Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez: Forging a new way forward together
The Catholic Church of Philadelphia is asking, “Where does the Church need to be and how?”
It’s time to have a conversation about the direction of the Catholic Church of Philadelphia, and how it can best meet the needs of the people of this region with a hopeful and compassionate heart.
We are a church built on three centuries of welcoming the immigrant, caring for widows and orphans, offering shelter for the unhoused, and providing food for the hungry. We educate the young and care for the elderly. All that we do springs from a desire to share the love of Christ and his commandment to love one another as he loves us.
It hasn’t always been easy, especially over the past 20 years. The sexual abuse scandal left deep wounds we have worked hard to heal by supporting survivors of abuse while rebuilding trust through action. More recently, we have navigated rapid changes in our world and society, including a global pandemic.
We’ve watched as a variety of forces drove many people — particularly our youth — away from a relationship with God. The result: An estimated 83% of the region’s 1.1 million Catholics aren’t engaged with the church. That fact is sobering, and we are moving with urgency to address it. It’s essential for the church of Philadelphia to meet people where they are and encounter them with genuine concern.
Through it all, we continue to serve faithfully, passionately, and joyfully.
The scope of the church’s impact may surprise you, as may the fact that we serve anyone who asks for our help.
Our charitable ministries transform the lives of 650,000 people each year who are facing obstacles to survival. We serve more than 7.5 million meals annually to the hungry in the five-county Philadelphia region. We provide hundreds of men and women experiencing homelessness with shelter and essential services such as showers, laundry, mail, and skills training.
More than a thousand at-risk youth participate in programs that aid their growth and provide stable environments. We make available safe and affordable housing for nearly 450 seniors and social activities for nearly 2,200 more. We provide dignified residential settings and educational programs for nearly 500 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
K-12 Catholic schools educate more than 43,000 students and employ more than 4,000 education professionals. Last year, our Immigration Legal Services Office fielded more than 3,000 service requests, and we assisted with the resettlement of 172 individuals officially designated as refugees.
If the church of Philadelphia disappeared, even for a day, the impact on the five counties would be devastating.
The church is doing everything noted above and much more with just 17% of Catholics actively engaged. If we can increase those numbers by even a few percentage points, and if we can provide purpose and direction, particularly to our youth and young adults, the benefit will be exponentially increased for everyone in the region.
That’s why the Catholic Church of Philadelphia is embarking on a new pathway. Ours is not a plan for managing decline, but a mission for expansion. It’s a sign of trust in the virtue of hope.
As I wrote in a pastoral letter in January, we are asking, “Where does the Church need to be and how?”
As part of the answer, I have set the ambitious goal of creating at least 10 “Missionary Hubs” in each county over the next decade to bring together active Catholics with those who no longer participate, to reach out to all people and deepen their desire for a relationship with God, and to maximize our resources and talents to ignite a new spirit of community and service in Greater Philadelphia.
The Missionary Hubs will turn the church outward, connecting various ministries within a community. They will provide opportunities to encounter the faith through acts of service. They will find new ways to welcome and care for people, particularly in disadvantaged areas. They will be led by those who eagerly want to provide a sense of belonging and hope to those who are disaffected.
Over the next few months, dialogue sessions will be hosted in each county to start the conversation about the path we will travel together.
I encourage all those who want to make the church even more responsive to the needs of the people of our region to participate.
We know we face hard challenges. We know there will be a healthy amount of skepticism about our efforts, but we move forward with trust and hope.
Let us begin this mission together. Please visit trustandhope.org to learn more.
Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez was named the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 2020. He serves as the bishop liaison for the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry and is the chair of the board of Catholic Relief Services.