Sharing Parish Ministry

     Ministry Name: Sharing Parish Ministry

     Ministry in Action (St. Pat’s tour)

4.      Ministry Coordinator(s) Contact Info

· Name:  Barbara Steinpas

· Phone Num.: 847-263-1684

· Email: travelerme@netzero.net

5.      Parish Staff Liaison Contact Info

· Name:  Laura Ramirez

· Phone Num.: 847-623-2655 x116

· Email: Lramirez.mostblessedtrinity@Live.com

6.  

 .      Ministry Description

· Scripture Passage:  “Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” –Col 3:11

· Social Teaching:

“The roots of Parish Sharing are set firmly in the early Christian communities.  The early Church also experienced differences that divided it.  St. Paul pointed out how important it was for sharing to occur between rich and poor, Gentile convert and Jewish convert, Hellenistic Christians and Palestinian Christians so that one communion (koinonia in Greek) would be realized. Paul also emphasized that different local churches possessed different resources for sharing. The material wealth of some filled needs among the poorer communities, who in turn shared their spiritual wealth with those who were in need of it.

St. Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, in chapters eight and nine, describes in detail the sharing that occurred between the churches in Macedonia and Jerusalem. In a shorter passage in his letter to the Romans, he captures the essence of the relationship: At present I am going to Jerusalem with aid for the saints.  For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem; they were pleased to do it, and indeed they are in debt to them, for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought to be of service to them in material blessings (Rom 15:25-27).

Note that St. Paul describes a reciprocal relationship. Each partner contributes to the life of the other. This mutuality assures dignity for all, and it promotes true communion between the respective local churches…St. Paul believed that this sharing represented a concrete manifestation of the love to which Christians were called…

In his second letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul explains that the collection taken up in Macedonia was intended to build koinonia: communion or fellowship. (The root of the word koinonia means "to share.")  For us to carry out our God-given mission today, we also must build koinonia.  In our metropolitan area, vast gulfs exist among people, even within our Catholic Church. Housing segregation remains a fact of life, separating races and ethnic groups. Economic disparities are enormous, even though the geographical distance separating some of our region's wealthiest people from the poorest can be negligible. Ethnic groups are also divided by language and customs. The Church has the mission to bring unity from this diversity, and to make possible the sharing of the gifts and talents with which God has blessed his body, the Church.”  

-Taken from "BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN COMMUNITIES OF FAITH: PASTORAL STATEMENT ON PARISH SHARING by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin

8.      What does the Ministry do?

    We work to build relationships with our sharing parishes:  Prince of Peace (Lake Villa), St. Dismas (Waukegan), Church of St. Mary (Lake Forest), St. Mary of the Annunciation (Mundelein), St. Patrick (Lake Forest) and St. Paul the Apostle (Gurnee).  We develop shared events between Most Blessed Trinity and our sharing parishes, and strategize on ways that we can give back to the parishes that support us so generously.

9.      To whom the Ministry Serves?

Our faith community and our sister parishes throughout Lake County.

   The gifts that are common among the individuals who work the ministry:  Friendly, welcoming, inclusive, resourceful, creative, organized, tolerant.  Members will be working with a diverse Church populations from a variety of backgrounds.

    Skills/talents of ministers includes the ability to plan and follow up, organize and promote programs and provide a welcoming, hospitable environment.

    Average of 2 hours/month.

    Yearly Calendar of Formation/Meetings :  We meet bi-monthly with several of our sharing parishes, and host several tours of our parish sites each year.

    Date, Time & Place : Varies