December 10, 2023
This second Sunday of Advent finds us heeding the call of John the Baptist in our own lives and hearts: Prepare the way of the Lord.
As you know, our Diocese has begun a period of selfstudy in which each deanery (grouping of regional parishes) looks at both its strengths and its challenges as we forge ahead to prepare for the Church in the years to come. Back in October, each pastor asked his parishioners to offer feedback related to the concerns which need to be addressed as we move forward on the journey of faith. I am grateful for the 65 respondents (as well as our staff, parish, and finance councils) who offered thoughtful, prayerful insight into the areas where we need to draw our attention both within Immaculate Conception parish and in our deanery.
It will probably come as no surprise that the Top Three consistent answers across the board, both here and in all the other parishes of Iron Hill Deanery, are as follows: the noticeable absence of youth and young adults; the significant decline in Mass participation; and the call to broaden the ways we teach and communicate the faith in the modern age.
In this bulletin and elsewhere on our social-media pages and Flocknotes, Mare Draper (our deanery parish representative and director of faith formation) offers some deeper insight into what these findings mean for us as a parish community, and much of it is hopeful. I respectfully ask that you take the time to read her summary and pray about ways you and I can contribute to the growth and faith-life of our parish and the local deanery. Let’s be bold and joyful as we prepare the way for the Lord to reach both the new generation and those who have fallen-away from our parish community.