Caught up in a Movement: A letter from South Africa
Most people don’t look to the Catholic Church in South Africa and expect revival. But something is happening at Bryanston Catholic Church (BCC), and it’s not by accident.
We’ve been caught up in a movement—Divine Renovation. Not a program. A transformation. It’s not about better systems or busier schedules. It’s about what happens when a parish dares to put the Holy Spirit first, makes evangelisation the mission, and raises up real leadership to shepherd the flock and the lost alike.
This is our testimony—not to say “look at us,” but to say, “God hasn’t forgotten South Africa.”
When Prayer becomes Mission: A Story from the USA
Since 2021 St. Mary’s, Uxbridge, MA, has been on the parish renewal journey with Divine Renovation (DR). Through coaching, the parish has begun embracing principles and practices of parish renewal that are transforming their outlook on mission and evangelization. (read more about their story here).
One of these practices is Missional Prayer, which is Aligning our prayers with God’s purpose and interceding for the Holy Spirit’s work in transforming lives in our parish and neighborhood.
This year, the parish’s women’s group had women share their testimonies at the monthly meetings. “Literally one of the most powerful hours in the parish,” says Diane, one of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) members. When Michelle, a cancer survivor, shared her testimony, Diane knew that the leadership team needed to hear her story. Michelle was a living example of Missional Prayer, which the SLT was about to be coached on by DR.
This is Michelle’s story:
In Memoriam: Pope Francis
With deep sorrow, we join the Church and the world in mourning the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. A shepherd with a heart for the lost, a voice for…
Prayer is at the Heart of Mission: A Story from the Archdiocese of Toronto
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.
