Breathing New Life Into the Church
NAPRC (National Alliance of Parishes Restructuring into Communities) is an organization located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. Our purpose is to connect parishes developing into the model presented in the two books listed here. We offer consultation to dioceses and parishes throughout North America and present both a parish vision and best practices to make that vision a reality. We also offer materials for the formation of the pastoral leaders (facilitators) of the small church communities within parishes and formats for the weekly meetings of those small communities.
Volume 1
OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK
For the Catholic Church to rediscover its life and energy, the Church will have to pay attention to the parish itself. The one lasting source of parish renewal is the same as it always has been: the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. It is the main way Christ forms his Church. Always and everywhere, our Source and Summit. But for the Eucharist to form parishioners as deeply as possible, they must come prepared with attentive minds and hearts. Such readiness to hear and respond is a challenge for many parishioners living in today’s culture. They live in an everyday world that continually forms them to be “on the go,” overly stimulated, and lacking in silence and depth.
The sole purpose of this book is to provide a simple and very practical vision to pastors and pastoral staffs so they can move parishioners to help each other prepare for the upcoming Sunday Eucharist. Volume 1 lays out the way for pastors and pastoral leaders to structure the parish so that parishioners continually listen to the upcoming Sunday fospel and make life connections before coming to Mass. This first book makes a strong case for developing the parish this way and is meant to convince pastors and parish staffs.
EUCHARIST AT THE CENTER
Continually Forming The Parish
By Fr. Art Baranowski and Theresa Doyle
Volume 2
OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK
Volume 2 is intended for any pastor, regardless of his personality type or what skills he has or does not have. If he commits to the vision presented in Volume 1 and is willing to find an able collaborator to work with him, this plan for the parish can become a reality. This second book presents a very clear but slow process, one step at a time, which will be continuous and ongoing. This deliberate structuring of the parish around the Sunday celebration will become a gradual refashioning of the parish and not simply another program. It will eventually involve forming lay pastoral leaders working closely with the pastor. Volume 2 gives tried and true ways to move forward on this parish plan.
EUCHARIST AT THE CENTER
Continually Forming The Parish
By Fr. Art Baranowski and Theresa Doyle