| Goal for the Parishes: |
| The parishes will ensure that the entire community fully understands, prepares well and celebrates reverently and effectively the Eucharist and the entire liturgical life of the Church as its highest priority. |
| Strategies: |
|
|
|
|
Parishes have the responsibility to help individuals in their spiritual development by regularly offering parish and/or deanery retreats and on-going educational opportunities. |
| |
 |
Assistance would be available through diocesan departments for resources and speakers. |
| |
|
Deanery retreats should be held on a regular schedule as determined by the deanery. |
| |
|
Diocese and parishes will address pastoral ministry needs of Catholic students on campuses of post-high school institutions. |
| |
|
|
|
 |
Develop an attitude of hospitality in each parish - when we come together to pray and worship, "There are no strangers here." |
| |
|
Develop the role of greeters so that everyone feels welcome at every liturgy and Church gathering. |
| |
|
Develop welcoming committees to supervise the ministry of offering invitations to those who do not practice their faith, to the unchurched, and to visit the homebound, the elderly and the sick. |
| |
|
Assist active teens to reach out to inactive teens. |
| |
|
Develop a system of sister parishes-Lakota-non-Lakota parishes. |
| |
|
|
|
|
Recognizing the Eucharist as the source and summit of our Christian life and the centrality of the sacraments in the life of the faithful, the parish and the diocesan family, we present the following strategy: Diocesan liturgical personnel (i.e. a director and/or a liturgical commission and/or bishop's representative) and the parishes will work together to educate, form and train priests, liturgical ministers and assemblies in what it means to have an effective and reverent celebration of the Eucharist, other sacraments, sacramentals and other devotions thus enabling a more full, conscious, active participation in the liturgical and spiritual life of their own parish and the diocese. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
SHARE THE VISION |
| |
|
 |
Dedicate one Pastoral Ministry Days sharing a vision of what effective and reverent liturgical celebrations are; explaining how our diocese will achieve more effective and reverent liturgical celebrations in our parishes; |
| |
|
|
The bishop would write a pastoral letter on liturgy; |
| |
|
|
The bishop and vocations director will make an assessment of the current effectiveness of the liturgical education/formation of the seminaries our diocese use. A reassessment will be done periodically. |
| |
|
FORM PARISH LITURGY COMMITTEES |
| |
|
|
The diocesan liturgical personnel will develop a first draft of diocesan guidelines for parish liturgy committees. |
| |
|
|
The parish or parish group with the support and cooperation of the pastors will form a liturgy committee and establish a chairperson. |
| |
|
|
Parish liturgy committees in each deanery will select a deanery representative to participate in a diocesan commission and act as a liaison between the diocesan personnel and the parishes. |
| |
|
EDUCATE, FORM and TRAIN PARISHES |
| |
|
|
The diocesan liturgical personnel and/or parish liturgy committees working with pastors, will develop resources for having educational "spots" associated with or in the context of the weekend liturgy. |
| |
|
|
Diocesan liturgical personnel will develop a monthly educational/formational column for publication in the West River Catholic. |
| |
|
|
Pastoral Ministry Days and Clergy Days will have a dedicated and required general session on some aspect of liturgy. |
| |
|
|
The diocesan liturgical personnel will develop guidelines for training all liturgical ministers. |
| |
|
|
Pastors working with the parish liturgy committee will develop and implement a training program for all liturgical ministers and conduct training sessions and commissioning at least once a year. |
| |
|
|
Working with the formation/education personnel of the diocese (i.e. office of religious education, youth commission, family life office) and parish, pastors and parish liturgy committees will give special attention to educate, train and including youth in liturgical celebrations in the parish and diocese. |
| |
|
|
Working with appropriate diocesan personnel (i.e. office of native concerns, inculturation task force, duly chosen representatives from the Hispanic community and other cultures in the diocese) the diocesan liturgical personnel, pastors and parish liturgy committees in parishes where it is appropriate, will give special attention to developing and maintaining inculturated liturgies on the diocesan and parish level. |
| |
|
|
Parish liturgy committees will have an ongoing education/formation program for their own members. |
| |
|
|
Parishes will hold annual liturgical educational/formation sessions in the parish and/or deanery. |
| |
|
|
Promote opportunities for Eucharistic adoration in every parish. |
| |
|
|
|
|
To assist Church members in recognizing and responding to God's universal call to holiness. |
| |
|
Develop an awareness that everyone is called to holiness and service through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist. |
| |
|
Challenge Church members to practice daily prayer and scripture reading in order to recognize and follow God's call. |
| |
|
Promote the lay ministry program. |
| |
|
Develop a vocations awareness curriculum for parishes and Catholic schools. |
_a.gif)
