As I write this, planning is still underway for the parish forums which were held Wednesday and Thursday.  I hope you were able to attend, and if not, that you provide feedback to team members Fr. Andrew, Sr. Kathy. Sr. Rebecca, Bill Harrington, Marty McMillan, or Shannon Scanlon.
 
We are beginning to write our plan.  It is due August 3 to the Unleash the Gospel Council led by Auxiliary Bishop Gerard Battersby.  Once the Council approves our plan—it must be bold, concrete, measurable, and actionable—the team will be notified, and the real transformation of St. Clare Parish will begin!
 
What is the Domestic Church?
 
The focus of the Unleash the Gospel Pastoral Letter and much of the work that has followed centers on the family—the “Domestic Church.”
 
The first time I read UTG, I wasn’t sure what that meant.  And I know I didn’t understand the meaning when my children were young, and we were supposed to be a domestic church!
 
The term is not new—it was used in the Vatican II Document “Lumen Gentium”—the Light of the Church.
 
Parents introduce children to their faith, and family practices can reinforce it over the years.
 
the United States Council of Catholic Bishops ( usccb.org) provides a list of 14 habits to build a Domestic Church.  Another site, domestic-church.com, provides concrete ideas and examples for how to build the domestic church in your home.
 
After checking out these resources, I was happy to realize that, even if we never were conscious of the idea of domestic church, we were doing some of the right things as we raised our family! And St. Clare, now and in the future, will continue to support the domestic family through the school, religious ed, and many other opportunities.
 
Shannon Scanlon