Living in Harmony: Ideas for Parishes

Participate in the study series on “Made in the Image and Likeness of God, a Pastoral Letter on Racial Harmony” by Archbishop Alfred Hughes. 

Form a parish racial harmony ministry.

Encourage the members of the racial harmony ministry, DRE, school and CCD religion teachers to attend “Race, the Power of an Illusion” and “Made in the Image and Likeness of God, a Pastoral letter on Racial Harmony” offered by ACCP/ORE.  Information is available from ORE or www.orearchdio-no.com.

Include a prayer for racial harmony in the Prayers of the Faithful at least once each month.  

Personally invite people from different racial/ethnic groups to be actively involved in the parish life, e.g. pastoral council, finance committee, school board.

Partner with a parish with an ethnically/racially different population.

Put announcements of interest from partner parish in bulletin.

With Partner Parish

Exchange

• lectors
• pulpits
• choirs

Examples of Joint Ministry Activities

• Right to Life committees pray outside the abortion clinic together
• men’s clubs meet for dinner and football night
• Altar societies join to decorate both churches for Christmas
• Choirs produce a joint Christmas Concert, go together to sing at senior residences and nursing homes
• Parishioners picnic together on Family Day
• Hold Men’s Retreat at one parish and Women’s Retreat at partner parish
• Alternate missions, guest speakers, Advent and Lenten talks
• Pray together - Eucharistic Adoration, Stations of the Cross, Rosary
• Catechesis e.g. host classes offered by ACCP/ORE
• CCD and school children participate in play morning
• youth and young adult groups meet and plan activities together
• service projects – Thanksgiving baskets, serving dinner to poor
• social evenings
• mixed team athletics