Jamaica Gleaner

Personal commitment to ensure the vitality of the Catholic Church

- Most Rev Kenneth D. Richards

THE PRECEPTS of the Catholic Church highlight the required principles to be practised as marks of allegiance by members of the Catholic faith. These precepts are: I. To attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, resting from servile works. II. To observe the days of abstinence and fasting. To confess our sins to a priest, at least once a year. To receive Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist at least once a year, during the Easter Season. V. To contribute to the

support of the Church. VI. To obey the laws of the Church concerning matrimony. VII.To participat­e in the Church’s mission of evangelisa­tion of souls. This Pastoral Exhortatio­n will focus on the precept five: ‘Contributi­on to the support of the Church’, with implicatio­ns for the precept seven – the ‘Church’s Mission of Evangelisa­tion’. The present intention is to ensure that these precepts are practicall­y expressed in the Archdioces­an Five Year Strategic Plan focused on: (1) Faith Formation (Catechesis) and Faith Sharing (Evangelisa­tion), (2) Mobilisati­on of resources for mission (Stewardshi­p), and (3) Formation of strong leaders (Pastoral Leadership) to carry out the Church’s mandate. As a genuine testimony of faith, each Catholic must consider the question: ‘What difference must be noted in my living because I am a Catholic Christian?’ The answer must be rooted in the elements of Faith which

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MOST REV KENNETH RICHARDS

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