Parish continues to add ministries for parishioners to make use of their talents

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St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church

PARK CITY – Someone attending services at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church for the first time might be surprised by the parish’s many ministries, groups and events. The parish has 11 active ministries ranging from a bereavement ministry to taking Communion to the homebound to serving in the food bank. The welcome ministry started up this summer.

Two more – a high school ministry and a young family ministry – will have their first activities this month. On Oct. 31 the young family ministry will host a celebration of All-Saints Day where youngsters can dress up as saints; there will be several activities to teach them about the saints and the day of obligation.

“The desire is always to be able to accommodate people where they are and to find ways in which people may exercise their talents in the midst of the community,” said Father Christopher Gray, pastor of St. Mary’s. “It’s a way to amplify the effects of being a community and having the opportunity to look at other options, other ways of looking at things. … My idea of what a Catholic church should be is a place where everyone is welcome to explore their Catholic spirituality in many different ways – whatever suits them – and to not be restricted.”

The parish also offers eight groups focused on Bible study, worship and community. Parishioners interested in forming other groups are encouraged to contact Anthony Jewett, the parish’s new director of evangelization, to see how that can be facilitated.

A recent addition to the parish’s activities has been monthly summits where men, women or the whole parish gather to listen to a speaker and explore their faith; Fr. Gray said these summits have been very well-received.

This building  of community “fulfills not just the Pastoral Plan but the spirit of the Pastoral Plan and the basis on which the Pastoral Plan is built,” Fr. Gray said.

The diocesan Pastoral Plan, introduced by Bishop Oscar A. Solis in 2018, calls for parishes to work toward building the Kingdom of God in Utah.

“The parish is a platform, a place where people can do things for this thing we call Catholicism, a place where people can meet and grow,” Fr. Gray said. “It is Catholic, it is Church, but it is not merely a place that provides a service called church. It’s a place where people can go to be enriched in a variety of ways. A church should be a platform for being Catholic in a coherent and holistic way.”

Jewett, who has been organizing the summits and some of the new groups, said his function is to help parishioners fully express their Catholic faith beyond receiving the Sacraments. Organizing these groups and ministries “was a way in which the Pastoral Plan can be implemented in a real and substantial way to our parishioners,” he said. “The goal was to make it something in which we could allow it to grow.”

The summits and groups have drawn more Catholics into activity in the parish and enabled those who are new to the parish to find a community where they can belong, Jewett said. Now, parish officials are encouraging parishioners to “take the Church and their faith to their homes and to smaller, more individual communities within the parish … that can rely on each other in a more direct, one-on-one way,” he said.

Through these activities, “We’re trying to make the life of a Catholic more holy and more oriented toward God,” he said.

As the pandemic continues, the parish’s groups practice social distancing and encourage unvaccinated people to wear masks while attending events.