A forum of Catholic Thought

Worship and evangelization on the waterfrontSusan Abbott

Our Lady of Good Voyage Shrine in the Seaport district of Boston was dedicated by Cardinal O'Malley on April 22. Six months in, it's time to see how things are going. Although the building is new, much ...

Phase IV liaisons -- Keeping things on track Susan Abbott

Phase IV is small -- five collaboratives, nine parishes. Deliberately making this phase a small one allows Central Ministry staff to provide the attention that beginning collaboratives need, while at ...

Always the same, always differentSusan Abbott

Preparing leadership and staffs to take on the work of forming collaboratives involves lots of prayers, meetings, and workshops. Three seminal workshops form the pillars on which to build a solid collaborative: ...

Consultation process Susan Abbott

Phase V collaboratives were announced in the fall; 16 parishes will form 11 collaboratives, inaugurated in June. After the announcement, pastors of all 16 parishes submit letters of resignation, although ...

In the bleak mid-winterSusan Abbott

In his Midnight Mass homily on Christmas Eve, Cardinal Sean said, "I like having the Mass at midnight -- at the darkest moment of the night is when Christ, the Light of the World, makes his presence felt." ...

Vocations Susan Abbott

Cardinal Sean asked that vocations to the diocesan priesthood be a priority in every local pastoral plan (LPP). From "Disciples in Mission" the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan: "The collaborative pastoral ...

Checking in with Phase II (Part 2)Susan Abbott

We ended the report of the Phase II Implementation meeting talking about the challenges collaboratives faced/ face as they implement the local pastoral plans (LPP) that were approved by Cardinal Sean ...

Checking in with Phase II -- part 1 Susan Abbott

Earlier this month clergy, staff, and key volunteers from Phase II collaboratives gathered at the Pastoral Center to share the successes and struggles of implementing their local pastoral plans (LPP). ...