At this moment in our parish journey, we find ourselves at a meaningful intersection of discernment, transition, and hopeful anticipation.

Several movements have been unfolding simultaneously: the Parish Renewal Team is entering the final phase of developing our pastoral plan; the Parish Pastoral Council has begun its journey of accompaniment and discernment; and the Finance Council has stepped in with dedication, offering not only insight into our financial reality but also concrete support to help us move forward with clarity and stewardship.

These first few months have been a time of listening, learning, and mutual discovery. Both councils have embraced the mission of understanding the current landscape of our parish—its strengths, its challenges, and its emerging needs. Even at this early stage, their dedication has begun to yield small yet hopeful fruits of collaboration through the creation of focused subcommittees, each entrusted with exploring key aspects of parish life, including discipleship, ministries, hospitality and engagement, finance, communication, staff-related matters, and financial procedures. These groups are serving the community in very tangible ways, helping us navigate essential areas of reorganization and discernment—especially as we reflect on how best to align our structures with the mission we are called to live.

The Building Fund Committee, too, has offered us a broader sense of direction—one that unites us around more than just a financial goal. It gathers us around a shared vision for the future of our parish: a vision that embraces our past, responds to our present needs, and expresses our desire to be a welcoming and mission-oriented community. Through their work—and the support of each of us—we are reminded that financial responsibility, when rooted in pastoral vision, becomes an instrument of mission.

At first glance, it may seem as though these various dynamics are unfolding on separate tracks. But through the lens of faith, they appear as threads of a single tapestry—woven together by the Spirit who calls us not merely to work beside one another, but to walk together.

And in this walking together, we remain close to the wider Church. We do not discern in isolation. We do not carry this responsibility alone. The wisdom and support of our diocesan offices continue to accompany us, helping ensure that our path remains rooted in the communion and guidance of the Church to which we belong.

This journey invites us to grow—not only in structure but in spirit. It calls us to create space to truly listen, to be patient with the process, and to trust that God is already at work in our midst. There will be questions, challenges, and, of course, failures. Yet when approached in a spirit of communion, even these can become spaces of grace.

Above all, I invite each of us—council members, ministry leaders, and parishioners—to embrace this moment not as a project to finish, but as a calling to live. The unity we seek will not come from perfect alignment but from shared intention: a desire to walk together, with hearts open to Christ and to one another.

Fr. Fabio de Souza