From part of a homily from Fr Tim Finigan at The hermeneutic of continuity:
….But the other day, I was being interviewed for a programme to be broadcast on EWTN and the interviewer spoke of the parish and asked about its “success.” I think it was a light given by the Holy Spirit which prompted me immediately to say that I will only know whether the parish has been a success at the last judgement when our Lord will show me how many parishioners have been saved.
Our “success” or “failure” as a parish is not measured by how we feel or how much money we raise or how many activities we can arrange. The true success of all our endeavours in the Church will be measured by how many of us are saved and go to heaven. A consequence of this view of “success” in a parish is that all our activities should be directed towards this final end.
A nice expansion of what Aeschylus
said and directed towards a parish and definitely a thought to remember in how we measure success.
5 comments
It’s a perspective all too forgotten by pastors in their headlong rush to construct buildings, they forget their business is to build souls for eternity. Of course, this is my job as a mother as well, and I could always use a reminder!
Good point, although Our Lord did give us a way to measure success in a concrete way. On the last day he will recall those concrete signs. Did we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, instruct the ignorant?
A parish has one mission: save souls. Therefore, there is no need for individual parish “mission statements.” There’s really only one. Cathoilcs need to regain a sense of sin, the sacarament of Penance, Purgatory, satan and hell. The true purpose of a parish will then emerge again.
Good words, Fr. Finigan! Something every pastor should read and take to heart!
Headlong rush to build buildings? I’m seeing a desperation to hold on to churches. If they are perceived as successful, there is more hope for parish survival than otherwise? I don’t think this is something we used to worry about.
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