A Pastor’s Conversion

Moving a parish from maintenance to mission is easier said than done. You can have all the best programs and all the best people on staff, but the key ingredient will always be the pastor.

We know our pastors truly desire that their parishes to thrive, but before a pastor can change the culture of a parish, he will have to consider the culture of his heart.

This week, Fr. Lorig sat down with Fr. Damien Cook, and they discussed Fr. Cook’s process of continued conversion, the things he’s pondered and the lessons he’s learned in the last few years of his priesthood.

• That he can happily share his vocation story.
• That he does not have to fear rejection, and his parishioners want to be of service.
• That he likes having a team and has a need for collaboration.
• That the Gallup Strengths gave him an appreciation for how God made him.
• That no one has all the strengths, and pastors don’t need to be invulnerable.
• That evangelization needs to come before catechesis.
• That we should ponder what made people willing to follow Jesus.
• That we shouldn’t be afraid of baptizing secular ideas.
• That if we want to bring the people around us to our Church, we have to have something for them there.
• That it’s important to intentionally give over control to your leaders.

Continue the Conversation

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Host

Fr. Jeff Lorig – Pastor at St. Joan of Arc and St. Thomas More

Guest

Fr. Damien Cook – Pastor at Christ the King

Resources

Rejection Proof – Jia Jiang adventures boldly into a territory so many of us fear: rejection. By seeking out rejection for 100 days — from asking a stranger to borrow $100 to requesting a “burger refill” at a restaurant. Jiang desensitized himself to the pain and shame that rejection often brings and, in the process, discovered that simply asking for what you want can open up possibilities where you expect to find dead ends.

Divine Renovation: From a Maintenance to a Missional Parish By Fr. James Mallon