Community of parishes
A community of parishes (GdG) is a subdivision in the diocese of Aachen , to which several neighboring parishes have come together. In total there are 71 communities of parishes in the diocese.
Origin and goals
The diocese formulates the goal of cooperation in the “pastoral spaces of the 'Church on site'” as follows:
“The aim of the community of congregations is the coordination of pastoral care and a binding form of cooperation between the participating congregations. Parishes are understood to mean parishes and other parishes - e.g. parishes with a different culture and language / missions, categorical parishes. "
In 2000, Bishop Heinrich Mussinghoff initiated a process that was supposed to lead to a binding cooperation between neighboring congregations. The basis was the deployment plan “Pastoral Offices and Services” and the “Structural Plan for the Local Church Level”, through which the deployment of priests and deacons as well as pastoral and community officers in the diocese are regulated. This was preceded by a spiritual impulse for networking within a parish and between parishes, which Bishop Klaus Hemmerle had given under the motto “community” in his Lenten pastoral letter in 1989. It had led to several “communities” of neighboring parishes in the diocese. Bishop Hemmerle had written: “How can every congregation become a community in which many ministries complement each other and not everything is expected from the priest or the full-time staff? How can we imagine a fellowship between several congregations in which we share gifts and tasks, life and services, including priestly service? "
structure
The process of forming communities of parishes was completed in 2010. 71 communities of the municipalities emerged nationwide in all eight regions of the diocese (Aachen-Stadt, Aachen-Land, Düren, Eifel, Heinsberg, Kempen-Viersen, Krefeld and Mönchengladbach). In 27 of these communities, there was a merger of the municipalities involved to a single parish, in the other the individual parishes remained legally independent and maintained, if appropriate, their canonical pastor and the church council , but they agreed on a long-term cooperation under the leadership of an appointed by the Episcopal priest , who primarily has a coordinating task. Theological options and basic pastoral attitudes towards the community of the congregations are laid down in “Guidelines for Pastoral Care in the Communities of the Communities of the Diocese of Aachen”. Innovative pastoral projects in individual communities are financially supported by the diocese.
At the level of the community of parishes, there is a GdG council that is responsible for the fundamental questions of pastoral care. The individual parishes have a parish council. There can also be local councils for subdivisions in the community of communes; In terms of territory, this can be a former parish or chaplaincy (after merger), but also a staff parish in categorical pastoral care such as youth church, university parish or hospital pastoral care.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Church in the Diocese of Aachen (kibac): Community of parishes
- ↑ www.klaus-hemmerle.de: Lenten pastor letter 1989.
- ↑ kibac.de: Guidelines for Pastoral Care in the Communities of the Parishes of the Diocese of Aachen (June 12, 2011), p. 26.
- ↑ kibac.de: Promotion of pastoral projects.
- ↑ kibac.de: Statutes and GdR councils.