The Archbishop’s new vision for the Diocese

The Archbishop of Birmingham, Revd. Bernard Longley, has unfolded a new vision for the Diocese of Birmingham, in a pastoral letter and several resources which are available on the Diocesan website.

We are called to be a Catholic diocese which is:

“Faithful to the mission entrusted to us by Jesus Christ;

Full of missionary disciples who work together co-responsibly

in vibrant communities of faith,

[and] joyful in their service of God and neighbour.”

You can find videos, resources, the pastoral letter, prayer cards and more on this link to the website.

Below is the message to all of us, calling us to join him in this opportunity to revive our commitment as Christians to become a vibrant community and true witnesses of our faith. 

“We have a mandate given to us by Our Lord to spread the good news and serve and grow the faith for the coming decade and beyond”

Archbishop Bernard Longley

A Message from Archbishop Bernard Longley

We have a mandate given to us by Our Lord to spread the good news and serve and grow the faith for the coming decade and beyond.

Pope Francis is encouraging us to do something new to help us achieve this.

In Evangelii Gaudium he encourages us, the Christian faithful, “to embark upon a new chapter of evangelisation marked by this joy [of the Gospel] while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.”

Pope Francis urged the entire Church “to embark on a new chapter of evangelism”. The Church must understand itself as a “community of missionary disciples”, who are “permanently in a state of mission”. He says that “’mere administration’ can no longer be enough.”

I have commissioned a number of groups who are looking at how we work in our parishes and in the Archdiocese to increase the opportunities that enable us to do God’s work and to fulfil the promises of our baptism.

I want us to look at how we will individually respond to God’s call to be missionary disciples in the Church and in our local communities, working joyfully together to spread the Word and the work of God. In essence, how will we unfold God’s plan for our diocesan church?

When I look ahead, I envisage a Catholic diocese which is:

· Faithful to the mission entrusted to us by Jesus Christ

· Full of intentional disciples in vibrant communities of faith, joyful in their service of God and others

· Where many more lay people are engaged in collaborative ministry

How can it happen and what will that look like given the challenges we face?

There are four areas I am asking us all to focus on: Evangelisation, Formation, Liturgy and Worship and Social Outreach.

In our work on the four themes it is important that young people and families are a particular area of focus for all that we do. The universal call to holiness finds its first expression within families and its first recruits among young people. Catholic education and our diocesan youth services play an important role in serving families and young people. The links between the family, the parish and the school are vital to ensure that the faith is handed on.

I invite you to join me in looking with fresh eyes at our mission. We must take this opportunity to do all we can to make sure the Gospel is seen and heard through the example of our daily Christian lives.

With every blessing,