Parish Council Listens

Sunday, August 30, 12:30-2pm – Join Fr. Fedor and Parish Council for a parish-wide listening session focused on the second goal of our new Parish Plan: TO FORM WELL ROUNDED LEADERS FOR ALL LEVELS OF PARISH MINISTRY. This session will give every participant an opportunity to respond to a question about how we practice leadership at St. Blaise Parish. Our future depends on impactful leadership practices in all ministries and activities of the parish. Don’t let your light be hidden; come and share some with your parish!

GOAL: To form well-rounded leaders for all levels of parish ministry

Why this goal?

If leaders of ministries at St. Blaise are to be effective, they need to be strong communicators, effective planners, and good listeners.

There is a growing awareness in our society that leaders do not communicate clearly, plan effectively, or listen adequately to their constituents. It is not necessarily the fault of leaders; it’s just the way our culture forms leaders.

There is also a deeply spiritual movement happening in the Catholic Church called synodality, which is a way of being together as a group that is built on the practice of listening and planning under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This leadership approach is happening in parishes and dioceses around the world, and it is inspired by the leadership practices of Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV.

Some things we’re considering or working on are…

• Developing new and varied channels for leaders and parishioners to communicate back and forth.
• Developing new ways to connect our parish with the Austintown community.
• Developing a leadership formation program for parish leaders and potential leaders.

Contact any PARISH COUNCIL member for more information.