Joliet Diocese urges Catholics to reach out beyond church in ministry campaign

The Diocese of Joliet, led by Bishop R. Daniel Conlon, has released a Framework for Pastoral Action that focuses on the initiatives of discipleship, evangelization and charity. Its overall theme is "Go Out and Make Disciples" and it urges all Catholics to reach outside their church doors as part of their ministry efforts.

The new pastoral framework pinpoints seven areas of focus within three pillars for all within the Diocese.

Pillar of Discipleship:

• Cultivate a personal encounter with Jesus in order to joyfully share the Gospel as a knowledgeable and responsible disciple.

• Inspire young adults to participate as lay leaders in the mission of the Catholic Church.

• Embrace immigrant Catholics and encourage their development as leaders in the Church.

Pillar of Evangelization:

• Seek, invite, and welcome Catholics who have drifted away from the Church.

• Emphasize and outwardly proclaim the importance of the sacraments and all vocations.

Pillar of Charity:

• Go outside your church doors to care for people in need.

• Advocate for and with people in need as the Gospel instructs you to do.

These pillars and focus areas are a culmination of a two-year effort of meetings, forums and surveys by hundreds of participants in the diocese.

"Our conversations throughout the diocese are telling us to pay special attention to young adults, to immigrants entering our churches, and to Catholics who have drifted away from the Church," said Tony Molinaro, team leader for the diocese's pastoral planning committee. "We also need to redouble our efforts to leave the four walls of our churches, help people face-to-face in our neighborhoods who may need financial or spiritual support, and take pride in our Catholic heritage and traditions."

As the new pastoral framework gets distributed throughout the diocese, clergy and laity will assess current efforts in light of the focus areas, determine strengths and weaknesses, and develop initiatives around them.

"With this pastoral effort, we are following the lead of Pope Francis who tells us, 'We cannot passively and calmly wait in our church buildings. We need to move from a pastoral ministry to a decidedly missionary ministry,'" Molinaro said.