Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom* into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, *because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed, go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” (Luke 4:16-19)
The mission vision of Saint Jerome Parish Staff is fourfold:
- To Accompany the people of God in celebrating the Sacramental Life of the Church.
- To Educate God’s people in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the Teachings of the Church.
- To Govern the temporal goods of the Church responsibly.
- To Assist the Pastor in the execution of pastoral programs which include worship, healing and restoring everything in Jesus Christ the Chief Shepherd of souls.
The realization of the Parish Mission is primarily entrusted to the Parish Priest who is, “the proper pastor of the parish entrusted to him, exercising the pastoral care of the community committed to him under the authority of the diocesan bishop in whose ministry of Christ he has been called to share, so that for that same community he carries out the functions of teaching, sanctifying and governing also with the cooperation of other presbyters or deacons and with the assistance of lay members of the Christian faithful, according to the norm of the law.” (Canon 519)
The accomplishment of the tasks entrusted to the Parish Staff should be envisioned as an assistance to the Pastor who is entrusted with the responsibility to sanctify, to teach and to govern God’s people according to the Teachings of Jesus Christ the High Priest. As members of the Parish Team, we are called by God to contribute our gifts and talents to the continuous project of God by bringing His Kingdom to the life of God’s people. The responsibility of each staff member is to care for God’s people while being compensated by people’s generosity. It is by the spirit of justice that a regularly compensated staff member always remains conscious that he or she is called to serve God’s people in the ministerial atmosphere.
Ministerial Virtues
As the mission statement of Saint Jerome Parish is envisioned by the Pastor and adapted to the needs of God’s people, the following are the ministerial virtues that the Parish Team is invited to live by and promote with other staff members.
- Sincere Obedience to the Pastor as an act of faith to the mission of Jesus Christ.
- Ministerial Zeal and initiative as a conscious decision while participating in the parish ministry.
- Pastoral Sensitivity that exhibits care, involvement and concern to the details that are associated with order and decorum of the workplace while team building is promoted among all members of the Parish Staff.
In the end, the role of the Parish Staff is being summarized by the Gospel of Saint Luke, quoted above, as it was fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus Christ. As ordained clergy, consecrated religious and lay leaders, we have the responsibility to bring the Good News to the poor, to free the captives, to restore the vision of the blind and to announce the favor of the Lord. The success of this mission statement depends fully on the collaboration and conviction of each staff member that they are “called.” We do not participate in the ministry for our own sake or simply to accomplish what is expected from us according to our assumed responsibilities. Our mission is to assure God’s people that they are accompanied, taught, and assisted by our Parish Team to encounter the presence of God in their journey.