www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization How many new missions do we plan to plant

As a parallel to the thread on closed parishes...

How many new missions do we (BCC) plan to plant in the next few years? In what geographies?

I believe that the UGCC is planting missions and some of our forum posters are involved.

I'm really looking forward to official or semi-official responses to this question. I know many who would be most helpful in this endeavor.

CDL

The silence is sadly deafening. All I can add is the need to take care to reach out to the obvious and to study the rest. Two examples:

In town X in northern Ohio, some enthusiastic people started an Orthodox parish without studying the demographics enough. The result? The parish is nearly empty because most of the Orthodox in the area (who actually attend services) drive to a nearby city for services in one of the several old, big, beautiful churches there.

In contrast, town Y in northern Ohio has a university with thousands of students. Almost none of them are Orthodox/ Easstern Catholic, and there is no Eastern Christian presence there. Yet, this place is the most culturally open-minded and dymanic spot in a hundred miles of corn fields, and it deals with the young, and (in my opinion) it is worth at least a missionary presence with readers services... If the Buddhists can set up shop there, so too can we.

-- John

If Northern Ohio can't get their act together do you think there is any plan for the rest of the Eparchy? We've been through this enough to know that there are no plans. We just prop up the weakest of the weak and let it all collapse.

CDL

Perhaps each parish could undertake outreach at a local college?

In fairness, I need to add a few points to the university town I described.

The Roman Catholic Church has a strong presence there with good outreach; nothing more needs to be done there.

The Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholics have a reasonably good presence in a nearby city. so,the attitude among the Eastern Church is that the kids can come to visit them...or, the kids would have to request that someone come to them.

That, in my opinion,is a misreading of the situation in a college or university town. College / the university is one of the last times and places in a person's life when people are truly open to new experiences and ideas and understandings. Furthermore, many people besides students go to university orcollege towns: precisely for the culture and the diversity and the ideas. Hence, a university town would be a prime place for introducing Eastern Christianity: especially through a combination restaurant/bookstore and through performances of Eastern chant.

-- John

Dan, John: In your opinions, which of the sui juris Eastern Catholic churches is most pro-outreach? Which is most missional?

John,

Christ is Baptized!

Not sure which sui-juris ECC is most pro-outreach. I can only speak to the Ruthenian Rescension Eastern Catholic Churches.

I know that a handful of parishes are pro-outreach. For example, St. Elias in Brampton (UGCC), Annunciation in Homer Glen (BCC) and Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Albuquerque (BCC) come to mind. In addition, two of our forum members (both UGCC deacons) Diak and Ebed Melech are hard at work in mission country. I'd bet that their eparchs are very supportive. There must be others. There seems to be an ancedotal correlation as to how authentically Eastern Christian a parish is and how pro-outreach they are in action. We would need to see the demographics and trends to know for sure.

The Ukrainian Greko-Catholic Church appears to be the healthiest of the bunch--in general. His Beatitude Lubomyr is clearly committed to evangelization in thought and deed, which is refreshing. The UGCC also has what I would term the "healthiest" ecclesiology and Patristic Trinitarian theology of the Slavic ECC, which I believe impacts outreach.

Given the history of the BCC in the U.S.A., we are in a bit of a different place. I still maintain that the RDL shows that our Church knows that it needs to renew and recover authenticity to once again thrive, but is alas unsure how to precisely go about it.

I suppose if I was pressed...I would have to say that the UGCC is most missional of the Ruthenian Rescension Churches. All the writings from the UGCC point to this.

I pray that the example of the OCA and the example of the dynamic Metroplitan JONAH will in some way inspire us.

Sorry for the rambling...

I'll mention two points:

1) I know of some folks who are trying to get together a BCC mission. About 20 families (at least) in the immediate area who are an hour north or south of already established Eastern Catholic parishes/missions.

What they need most of all, right now, are PRAYERS for perseverance AND an available priest.

The local latin bishop and pastor has enthusiastically offered a locale. Please PRAY for the eparchial bishop that he may respond to this request.

2) I am friends with a BC priest who, in addition to serving some parishes, is also the chaplain to the main campus of the state university system.

It is very true that a (cross-jurisdictional) Eastern Catholic presence on such a campus isn't just a nicety, but a MUST. Every week there is a Divine Liturgy on campus which students can attend.

One must remember that many college students don't have the time or resources to travel to the local Eastern Catholic church, or may find it all the more useful to attend a Latin Catholic Mass so that their obligation is fulfilled. Remember, we have to meet them "where they're at"...

This particular priest chaplain is impressed at the number of men involved in the campus ministry. I met one this past fall, and he hopes to enter the seminary when he graduates. I find it wonderfully catholic when the Ruthenian priest prides himself on supporting a future Melkite seminarian.

Again, we need to pray for these folks!

If I may put in my two cents.

Eastern Catholics used to come off the boat, get the money together and build something, then ask for a priest from back home and there was a church. Now Eastern Catholics get together, get permission to use a Latin parish on occasion and stagnate for years, die off quickly, or more rarely, succeed.

There is something psychological and uniquely important in finding a place to build, working tooth and nail to get the money together to put a roof on something and gathering a community of believers with a single purpose and a do it or die trying mentality.

After talking to lots of clergy (directors of evangelism, successful missionary priests from the eparchies, etc. etc.) you need... to name but a few...

Do something instead of talking about it. Paper plans blow away in the wind.

Deacons and more deacons to help in mission areas, which requires bishops that want them.

"Converting" more people than Latin Catholics to the Eastern Catholic Churches.

Byzantine TX

Bravo! Well said.

CDL

Personally, I think that this issue of mission plants is a critical one for all Christians (esp. pressing for us EC's). However, I think we need to ask ourselves what do we want to achieve in our church starts. It is very, very expensive to plant a traditional church with building, full time staff etc. It requires a large financial investment in order to do that. What does "success" mean? If success = building + full time clergy many churches Catholic, EC, Orthodox, Protestant or otherwise will not succeed, that is a fact not an opinion. If we want a building, etc. well and good as long as it is there to proclaim the gospel, if our mission plants are more humble, if they proclaim the Gospel, well and good too - so long as the Gospel is proclaimed.

Speaking of church plants, if there are folks on this list who are interested in an Eastern Catholic Church plant in Columbia, SC area - please let me know, on or off line.
Sean

Following up from a few minutes ago. I think we need to be realistic about our expectations and outrageously optimistic at the same time (if that makes any sense at all!) Bishop Robert (Moskal) has been very, very supportive of mission efforts here in the Carolina's and we have several new mission plants under the ageis of the UGCC, with the potential of many more to follow (the field is ready for the harvest!) Also, St. Ignatios Melkite in Augusta is a really neat mission community that even has a building and does the liturgy beautifully. I think a challenge for all Christians (again, esp. for us EC's) will be to get out of the maintenance mentality of trying to hold on to what we have and get out and start missions (large, medium and small).

Father bless!

Christ is Baptized!

Seems like the Carolina region is fertile mission country.

Unfortunately we are stuck in maintenance mode.

2009 is forcast to be worse that 2008. It must be next to impossible to make new plans right now for new missions. People are loosing their jobs hand over fist, as business either close their doors, or downsize to try and ride out the recession. Trying to keep what is in place and keep the current doors open will be hard enough for the foreseeable future. Doing more than that I dont think will be possible.