Sr. John Patrick’s ministry reaching out

Sr. John Patrick’s role as coordinator of the diocesan Office of Worship is changing quite a bit.

“I’ll still do ministry training and formation,” she said last week from her office in the Chancery. “But the new role will provide the opportunity to go out and do more on the ground, more person-to-person liturgical formation.”

Sr. John Patrick said she hopes to share a deeper understanding of the Mass, and of liturgy in general, but also convey how it affects an individual, how it should transform one’s life.

“In a sense, it’s intended to support what the priests are doing in their parishes already,” she said. “It will also complement what the Office of Worship does on a day-to-day basis.”

Promoting the liturgy

Her new role will focus on promoting the liturgy, understanding it more deeply, and entering into its mystery.
There are three components to this new role, Sr. John Patrick said.

“One is what I just described, the liturgical formation offered to the parishes, providing what I can that might be supplemental and enriching, or sharing things about the liturgy that pastors may not have time to share,” she said.

The second will be the personal component that is fostered outside of liturgy.

“The liturgy presents objective truths. It reveals the mystery of God’s love for us. He loves us fiercely, passionately, infinitely, and unconditionally,” she said.

How do we respond to that? Sister asked. “Personal prayer, mediation, is essential. It makes possible a deeper participation in the liturgy. The two go hand in hand.”

Deeper personal prayer

Her duties will include helping those interested in deeper, personal prayer. “Working with small or larger groups, teaching them how to pray, and walking with them in their journey of setting off on that mental prayer aspect of their lives.”

The third facet of her role, Sr. John Patrick says, will be “seeking out other so-called missionaries of the liturgy to continue to form missionary disciples for the future.”

In other words, she adds, to seek out to individuals who desire to live and labor in the heart of the Church by presenting the beauty of consecrated life, religious life. “There are many, I think, who don’t know the beauty of religious life or see it as a viable vocational option.”

Sister said she will work to promote a better understanding of religious life, seek out potential vocations to the life, and walk with them as they discern. “We can get to where God wants us to be, but sometimes we go around the bush several times. Teaching individuals how to prepare and discern the will of God for them will hopefully help them take a straighter path.”

Sr. John Patrick will work from an office at Our Lady of the Trinity Priory – and on the road.