"It was like before they were in a boat, rowing really hard, working really hard at a lot of good things, but still struggling to make any progress, then he realized they just have lift up the sail and let the Holy Spirit take the lead."
Jacqueline Marie | May. 16, 2024
It wasn’t until Father Michael Simoes became a parish priest that the weight of sustaining a parish in maintenance mode dropped on him. Moving from assistant to pastor, he found he had to “tread water to survive” and that “the parish always just felt like there was something missing.” Despite all the activity around him, the central missional point of their spirituality was missing. He says it felt like “the wilderness.”
After trying a few ideas, the pandemic put a hold on any new growth. But it did provide time for Father Michael to start looking through any resources on parish renewal he could get his hands on. He was finished with just surviving: Father Michael wanted his parish to thrive. He formed a leadership team – which had a few bumps, including a member leaving.
“I know the Lord is doing something.”
When Father Michael received an invitation to join Divine Renovation’s (DR) Kickstart group coaching, he said he was skeptical but open. He had heard about DR but related this model of parish renewal with the large and thriving Saint Benedict’s in Halifax — Fr. James Mallon’s former parish. To him, it just felt unattainable. That parish was nothing like his parish, St. Mary Star of the Sea in Mississauga, Canada – in demographics or geography – he worried the DR model wouldn’t transfer.
But instead, he found that going through coaching helped him to develop a vision and refine his leadership team that had a balance of strengths with an alignment to that vision.
And most of all, the leadership team would now always reserve a seat at the table for the Lord.
Join DR Unlocked
Save the date: Do you live in the Greater Toronto Area? Join Divine Renovation Unlocked hosted by St. Luke’s Parish in Thornhill, ON happening on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. More details coming soon at divinerenovation.org/events.
This meant beginning every meeting with 30 minutes of prayer followed by discussion as they moved slowly through listening prayer and discernment for the direction of the parish. The leadership team still hits hurdles, at times feeling like spiritual attacks, but they learned to move through healthy conflict.
Instead of asking God to bless their plans, they now were ready to give them up and follow His leading. This became key to opening up to the power of the Holy Spirit and moved them as a team to mission.
Father Michael’s DR Coach, Diahne Goodwin, says “over the last year he and his leadership team have been very intentional about prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit fueling all that they do. I asked him if he noticed a difference (I had). He said it was like before they were in a boat, rowing really hard, working really hard at a lot of good things, but still struggling to make any progress, then he realized they just have lift up the sail and let the Holy Spirit take the lead. There are so many layers to that metaphor, but it really resonates.”
Father Michael says, “the beautiful thing is, it doesn’t stay in the leadership team.” It trickles down in the parish. Now, prayer is the starting point for his Sacramental Preparation leader with her team, for the RCIA leaders with their team, and for the Youth Ministry leaders with their team. Prayer shifted the mindset of the parish to mission.
He now sees the parish as a school of prayer: they have intercessory groups and prayer nights. Father Michael feels, “this is how we do things so that we are doing what the Lord wants us to do.”
He tells a story of one newer parishioner who recently went through RCIA and was baptized. As she leaned into prayer it grew her desire to want to serve and be discipled. People are confused by the radical way she is living out her faith: “to see someone so in love with the Lord, so willing to serve… people are like ‘what is that secret sauce? What have you got?’” He is excited for more people to encounter Jesus like this.
His desire right now is for his parishioners to have a renewed hope and confidence in inviting outsiders. When his parishioners encounter Jesus personally then he believes a culture of invitation will take hold.
St. Mary, Star of the Sea Parish is in a harbour town, positioned a few blocks away from the Port Credit Lighthouse. Father Michael and his leadership team see this landmark as a symbol for their vision for the parish: a beacon of hope, a harbor of refuge, a place to receive light and share light.
He smiles and says, “I know the Lord is doing something.”
Your story matters.
Everyone has a story to share. What’s yours? Email us at [email protected] and inspire other parish leaders and fuel the movement with hope.
