In place of Fr. McCullough’s regular column we are reprinting information from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati on Beacons of Light.

“Radiate Christ. These two words summarize God the Father’s hope for humanity on this earth. The words contain both a reality and a mission: the reality of the person of Jesus Christ as the Savior of all people and the mission of each Christian to participate in the Son’s redemption of the world.”  ~ Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr
 
Becoming People Who Radiate Christ
We are people on a journey of faith in relationship with Jesus, called to grow as disciples who are ready to be part of Christ’s mission in the world. We are formed as missionary disciples in many ways, especially through the Eucharist, sacraments, and in the life of our parish communities. If each of us is called to radiate Christ, we must be rooted in a strong, vital parish that forms us as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ at every stage of life and faith.
 
Announcing Beacons of Light
Beacons of Light is a multi-year process of pastoral planning for the Archdiocese of  Cincinnati. Rooted in prayer, groupings of  parishes will come together as one faith community. These new “Families of Parishes” will be stronger together, focused more on
mission than on maintenance. In the Families of Parishes we will grow closer to God, follow Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, and radiate Christ in our lives.
 
Through Beacons of Light, 65-75 parish groupings will become Families of Parishes throughout the cities and towns, suburbs, and rural communities of the 19 counties of  southwest Ohio. Parishioners will be invited to share their hopes and dreams as parish leaders come together to discern the future, with the ultimate goal – in time - of each family becoming one parish led by a single pastor.
 
Our Call: Form Parishes as Beacons of Light
People on a journey of missionary discipleship. Priests who have the time to be present, attend to the needs of their people, and lead their parish to fulfill Christ’s great commission. Parishes that are alive in faith, filled with vitality, ready to form people to radiate Christ at home, in their neighborhoods and workplace, towns and cities, and in the world. Pastoral life of this depth requires strategic, pastoral planning for a bright future for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Why Now?
Many factors lead us to recognize an urgent need to organize parish life more effectively for our   future. Our parishes need to be vibrant communities of faith in order that we might fully grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. We face the decline of religious practice in the United States and changing demographics in the Midwest. And, while we are blessed with an increased number of men who have been ordained to the priesthood in the past few years or who are currently in seminary formation, we have even more still serving as pastors who are at or beyond retirement age or who will be eligible to retire in the next
few years.
 
Beacons of Light: From Surviving to Thriving
Beacons of Light will be a unique experience of pastoral planning for the Archdiocese of  Cincinnati. There are two essential elements of the process, which will take place simultaneously and will lead us to move from maintenance to mission, from surviving to thriving. Strategic Planning: involves data gathering, analysis, and the identification of the best possible parish groupings throughout the Archdiocese. Pastoral Planning: includes meetings and processes through which parish leaders will discern the shape of parish life for their grouping and create a pastoral plan for the future.
 
What’s Next: Praying and Planning
We invite you to join us in prayer as we enter into this new phase of pastoral planning.
Monthly prayer and reflection resources, as well as updates on the process, will be available at www.catholicaoc.org/beacons.