Stories of parish renewal
from around the world.
One Common Mission: A Story from the USA
Father Martin Vu was still in the seminary when he first picked up Divine Renovation: Bringing Your Parish from Maintenance to Mission. At the time, it stirred something in him. He didn’t just want to maintain a parish someday—he wanted to see people encounter Jesus personally and come alive in their faith.
As a parochial vicar (assistant priest), he began experimenting with renewal in small but intentional ways—forming leadership with Spanish-speaking parishioners, focusing on evangelization, and participating in group coaching. When he was appointed Administrator of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Placentia in July 2024, that vision moved from theory to reality.
When Father Martin first arrived, average Sunday Mass attendance was around 2,100. Today, it is closer to 2,500. On the surface, St. Joseph appeared stable and even strong. But the parish had just endured a season of deep disruption.
Father Martin Vu was still in the seminary when he first picked up Divine Renovation: Bringing Your Parish from Maintenance to Mission. At the time, it stirred something in him. He didn’t just want to maintain a parish someday—he wanted to see people encounter Jesus personally and come alive in their faith. As a parochial vicar (assistant priest), he began experimenting with renewal in small but intentional ways—forming leadership with Spanish-speaking parishioners, focusing on evangelization, and participating in group coaching. When he was appointed Administrator of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Placentia in July 2024, that vision moved from theory to reality. When Father Martin first arrived, average Sunday Mass attendance was around 2,100. Today, it is closer to 2,500. On the surface, St. Joseph appeared stable and even strong. But the parish had just endured a season of deep disruption.
Divine Renovation is grateful to welcome Brett Powell as our new Chief Executive Officer. This appointment follows a season of careful discernment, prayer, and consultation. Throughout the search process, we were accompanied by the prayers of our staff, board, and partners around the world. We are deeply thankful for that spiritual support.
“There’s no weekend where someone doesn’t tell me, ‘Father, this parish is so welcoming; we felt at home here. What’s your secret?’” Father Rich says. The secret is not really a secret at all; rather, it’s the fruit of almost a decade’s worth of hard work, prayer, and – of course – dependence on the Holy Spirit. In 2016, Christ the King Parish was ripe for renovation. It was only a few years after Sacred Heart, Saint Peter, and St. John the Evangelist parishes were combined into Christ the King Parish. Hoping to invigorate the churchgoers and to unify them into one parish, Father Rich and others on staff read "Divine Renovation: Bringing your Parish from Maintenance to Mission" by Father James Mallon. The book, which centres on Father James’s own experience as a parish priest in Nova Scotia, Canada, details his journey into renewal, “renovating” his own parish, and discovering what “going on mission” really means.
A little over a decade ago Bishop Rene Ramirez, a priest with the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus priest (RCJ), had never served as a parish priest. Listen as he shares his conversion of heart for evangelization and the process of leading parish renewal in his previous parish, Holy Family Parish - Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, Australia.
Father Martin Vu was still in the seminary when he first picked up Divine Renovation: Bringing Your Parish from Maintenance to Mission. At the time, it stirred something in him. He didn’t just want to maintain a parish someday—he wanted to see people encounter Jesus personally and come alive in their faith. As a parochial vicar (assistant priest), he began experimenting with renewal in small but intentional ways—forming leadership with Spanish-speaking parishioners, focusing on evangelization, and participating in group coaching. When he was appointed Administrator of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Placentia in July 2024, that vision moved from theory to reality. When Father Martin first arrived, average Sunday Mass attendance was around 2,100. Today, it is closer to 2,500. On the surface, St. Joseph appeared stable and even strong. But the parish had just endured a season of deep disruption.
Divine Renovation is grateful to welcome Brett Powell as our new Chief Executive Officer. This appointment follows a season of careful discernment, prayer, and consultation. Throughout the search process, we were accompanied by the prayers of our staff, board, and partners around the world. We are deeply thankful for that spiritual support.
“There’s no weekend where someone doesn’t tell me, ‘Father, this parish is so welcoming; we felt at home here. What’s your secret?’” Father Rich says. The secret is not really a secret at all; rather, it’s the fruit of almost a decade’s worth of hard work, prayer, and – of course – dependence on the Holy Spirit. In 2016, Christ the King Parish was ripe for renovation. It was only a few years after Sacred Heart, Saint Peter, and St. John the Evangelist parishes were combined into Christ the King Parish. Hoping to invigorate the churchgoers and to unify them into one parish, Father Rich and others on staff read "Divine Renovation: Bringing your Parish from Maintenance to Mission" by Father James Mallon. The book, which centres on Father James’s own experience as a parish priest in Nova Scotia, Canada, details his journey into renewal, “renovating” his own parish, and discovering what “going on mission” really means.
A little over a decade ago Bishop Rene Ramirez, a priest with the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus priest (RCJ), had never served as a parish priest. Listen as he shares his conversion of heart for evangelization and the process of leading parish renewal in his previous parish, Holy Family Parish - Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, Australia.
