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| 'Keeping in touch' | |
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| Topic Started: Monday, 30. August 2010, 13:43 (242 Views) | |
| garfield | Monday, 30. August 2010, 13:43 Post #1 |
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A new look at ways to reach out to Catholics who no longer go to Church, I found this article very interesting and wondered if anyone here has experience of it or similar ministries http://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20100824_1.htm |
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| OsullivanB | Monday, 30. August 2010, 13:47 Post #2 |
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It sounds wonderful. But I've never run across it. |
| "There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance - that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer | |
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| Mairtin | Monday, 30. August 2010, 15:21 Post #3 |
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For some reason that comes across to me as being very close to the ethos of the early Church as being discussed in another thread - concentrating on helping people to find Christ and bring him into their everyday lives rather than getting het up about things like whether we should be saying "died for many" rather than "died for all" |
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| Derekap | Monday, 30. August 2010, 16:33 Post #4 |
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A very moving account!! The movement should be spread throughout the Church - with of course tactful and gentle members, which obviousy the members we read about are. |
| Derekap | |
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| Peter | Tuesday, 31. August 2010, 07:32 Post #5 |
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What an inspirational and practical site this is and why isn't the Church rolling this programme out across the country? We all get letters from our bishops read from the pulpit every so often and wouldn't this "Keep In Touch" programme be ideal to bring to everyone's attention on such an occasion. |
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| Gerard | Tuesday, 31. August 2010, 08:50 Post #6 |
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To understand this programme you need to understand the diocese of Portsmouth. Some years ago Bishop Hollis took time out to pray and think about the future of his diocese (he talks about this publicly). He realised that the shortage of priests needed to be faced squarely and he reorganised the diocese in consultation and collaboration with the priests and, importantly, laity of the diocese. There was an emphsis on prayer and spirituality and full participation of the laity. That was the programme. This set the scene out of which several initiativeslater took root and developed. One of them being KIT and another I know about being Stewardship. These programmes are succeeding because the ground was prepared for spiritual and church renewal - and only after that did people themselves bring in these initiatives. Its debatable if these would succeed in other diocese where the ground tends to be somewhat sterile. Gerry |
| "The institutional and charismatic aspects are quasi coessential to the Church's constitution" (Pope John Paul II, 1998). | |
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| Rose of York | Tuesday, 31. August 2010, 14:53 Post #7 |
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It SHOULD be spread throughout the land, sadly most of our bishops have "important" things to do. They write pastoral letters, read out to the people who are in the churches. Do they tell the parish priests to get stuck in and DO SOMETHING to help the numerous people who have reached the point where they yearn to be back and need a helping hand? Climate change is more important than the upbuilding of our Catholic communities. |
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Keep the Faith! | |
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| Quicunque vult | Tuesday, 31. August 2010, 21:54 Post #8 |
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Mairtin wrote:
As only an occasional visitor to this site these days, I haven't seen the other thread. But I really couldn't let this contribution pass without comment. Ever read (for example) the debates on the Trinity and Christology in the 4th and 5th Century Church? "Died for many" (which incidentally is what Our Lord Himself actually said (Mt 26:28)) is small beer by comparison! QV |
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| Gerard | Wednesday, 1. September 2010, 07:37 Post #9 |
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Interesting post QV - a new angle on things. Jesus spoke in English? Gerry |
| "The institutional and charismatic aspects are quasi coessential to the Church's constitution" (Pope John Paul II, 1998). | |
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| PJD | Wednesday, 1. September 2010, 08:30 Post #10 |
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"only an occasional visitor" Pity that. But I suppose QV has good reasons. PJD |
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| Mairtin | Wednesday, 1. September 2010, 22:38 Post #11 |
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I meant early church to be the first couple of centuries or so - more or less before that Constantine fellow started putting his oar in
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| Rose of York | Thursday, 2. September 2010, 11:45 Post #12 |
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Gerry you open your post by saying "To understand this programme you need to understand the diocese of Portsmouth. " Am I correct in concluding that the programme is working in your diocese because you have a bishop who is "hands on" and cares very much about the individual souls in his care, including those who do not currently attend Mass. Sterile ground becomes fertile when it is fed by a farmer who loves the land and understands his crops and soil. The farmer who concentrates on book learning, gets his degree at college, and views farming solely as a career, uses artifical methods. He plans for this season only, leaving barren ground for the future. So it is with a diocese or parish. Well nurtured, fertile land does not become sterile through any cause other than neglect. |
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Keep the Faith! | |
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| Gerard | Thursday, 2. September 2010, 11:56 Post #13 |
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Rose, Actually Potsmouth is not my diocese (I am next door). But, yes I think what the Bishop did in Portsmouth was cruical. I think he stopped worrying about Rome and got on with HIS job of pastoring the people. FWIW, I think the ground is sterile elsewhere because the hierarchy has, over the centuaries, removed all initiative and authority from the laity. Gerry |
| "The institutional and charismatic aspects are quasi coessential to the Church's constitution" (Pope John Paul II, 1998). | |
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| Peter | Thursday, 2. September 2010, 12:35 Post #14 |
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Gerry, that's a bit of a sweeping statement to make in your last post! No one has removed any initiative from me and the Church certainly isn't just for the clergy with the rest of us "mere mortals" sitting on the sidelines because we got married or because we didn't have a vocation to the religious life!! Where there's a will there's a way and I've seen plenty of evidence coming from the laity in my parish that the Church is alive and well on the ground. Peter |
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| Gerard | Thursday, 2. September 2010, 12:54 Post #15 |
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Peter, I submit, as evidence, two very recent exchanges on this forum. http://s10.zetaboards.com/Catholic_CyberForum/topic/7281192/1/#new see posts #6 and 7 http://s10.zetaboards.com/Catholic_CyberForum/topic/7288133/1/ see posts ~3, 4 and 5 Gerry |
| "The institutional and charismatic aspects are quasi coessential to the Church's constitution" (Pope John Paul II, 1998). | |
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7:53 PM Jul 11