To Build a Stronger Church

A Letter from Bishop George W. Coleman to the clergy, religious, and laity of the Diocese of Fall River

August 20, 2004

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This year’s celebration of the Centennial of the Diocese of Fall River has been marked by various grace-filled events and momentous occasions, for which we are grateful to Almighty God. Our celebration of this milestone in the life of our Diocese has given us the opportunity to reflect on the history of the Catholic Church here in the Diocese. We remember how the Church has experienced various changes throughout the years, including the wave of immigration and the resulting need for ethnic parishes, as well as more recent expansions in population, creating the need for new parishes, new and larger churches, and modified parish facilities. Responding to these changes in order to meet the needs of the Church has been an ongoing responsibility that the Diocese has fulfilled throughout the years.

As members of the Church, each of us shares in the Church’s mission, which always remains the same. The mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to make Christ known and loved throughout the world, to transform and sanctify the world according to the teachings of Christ, and to help individual souls grow in personal holiness, all for the glory of God. Although specific needs and circumstances within the Church may change over time, the central mission of the Church always remains unchanged.

Addressing Changing Needs

We must always remember that the Church is a mystical entity, consisting of both human and divine aspects. The Church is human in its membership, but divine in its establishment and guidance. The Church is also always a living institution — it is the community of those who believe in and follow Christ, those who make up the Body of Christ, the extension of His Incarnation through space and time. As a living institution, the Church naturally experiences changes over time, and from place to place. In the face of these changes, it is necessary to respond so that the unchanging mission of the Church may be accomplished.

The strength and vitality of the Catholic Church is the responsibility of all of her members. Each of us, by virtue of our baptism, which grafts us onto the vine of Christ, has a responsibility to care for and help build up the Church. This is especially the case when the needs of the local Church change and it becomes necessary to respond to those changes with careful planning.

Some of the more significant changes with which the Church is faced today are the shift in demographics, from inner-city to suburban residency, a serious decrease in the number of priests, and the relative decline in faithful Mass attendance. These and other changes warrant serious attention and consideration by each of us who make up the Church and have a responsibility to care for its future.

A Process of Consultation

In an effort to strengthen the Catholic Church here in the Diocese of Fall River, we will conduct a process designed to examine the pastoral needs of the different parishes of the Diocese. This task will be carried out by a careful, deliberative process that incorporates and involves participation from laity and clergy alike, since we all share the responsibility to address the needs of the Church. The process will be conducted by the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Office, under the direction of Rev. Msgr. Ronald A. Tosti.

The participation of lay members of the Church will take place through the channel of parish pastoral councils. I have instructed the pastors throughout the Diocese that each parish must have a genuine, functioning pastoral council. Throughout my years as a pastor here in the Diocese, I found the advice of such parish councils to be enlightening and helpful, and I trust that they will be of indispensable value in this present Diocesan endeavor.

Beginning in the fall of this year, regional assemblies will be held in each of the five deaneries of the Diocese. These assemblies will consist of pastoral council members as well as priests and staff from each of the parishes within the deanery. Presented at the assemblies will be statistical profiles of each parish and surveys on the life and spirit of each parish. The assemblies will also review the results of a study by the independent firm Percept on the demographic data of the Diocese as a whole, of each deanery, and of each parish.

As a result of these regional assemblies, committees will be formed, consisting of the pastors and one lay member from each parish within the deanery. These committees will then meet and work with the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Office to present to the Bishop recommendations for possible reconfiguration, consolidation or expansion of parishes.

Fulfilling the Mission of Christ’s Church

This process is necessary in order to heed the call of our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, who has challenged local churches to explore pastoral initiatives, so that the Church universal may better achieve its goal of transforming the world, by proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, by promoting the universal call to holiness, and by establishing local Christian communities as “genuine schools of prayer” (Pope John Paul II’s 2001 Apostolic Letter “At the Beginning of the New Millennium,” #33). Demographics shift, and specific needs of parishes change, but the ultimate mission of the Church always remains the same, and the Church has an obligation to respond carefully to changing realities, so that the Church can more effectively fulfill its mission.

It is my sincere hope that this process will reflect the shared obligation of all the baptized to plan and care for the future of the Church, and that the result will be a genuine collective effort, on behalf of all the faithful of the Diocese, to strengthen the local Church. Our goal is to seek a pastoral plan “which will enable the proclamation of Christ to reach people, mold communities, and have a deep and incisive influence in bringing Gospel values to bear in society and culture” (“At the Beginning of the New Millennium,” #29). In the words of the Holy Father, “We, as a Church, must face the future ‘with trusting optimism, but without underestimating the problems we face. …What awaits us therefore is an exciting work of pastoral revitalization — a work involving all of us’” (“At the Beginning of the New Millennium,” #29).

In this, the Centennial Year of our Diocese, as we look back upon the history and tradition of our Diocese, we must also look to the future, and think carefully about how the needs of the Church have changed. We must begin now to plan for the next one hundred years, so that the Church here in the Diocese of Fall River will make greater progress in the work of spreading the Gospel and sanctifying the world. With trusting optimism, I look forward to working with the faithful throughout the Diocese to accomplish this important goal.

Sincerely yours in the Lord,

Bishop of Fall River