952-445-1319
[email protected]
"You Will Be My Witnesses." Acts 1:8
"Gathered and Sent from the Upper Room." Acts 1:13
Imagine the impact of 186 parishes across the Archdiocese journeying together!
Join us in the "Upper Room" starting on Tuesday, September 19!
SJA SMALL GROUP LEADERSHIP TRAINING - Starts Tuesday, September 19!
Here is a quick synopsis. See more detailed info below.
The SET team's (see SET members list below) next mission is to "fish for the 72" by personally inviting others to join us for a small group leadership training starting September 19, 2023. Of course, if you are excited to join, you are welcome to call a member or the office directly. Our SET team, along with Fr. Becker & Archbishop Hebda encourage you to join us for the 7-week video training series to help discern small groups in our parish. Those that attend the training series are not obligated to start or lead a small group, or even attend one. This will be a time of discernment and prayerful consideration of where the Lord is calling you. Some may be led to lead a small group in their home, others may want to use their gifts to help with a small group led by someone else, and yet some may choose not to participate at this time.
The 7-week training will take place on TUESDAYS
September 19, October 3, 10, 17 & 24, and November 7 & 14, 2023
7 pm | St. Mark Social Center
Be open to where the Lord is leading you and
He will guide you along the way.
We encourage all to participate, as we intend to start a variety of small groups in our parish by Ash Wednesday, February 14.
Where is God calling you to be a witness for Jesus Christ? Be open to where the Lord is leading you!
7-week training sessions will take place on TUESDAYS
Sept. 19, Oct. 3, 10, 17 & 24, and Nov. 7 & 14, 2023
7 pm | St. Mark Social Center
Each session will last less than two hours and will include an Archdiocesan-led video presentation, as well as times of prayer, teaching, and small group sharing.
Because this series is a formation toward leading small groups, and small group sharing is an important component of it, participants are asked to attend most, if not all sessions, in person. Recognizing that life happens, there will be an ability to “make up” missed sessions, but non-live participation is intended to be the exception, not the rule. If you know that you will need to miss more than two sessions, we will offer the training again in the future.
Participation in the series does not commit you to lead a small group. Upon the formation’s conclusion, there will be a mutual discernment, which will include the pastor, on whether each participant will lead a small group starting in Winter 2024 and what type of small group s/he might feel comfortable leading.
Furthermore, the formation will help discern other supporting leadership roles within the small group, such as hospitality, communication, prayer, or music ministry, as possible alternatives to being “the leader.”
We expect that different types of small groups will emerge. Examples include (but are not limited to): small groups among family, friends, and neighbors as well as parish/pastoral groups among youth, Sacramental preparation, RCIA, young adults, widows, etc.).
We hope to follow the example of the disciples to cast our nets far and wide within our parish to have at least 72 people join us in the “upper room” at our St. Mark Social Center starting on Tuesday, September 19. Please prayerfully discern to join us, as we aim to grow our Catholic community right here in Shakopee!
If you have questions or would like to sign up to participate in the 7-week Small Group Leader Formation series, please contact one of our SET members or the office at 952-445-1319.
SJA SYNOD EVANGELIZATION TEAM
Father Becker has appointed members of the Parish of Saints Joachim & Anne to be a part of the SYNOD Evangelization Team (SET).
SJA's SET team has attended:
Catechetical Institute's School of Discipleship: Activated Discipleship Seminar
On May 20, 2023, more than 1,700 faithful gathered at Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota to be sent out as disciples of Jesus Christ across the Twin Cities. The event was a key kickoff moment to launch the priorities of the Synod of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The day included talks from Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Bishop Joseph Williams, Jeff Cavins, Mary Healy, and Holy Mass and prayer teams. Adoration was led by our very own pastor, Father Michael Becker, who has been appointed by Archbishop Hebda to be the SYNOD Vicar of Charisms. We had many parishioners, including our SJA SET team attend this event.
Watch this video for a glimpse of the Activated Discipleship Seminar and see why our SJA SET team is inspired and motivated to start fishing for our next 72.
Watch for Father Becker!
If you are interested in being a part of the September Small Group Leadership Training please call the office or contact one of our SET team members.
SJA Parish Office 952-445-1319
After three years of prayer and listening events with thousands of participants, small group meetings, video series, and a Synod Assembly with nearly 500 voting delegates, Archbishop Bernard Hebda released on “Christ the King” weekend (November 19-20, 2022) his first pastoral letter. Entitled, You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent from the Upper Room, the document is accessible and inspiring, and well lays out Archbishop Hebda’s vision for a new model to renew this local Church.
Go deeper with these reflection questions for individuals and small groups, available in English and Spanish.
Come Holy Spirit,
Make our ears to hear,
Make our eyes to see,
Make our mouths to speak,
Make our hearts to seek,
Make our hands to reach out
and touch the world with your love.
AMEN.
Mary, Mother of the Church,
Pray for us.
OPENING PRAYER
We stand before You, Holy Spirit,
as we gather together in Your name.
With You alone to guide us,
make Yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go
and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful;
do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partially influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.
All this we ask of You,
who are at work in every place and time,
in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever.
AMEN
Mary, Mother of the Church,
Pray for us.
The Road to the Pastoral Plan
Coming November 2022 - Archbishop Hebda's Pastoral Letter
Archbishop Hebda will consider the recommended Pastoral priorities and write a Pastoral Letter to be published and sent to parishes on the Feast of Christ the King.
The Pastoral Letter will lead to a Pastoral Plan
to move our Archdiocese into the future!
June 3 - 5, 2022 - Archdiocesan Synod Assembly
Pastors will appoint two members and an alternate from each parish from the team that attended the Parish Synod Leadership Team Consultation to attend the Archdiocesan Synod Assembly with other delegates from each of the parishes around the Archdiocese. Archbishop Hebda will also appoint more than 100 other members to participate in the Synod Assembly in keeping with canon law requirements. Approximately 500 delegates will gather to learn, pray, and discuss the Synod topics in a weekend event at Cretin-Durham Hall High School in St. Paul. Collectively the Synod Members will recommend pastoral priorities to Archbishop Hebda.
March 5, 2022 - Parish Synod Leadership Team Consultation
Each pastor was asked to designate 5 - 10 parish leaders to discuss topics in the three Synod Focus Areas at the Parish Synod Leadership Team Consultation. SJA held this meeting on Saturday, March 5, 2022, with 11 appointed members present, to view the Archdiocese video, discuss draft Synod propositions, provide feedback electronically to Archbishop Hebda, and brainstorm ideas for implementation in our parish for some of these ideas.
In Fall 2021, parishes met to hold Parish Consultations with small groups. Pastors invited all parishioners to participate in these small groups. SJA held six weeks of small groups and had more than 50 people participate each week.
The Archdiocese offered a "Praying with Scripture" video five-part series with talks and tools to grow in holiness. It is led by Archbishop Hebda, Bishop Cozzens, and Catholics across the Archdiocese. The five themes are:
1. Prayer is a personal relationship with God
2. How to listen to God in our hearts
3. Conversation with God: acknowledge, relate, receive, respond
4. Discernment of spirits: consolation and desolation
5. Overcoming obstacles
Find the videos and other resources on the SYNOD website
ArchSPM.org/SynodPromo or ArchSPM.org/ministerio-latino/sinodo/
The Archdiocese completed the prayer and listening events attended by over 8,000 faithful, providing over 35,000 comments on what works well in our Archdiocese and the challenges and opportunities as we move forward together. Based on this feedback and other consultations and discernment, Archbishop Hebda determined these broad Focus Areas that will shape the 2021 Deanery and Parish Consultation process.