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bishop braxton to make parish pastoral visits

 Dear People of God,

May the Peace of Jesus Christ be with you!
This month I am beginning a series of Parish Pastoral Visitations. During the past four years I have had the opportunity to visit most of the parishes of the Diocese on more than one occasion. These visits have occurred during the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, the Liturgy of Christian Burial for a priest or a parishioner, the commemoration of a significant anniversary, the dedication of a new church or another parish building, a meeting or a conference, or some other event. There are only a few parishes that I have not yet visited.

While all of these visits have been pastoral in nature, they have not been extended Parish Pastoral Visitations. The Visitations that I am beginning are intended for the purpose of gaining a better appreciation of the life of each parish and learning about the experiences of the Christian Faithful and listening to their hopes for the future. Beginning this month, depending on my schedule, I will probably visit one, two or three parishes per month. This means it will take some time to visit every parish. The Visitations will take place on Sunday and when possible on Saturday as well. My office has already been in contact with several parishes to arrange visits. After tentative arrangements are made by telephone, I will send the Pastor or the Parish Life Coordinator a personal letter well in advance of the Visitation. The arrangement of the Parish Pastoral Visitation will necessarily be very flexible based on the circumstances of each parish. The visit should not be a burden to anyone. I will go over the Visitation with the Pastor or Parish Life Coordinator well in advance. In those conversations we will work out the details and final arrangements for the Visitation together. The first Visitation will be to the Mother Church of the Diocese, the Cathedral of St. Peter Parish, the weekend of October 24th - 25th.

The Visitations will usually consist of the following elements:
A.) I would like to be the celebrant and homilist at the Sunday Masses. I would like the Pastor to concelebrate at the principal Sunday Eucharist. Generally, I will be accompanied by a Permanent Deacon, who will assist me with the celebrations of the Eucharist.

B.) During the course of the Visitation, I would like to meet alone with the Pastor at a convenient time.
C.) To the extent that it is possible, I would also like to meet with those in positions of parish leadership. This includes members of the Pastoral Staff, the Parish Pastoral Council, the Finance Committee, the Liturgy Committee, Trustees, and other parish leaders.

D.) One way of facilitating my contact with the greatest number of the parishioners is to use the homily time at each Mass for a dialogue between the Christian Faithful and myself. Parish leaders might be encouraged to participate in the last Mass on Sunday with an understanding that the dialogue homily might be more extended. After the last Mass on Sunday, the Faithful would be encouraged to remain in the church or to join me in the parish hall for a more extended conversation. I realize that on Sundays the People of God often have family and social commitments after Mass. However, my past experience indicates that, if they are encouraged to participate by the Pastor and if they are given two or three weeks notice, many will make the effort to participate in the Visitation. This is especially true if they are informed that I am coming to listen and learn about their community of faith. At some Visitations some of the parish leaders have elected to remain after the general meeting to speak to me in a smaller group.

E.) Wherever the conversation takes place (dialogue homily during Mass, discussion in church after Mass, or a visit in the parish hall), the goal of the Visitation is to afford me an opportunity to hear from the Christian Faithful about their life experiences, concerns, and the role the parish community of faith plays in their lives. In some cases, in past Visitations, the parish has arranged a very simple evening meal with the Pastor and a small group of parish leaders at the rectory or at someone’s home. However, this is NOT necessary and it is often unfeasible. In the past, it has sometimes been possible to join the Pastor in visiting a parishioner confined at home by illness, to go to the wake of a parishioner who has died, or to stop in on a social gathering in the parish. Such activities only enrich the experience. The Visitation is not intended to be a reception for the Bishop. The focus of this gathering is NOT a meal. If refreshments are served at all, they should be very light, NOT a major lunch. No one should be inconvenienced in any way by undue preparations. This is very important, because an unforeseeable event could require a last minute cancellation.

F.) In announcing and publicizing the event, it is important for the Pastor or Parish Life Coordinator to make sure the parishioners understand clearly the goal of the Visitation. The focus of the visit is on the life and needs of the parish. The Visitation is not intended as a forum for individuals to raise questions they may have about doctrinal, theological, pastoral, or structural issues related to the Catholic Church at the world, national, or diocesan levels. Experience teaches me that it is not helpful for the Visitation to be focused on resolving conflicts, differences, or disputes that may exist in an individual parish. My intention is to visit and to listen and offer support to the life of faith. I will not attempt to make judgments about important parish concerns that require careful study, consultation, and prayer. Matters such as these must be addressed, in the usual manner, by writing directly to me or to the Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia.

My primary reason for initiating these Parish Pastoral Visitations is to do all that I can to understand, support, and encourage our people as they live out their Catholic Faith. Please join me in praying to the Holy Spirit each day for everyone involved in pastoral ministry in the Church. May we each do our part in faithfully building up the Body of Christ. Please pray for me as well as I embark on these Parish Pastoral Visitations. Pray that I may faithfully carry out my ministry to teach, govern, and sanctify the holy People of God entrusted to my pastoral care. Together, let us continue to learn our faith, love our faith, and live our faith!

Prayerfully yours in Christ,

Edward K. Braxton
Bishop of Belleville

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