New Renewal App offers needed tools for Families of Parishes

The diocesan Renewal Team, along with Vyten, have designed a mobile app as a tool to the Families of Parishes as they plan the new style of cooperative ministry. The app includes pillar guides with text and video, parish guides with a map and priest contacts, and resources in the form of newsletters and training files. The information will continue to be updated as more changes occur in the diocese.

Deacon Greg Moran, director of Organizational Development and Strategic Planning, calls it a one-stop shop for directions and guidance while forming families.

“The whole initial intention of the app was to be a solid resource that anyone going into the families could rely on to obtain information, directions, continuous learning, communications that are last minute announcements to how do we do this or what are the expectations. So, making sure that they have a clear understanding of terminology that we use, especially parishioners that are getting involved with pillars.” he said.

A pillar section lists the six pillars that a strong family needs, and outlines topics for discussions. These can be downloaded, printed or shared with other members of the pillar group.

An interactive events calendar allows parishes to post their own events. Newsletters from Sister Louise Alff, OSF, evangelization consultant, are included. Videos from Father Bryan Zielenieski, vicar for Renewal and Development, are added regularly to clarify confusion or squelch rumors. Podcasts will be released in the future. Having information so readily available from the leaders in the Renewal will hopefully end misinformation that unfortunately has run rampant over the months.

“This is a precursor to the way I think vicariates and families should communicate in the future,” Deacon Moran said, adding that bulletins and emails can easily be missed.

Although clergy and pillar leaders will use the app the most, anyone in the parish family can find this useful. Even fallen away Catholics can find a new parish to attend.

“It’s a very useful handy tool that will continue to have life for the next three years or so as we get settled and we get to the point where we’ve come together as families. Now, how do we sustain it?” said Deacon Moran.

There are two ways to access this app. It can be found in the App store or Google Play Store for mobile devices or through a QR code (below). It can also be accessed from a computer at dioceseofbuff.vyten.app.