Secretariat for Parish Life
of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
Living the Faith
|
Secretariat for Parish Life of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
Living the Faith |
Our Organization
The Secretariat The Secretary for Parish Life and Development, Sr. Rita Mary Harwood, SND, interacts with the many aspects of the parishes, particularly the people who comprise our parish families. The Parish Life Secretariat seeks to incorporate the spiritual life of the people in a total view of parish and family community and the preaching of the Gospel message. Its mission is to nurture leadership rooted in the baptismal call, strengthen spirituality rooted in sacramental life and strengthen the commitment to live the Gospel. The following offices, organizations and services relate to the Bishop through the Secretary for Parish Life and Development:
Evangelization constitutes the essential mission of the church. It is proclaiming the person of Jesus Christ to all the world. In essence it means bringing the Good News to every human situation and transforming individuals and society through gospel values.
The Office of Evangelization assists parishes,
groups and organizations in the Diocese of Cleveland in evangelizing active,
alienated and inactive Catholics and implementing strategies to attract, invite
and welcome persons who are not members of the Catholic Church.
The vision of the office is to promote understanding of evangelization in its broadest scope and to provide education, strategies and resources to implement the diocesan goals of evangelization and those set forth in Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The Office of Hispanic Ministry of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland explores and responds to the diverse pastoral needs of Hispanic Catholics in the diocese. The Office seeks the necessary resources to meet the needs in the best manner possible. These resources can be found within the diocesan structure, as well as outside it. The Diocese relies on a vast system of services for its people, but Hispanic Catholics who do not speak the English language do not receive the maximum benefits of those pastoral and social services. The Office of Hispanic Ministry offers pastoral services in Spanish and collaborates with the other diocesan entities to better serve its people. It seeks to fully integrate the Hispanic Catholic community in the local Catholic Church at all levels.
The Interfaith Commission promotes Christian unity among the various Christian churches and works to improve understanding among the various religions of northeast Ohio. The commission provides programs and resources for these efforts. Presently, the Commission is involved in the National Workshop for Christian Unity to be held in Cleveland from May 20-23, 2002. For more information on the Workshop see the website nwcu.tripod.com/nwcu2002. In addition, the director, Fr. Hilinski, is available to answer questions concerning the Catholic Church's view of ecumenical and interreligious questions including that of marriage between a Catholic and a member of another Christian church or religion.
The
Office of Ministry to African American Catholics seeks to carry out
advocacy for the concerns and needs of African American Catholics and the
African American community. The
Office provides the Church’s witness that the Catholic Church is home to
all people and welcomes all peoples with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The
staff of the Office of Ministry to African American Catholics strives to
fulfill the Mission of the Office by:
Serving
as staff to the Pastoral Staffs that serve the African American
Catholic Community.
Providing
staff support to the Diocesan African American Catholic Advisory
Board.
Communicating
with various offices locally and nationally in support of issues
relating to the African American Catholic Ministry.
Serving
in an advisory capacity to the Bishop of the diocese regarding matters
of concern to African Americans.
Staff: Mrs. Vanessa Griffin Campbell, Director…ext. 3020
Ms.
Sandra Gay Chapman, Program Associate…3010
We, representing the different Asian communities, commit ourselves to assist the Diocese of Cleveland in serving the pastoral needs of our people. As a coordinating group, we work for the unity of our particular communities, and our integration and participation in the local church. Appreciative of the rich diversity of cultures and traditions that our people bring, we offer this giftedness as our unique contribution to the building of God's Kingdom today.
The Body of Christ in the Diocese of Cleveland is called to reverence each person as a unique reflection of God’s presence in our midst. We commit ourselves to become a community of care, support, formation, reconciliation and witness to justice with and among gay and lesbian persons, their parents, family members, and all who minister in and with this community.
We are an organization of Catholic Christians dedicated to the renewal of the Church (ad intra) and the world (ad extra) in the power of the Holy Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Charismatic Renewal is born of, and sustained by, the wondrous outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our day, "... as at a new Pentecost" (Pope John XXIII). We are part of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, within the Secretariat for Parish Life and Development and serve as the umbrella organization for the officially recognized Catholic charismatic prayer groups in the diocese.