Dear Fellow Parishioners, Seven of us attended the Divine Renovation Workshop on Thursday June 22nd at St. Mary’s in Uxbridge. The three keys of parish renewal were presented: · The Primacy of Evangelization · Best of Leadership · Power of the Holy Spirit Several of us realized that we have unlocked many of the key ingredients of parish renewal over the years as we have journeyed together as the Catholic Community of Sacred Heart. Some of you may remember when we read Rebuilt as a community. In 2013, 40 of us gathered to discuss and brainstorm ways we needed to grow as a parish. After reviewing the material from the "Rebuilt" era, and the materials presented at the workshop, we were very affirmed by the many efforts we have made as a parish over the years. Our weekend experience has been intentional, focusing on hospitality and being a welcoming community. Our use of technology leads to wonderful participation in singing and praying together as a community. We livestreamed the Mass well before Covid in an effort to keep those parishioners who were unable to gather in person connected to the community. The pandemic has taken a toll on our ability to grow our community. Some members have still yet to return and Covid accelerated some of the losses we were already experiencing as a Catholic Community. This requires us to focus on outreach or, the very churchy word “Evangelization.” In Rebuilt, the process of Evangelization is called becoming restorers. Here were our thoughts directly from our 2013 report: Becoming restorers means: • To Live by your Christian actions • To serve with an outward focus not internal focus • To Lead and serve by example for community and family • To Get motivated to go out and make new disciples • To go and meet with those who have fallen away Moving from maintenance to mission is a real challenge for us as Catholics. We need lots of prayers to the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our efforts in going out to the larger community. I am asking us all to take the time this summer to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit for our community and share the wisdom you have received through prayer with me. Fr. Bill