August 17: Inclusive Leadership
Dear Fellow Parishioners of Our Lady of Divine Providence Family,
This Sunday, we hear rousing readings from the Scriptures which fill our hearts with the courage to speak the truth regardless of the personal sacrifice. As a convert whose conversion caused a deep rift in my family, these words of the Gospel hold a special, painful, and deeply personal place in my heart. Thankfully, as God delivered Jeremiah, and all those who are faithful to Him, He has brought healing to these hurt places in my heart and others in my family. And I know that He can do the same for each one of us.
And so, it is our responsibility to boldly proclaim the truth, because the Gospel sets the oppressed free and opens the eyes of the blind and liberates those bound by addiction or poverty or brokenness. Our world, our people, are starving for the Gospel! It is the balm of healing and peace for a world that is hurt and anxious and troubled. Though we will undoubtedly face opposition, we must proclaim the Gospel, and then it will produce life.
As I wrote in last week’s bulletin, a key concept that I took away from my course in church management at Villanova University was that of inclusive leadership. Preliminary research suggests that churches and religious congregations governed by inclusive leadership models grew, rather than shrinking, after Covid. So what is inclusive leadership? In a world where we face a variety of complex problems needing solutions, it is helpful to have a diversity of perspectives. However, at some point, a decision has to be made. After listening and pondering to as diverse a set of opinions as possible, including as many differences of opinion as possible (that’s the inclusive part), the leader decides, communicates, and executes the decision (that’s the leadership part).
This was the model followed by Pope Francis after the synod on synodality. He listened and considered, and then made, communicated, and executed his decision. We will follow the inclusive leadership model in our Family of Parishes. It will rely upon input communicated to the pastor via the parish and finance councils. It is important that the councils serve as the mouthpieces of the parishes, to gather and express people’s ideas and perspectives. Thus, it is incumbent upon the parish and finance councils to always listen to new ideas and diverse perspectives and communicate them to the pastor.
Last month, I met with the parish and finance councils and explained to them the current financial state of the parishes. I charged them with assessing their resources and evaluating the best course forward. This month we will gather again to discuss the results of their conversations. I will also share data about declining Mass attendance, compared with the research of sociologists of religion who have studied the growth and decline of churches and faith groups in America over the past 200 years, to help get a sense of what works and what doesn’t, and what we can do better. These studies include books like The Churching of America, Handing Down the Faith, Why Religion Went Obsolete, and Return, if you are interested in reading them to learn more.
At the priest convocation, Archbishop Casey delivered very warm and encouraging remarks, reminding us that this is our time! He reiterated that pastoral planning is necessary and we live in a moment of defining change that we must accept and embrace. We must learn how to do ministry and lead the Church as it is now, in our time, not as we did in the past. Renewal is not only necessary, but is also life-giving.
Keep praying to Our Lady of Divine Providence! She will take care of us. Also don’t forget to go to adoration and confession! It’s good for you.
Yours always,
Fr. Henry
