WINNIPEG (CCN) — Revitalizing and energizing the Archdiocese of Winnipeg is a big job — but Father Darrin Gurr says he is up to it.
Gurr, who was parish priest at St. Gianna Beretta Molla Parish in southwest Winnipeg for 22 years, started a new job this summer as episcopal vicar for stewardship and mission.
In that role, he will lead a new initiative of the archdiocese called Together in Mission. The goal is to “awaken and engage both the laity and clergy of the archdiocese and to build a better and more promising future,” he says, adding he wants to “foster a spirit of renewal in all aspects of our Church.”
That spirit of renewal is needed because the Archdiocese of Winnipeg, with its 155,000 members in 88 parishes, “has experienced malaise at every level,” he says.
That malaise, which is seen in a decline in attendance and participation in the life of the Church, started before the pandemic. “But it was certainly exacerbated by COVID-19,” Gurr says.
The new task fits well with Gurr, 62, who has been a parish priest for 37 years and has a strong interest in the area of stewardship — he even wrote a book about it in 2019 titled “Living Stewardship: How to be Grateful, Generous and in the Moment”(Novalis).
By stewardship, he means how Christians can use all their gifts — financial, time, skills and abilities. “We are the recipients of God’s gifts and we are responsible to use them to make the world a better place,” he says.
Key to this revitalization for Gurr is seeing people return to the Mass. But, he emphasizes, this initiative is not just for boosting numbers or making people feel good about being there.
Instead, the goal is to “bring people into discipleship as a response to the needs of the world. It’s not a call just to come back to church services, but to go out and engage in mission by bringing God’s love and kindness into the world,” he says.
For Gurr, that mission means addressing challenges such as poverty, homelessness, hunger and inequality, among other things. “We need the church to speak into these realities,” he says.
The role of the Church is especially important at a time when many Canadians feel isolated, lonely, divided and polarized. “We are going in the wrong direction,” he shares. “We need more people of goodwill.”
One thing that gives him hope is younger Catholics today.
“I believe they are ready for this message,” he says. “They want to make a contribution to the world. Their hearts are being awakened. It is up to the Church to feed that desire, to make space for them.”
Gurr is adamant his new role is not about “nice words. It’s about actions, ideas and policies.” It also is about telling the stories about what churches and individual Christians are already doing. “We can take joy and pride in them, and be inspired,” he says.
Looking ahead, Gurr says “the task before us is daunting and very challenging.
“But,” he adds, “there is no other option.”
Archbishop Murray Chatlain of Winnipeg says Gurr’s mandate includes pursuing “a deeper understanding of the spirituality of discipleship.”
“It’s a vision for all of us to express our gratitude to God for how he has blessed us,” he says.
The archbishop says Gurr is perfect for the task because he is “passionate and gifted” in this area, having often spoken about stewardship in other dioceses across Canada. “Since we have an expert here, we wanted to use his gifts in Winnipeg.”
While there are challenges, there are also positive signs of growth in the archdiocese, Chatlain adds. This includes 40 people in one parish volunteering to teach the faith to children through catechism classes. Younger people in the archdiocese also are showing greater interest in ways they can be involved in service.
Like a swimmer, the archdiocese needs to keep moving or sink, he observes. “We need to move forward or become stagnant,” he says.
John Longhurst is the faith columnist at the Winnipeg Free Press.
