“Going forth, therefore, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to carry out everything I have commanded you, and know, I am with you always until the end of the world.” – Matthew 28:19-20
We, the Church of Saint Dominic, exercise the above mission entrusted to us by Jesus Christ by actively proclaiming the Gospel in word and deed, faithfully participating in the sacramental life of the Church, and intentionally committing ourselves to lifelong education and faith formation. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we strive to advance the Kingdom of God on earth through lives of service to members of our parish, our community, and our world.
Commitment to Worship and Sacrament
“Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Do this in memory of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:25-26
Through the liturgy, the Church proclaims and celebrates the Paschal Mystery of Christ, that is, God’s love and salvation revealed to us through the life, passion, death, resurrection and glorification of Jesus Christ. This mystery, expressed most perfectly in the Eucharist in the celebration of the Mass, is central to our common experience at St. Dominic. The Paschal Mystery draws our community together and calls each one of us to bear witness to the Gospel.
The celebration of other sacraments and our participation in non-sacramental forms of prayer and worship likewise orient us to the unity and love of God expressed in the Eucharist. As members of the living body of Christ, God’s love transforms and unites us, and is the focal point for deepening our faith, building community and serving humanity.
We commit ourselves to the following:
- To develop and expand worship settings, which join us as one community, one body of Christ.
- To encourage various forms of music, which complement our diversity and enhance the worship experience.
- To explore and participate in diverse forms of prayer, which will nourish our relationship with God.
- To increase our awareness of the divine presence in the sacraments, in our lives, and in our community.
- To ensure that people feel part of the body of Christ through welcoming and hospitality present before, during and after Mass.
Commitment to Education & Faith Formation
“If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Jesus Christ, reared in the words of faith and the sound doctrine you have faithfully followed.” 1 Timothy 4:6
Catechesis is built on certain elements of the Church’s pastoral mission including the initial proclamation of the Gospel, missionary preaching to arouse the faith, examination of the reasons for belief, experience of Christian living, celebration of the sacraments, integration into the ecclesial community, and apostolic and missionary witness.
As disciples we hunger for both the information and the formation needed to follow Jesus Christ. We are entrusted with the call to catechize or, literally, “echo down” the teachings of our faith in a manner that motivates the next generation to become disciples of Jesus Christ as well.
We know that we need to continually nurture and develop our faith. At St. Dominic, we value a complete and unified approach to faith formation and education. Adult lifelong learning strengthens our faith, nurtures our community and encourages us toward evangelization. Through our parish school, faith formation and youth ministry programs, youth are prepared to live their faith and participate in our parish community.
We commit ourselves to the following:
- To develop and deepen our understanding of Scripture, the teachings of the Catholic Church, and the meaning of being disciples of Christ.
- To celebrate and financially support education, youth, and religious formation as fundamental components of our mission.
- To respond to the various needs and diversity of our faith community in our education and faith formation programs.
- To recognize that education and spiritual development start with adults, first and foremost teachers in the faith formation of our children, and to develop educational and spiritual opportunities for adult members.
- To educate members and the Northfield community on Catholic teaching, particularly in areas of justice, sacramental and moral life.
- To encourage family participation and inter-generational faith sharing.
Commitment to Community
“You are the body of Christ. Every one of you is a member of it. If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. If one member is honored, all the members share its joy.” 1 Corinthians 12:26-27.
As a community of faith we strive toward the ideal of recognizing the divine presence in each member and the giftedness that each brings to our community. A “faith-full” community exists where members show mutual respect and a willingness to walk faith journeys with one another. Individual and communal wholeness depend on our alertness and desire to help every member, particularly those who are suffering or feel alienated from the body.
We commit ourselves to the following:
- To invite all Northfield Catholics to active participation and communion, recognizing that St. Dominic is incomplete if members of the Body are absent.
- To move beyond obligation and habit, and participate fully and intentionally in our community through active participation in worship, ministry, stewardship and faith development.
- To intend and express a welcoming and hospitable atmosphere at all parish functions and in our daily contacts.
- To link all parish organizations and groups as together we strive to fulfill the mission of our community.
- To promote mutual acceptance, appreciation and avenues of integration between our English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities.
- To invite input and feedback from the community members on the parish, its activities and programs.
- To recruit and nurture volunteers.
Commitment to Ministry
“Come, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me to eat, thirsty and you gave me to drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you comforted me, in prison and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:34-36
The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. Our celebration of this sacrament of charity brings with it both the grace and the responsibility to transform our interactions with others. In particular it impels us toward works of mercy and justice. Whereas mercy calls us to assist those in need, justice challenges us to alter the underlying causes of those needs. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that justice consists in the constant and firm will to give God and neighbor their due. Justice disposes one to respect the rights of each person and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good.
Ministry, then, puts mercy and justice into action. It is our outward response to God’s presence in our lives. It is what binds us together as a community and gives us integrity in the social arena beyond our parish community. God, source of all good, has blessed us with many gifts. As true stewards of our blessings, we must share, nurture, and expend our ministerial gifts in service to others.
We commit ourselves to the following:
- To develop an integrated approach to stewardship. In gratitude, our community accepts the call of the Gospel, as we commit our time, talent, and treasure to the work of the Church and to our community.
- To prioritize and participate in projects that promote justice and human equity and programs that address areas of chronic or acute human need. Stewardship contributions to these ministry projects reflect our commitment to address short-term needs and long-term solutions.
- To improve the sense of hospitality that our buildings project to members, visitors, volunteers, and staff.
- To integrate our physical structures to reflect the unifying themes in our vision and mission statements.
- To communicate clearly with those within and outside of our parish.