money is a better statement of our actual priorities that what we say are our priorities. You were also asked what things the parish needs more of, and you were offered a dozen options. The top five were:  more young people involved; more volunteers participating in ministries; more catechesis on church teaching; more clarity on parish vision, direction, and goal; more savvy communications strategies. Since the Ministry Fair, a number of younger people have become Ministers of the Eucharist, Lectors, and Greeters, including some recent graduates of OCIA. But these are areas which our new Pastoral Council will need to keep in mind. A final question I thought was particularly pertinent in the context of Renew My Church was, “What is your preferred method for bringing others to Christ?” 63% said “leading by example”; 22% said “one-to-one conversation”; 15% said “being visible in the community”; and less than 1% said “going door to door to invite others.” My first thought was that we should be doing all of those things (except perhaps going door to door, since we would never get past the door man in downtown buildings). Taking the Alpha course can help any one of us become more comfortable talking about our faith to others, whether we are just marginally connected with the Catholic faith or have been a weekly churchgoer for sixty years.

            Well, that’s the DMI. Next weekend we will celebrate the Feast of Mary’s Assumption at all our weekend Masses. Most years August 15 is a Holyday of Obligation and we could not move it to Sunday, but that is not the case this year. Come and celebrate our parish feast day. The choir will be at the 12:15 Picnic Mass, and we’ll do that Mass up a little special.

                                                           Fr. Joe