Eparchial Pastoral Council
Welcoming committee profiles and welcome kits under development
There were 459 responses to the recent Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton’s “Becoming a More Welcoming Parish” survey. One of the questions asked whether the parish has a welcoming committee for new parishioners. Some respondents indicated that their parish has a group of volunteers assigned to welcome new parishioners into their family of faithful. The majority of respondents’ parishes apparently do not.
As the next step in our commitment to renewal in the Ukrainian Catholic community of the Edmonton Eparchy – to become more welcoming parishes – the Eparchial Pastoral Council has begun to develop a welcoming committee profile. It is our hope that this guide will help parishes to establish their own committees, based on their specific needs. A welcome kit, to be developed after the profile is completed, will be available to all parishes as a useful tool for welcoming committees to distribute to new parishioners.
Once again, the Eparchial Pastoral Council thanks all who responded to the survey. Survey results are a foundation for engaging our Ukrainian Catholic community in the process of renewal, as addressed in the 25 Year Pastoral Plan (the Plan). We have shared individual parish results with their respective pastors and councils to help each build on its strengths and grow into an even more welcoming parish. To keep the spirit of renewal momentum going it is our intention to continue to engage parishioners in sharing their ideas and needs.
Bishop David Motiuk and the Eparchial Pastoral Council
