Every parish in the archdiocese can help support the renewal of our local Church through a three-fold call to prayer, prepare, and practice as highlighted at the Renew My Church Summit. Regardless of when your parish is “activated” in the grouping process, all parishes are already “in” Renew My Church.
PRAY
Form a dedicated Renew My Church prayer team (and ask your parish’s rosary and perpetual adoration teams) to pray for specific parishes in your grouping, for other groupings within the Archdiocese of Chicago, for newly formed parishes, and for the renewal of our local Church.
Include the Renew My Church mission in your parish’s weekly prayers of the faithful.
Foster intentional prayer habits and times of reflection with your teams (such as staff, ministries, parish and school leadership) and utilize various forms of prayer through liturgies and devotions (e.g., benediction, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and holy hours, communal recitation of the rosary or Divine Mercy chaplet).
Align your Advent and Lenten Missions with the topics of spiritual renewal.
Read and discuss the book Rejoicing in Mercy: A Prayer Commentary on the Gospel of Luke by Father Louis Cameli with your parish staff, parish leaders, and leadership groups.
PREPARE
Build community between grouping parish councils and parish staff by gathering for lunches, dinners, and discussions to get to know each other.
Read and discuss Church, Faith, Future: What Do We Face, What Can We Do by Father Louis Cameli.
Read and discuss Divine Renovation by Father James Mallon and use the archdiocesan-specific discussion guide with your parish staff, parish leaders, and leadership groups.
Review your existing parish strategic plan with your core collaborators and integrate insights from the Renew My Church Summit into it.
PRACTICE
Share takeaways and Renew My Church Summit videos with a broader set of people in your parish community (councils, parish groups, school boards, etc.) to help them internalize the vision of Renew My Church.
Host joint missions, devotions, retreats, and reconciliation services with parishes in your grouping.
Engage in upcoming vicariate-wide Vitality Days listed on our Events page.
Schedule a brainstorming session with your parish leadership team on how to align your parish offerings with the goal of spiritual renewal.
