Every parish in the diocese is being called to be a welcoming community! Recently each parish received a copy of a new manual entitled, The Parish Welcoming Manual, designed to help staff and parishioners during this very important time of transition. In the next several months, those who worked on the development of this manual are offering workshops which we hope will prove valuable to all of our parishes: Welcoming in a Time of Transition!

The first of these free workshops was offered on 1 August 2009 at St. Basil the Great Parish in Brecksville. The session began at 9:00 AM (with refreshments at 8:30 AM) and concluded at 12:30 PM. This workshop will be repeated on 10 October 2009 at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe; and 9 January 2010 at St. Vincent De Paul Parish in Cleveland. See the attached brochure for details.

The Welcoming in a Time of Transition workshop is designed for all parishes, not just those in clusters experiencing parish consolidations. That’s because, in our mobile society, parishioners often drive past their local parish – across city and even county boundaries – to worship in a place they feel they belong and are “at home.” And when their parish of choice closes or merges, they find themselves looking for a new parish and asking, “Will I find a new home?” Perhaps a new home in your parish!

The workshop highlights practical considerations related to welcoming from the recently published Parish Welcoming Manual, as well as insights from parishes that have successfully welcomed and integrated new members as a result of parish consolidations. The workshop also includes a set of “Topical Breakout Sessions” to allow participants to delve deeper into key areas of welcoming relevant to their current parish situation.