Sent Out: A Story from Canada
Father Robert and Father Michael are engaged in a first for the Catholic Church in Canada: a missionary partnership.
The more than 2 dozen people sent from St. Ignatius two weeks ago are being commissioned to join Saint Willibrord.The missionary partnership is part of a vision to send people out to grow the Church in Montreal and beyond. Since the launch two weeks ago, the St. Ignatius group has become regular parishioners at Saint Willibrord, joining with the faithful remnant that is there. “We don’t want to be life support – we want to be life giving,” says Father Michael. Those that have remained at Saint Willibrord want the same thing and are equal partners with the new parishioners to make the church missional. The goal is to renew the parish and reach Verdun with the love of Jesus.
It is a risk. There is no playbook. It might all fail. Father Robert states: “it’s either going make or break the parish.” But the goal isn’t just to survive…
