Bringing the sense of the Cenacle to the parishes

Archbishop Alexander Sample explains the benefits of the Amazing Parish program during the 2021 summer session. (Courtesy of Amazing Parish)

Msgr. John Cihak

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“Cenacle” is another word for the Cenacle in Jerusalem. Tradition holds that the Last Supper took place in the Cenacle. The apostles continued to gather there after Christ’s death and resurrection, and it was there that the Holy Spirit came to the apostles at Pentecost.

Now imagine your parish as a cenacle, a center for “recovering the beginnings of Christianity in the Acts of the Apostles” – with “a goal of changing the culture for a more dynamic life of faith”.

This is how Father Ken Sampson, parish priest of Sacred Heart Parish in Medford, describes the Amazing Parish movement.

More prosaically, Amazing Parish uses the management training framework that Patrick Lencioni, a Catholic business consultant, uses with top-notch corporate executives. This formation is redirected towards the parishes.

As individual parishes across the country participated in the Amazing Parish program, Archbishop Alexander Sample urged all parishes in the Archdiocese of Portland to participate. Only three other dioceses participate together like this.

Msgr. John Cihak, pastor of Christ the King Parish in Milwaukie and director of continuing education for priests, said the Amazing Parish program is part of the workshop for new transitional pastors in the archdiocese each year.

“It has proven effective and provides a common vocabulary for the future,” he said. “That’s how we do it in the Archdiocese of Portland. It works in companies but also in parishes.

Training could fill books and it does, but it essentially helps parishes cultivate three cultures: healthy teamwork, active discipleship, and unceasing prayer.

Father Sampson traveled with a leadership team from his parish to an Amazing Parish summit in Kansas City last summer. He was one of approximately 20 priests in the Archdiocese of Portland. Father Sampson had no idea he would become such a strong supporter.

“It was fantastic,” he said, explaining how the training helped him personally and professionally. He believes that Sacred Heart has become a more functional and spiritual parish because of the amazing parish principles that are enforced there.

Father Sampson and the Sacred Heart team are returning to Denver this summer for a second practice.

Accompany the pastor

The Amazing Parish transformation begins with the pastor – not because he is the boss but rather because the pastor is the essential servant of the parish.

“Whenever there is a bottleneck, it is the priest who is the problem,” Fr. Sampson said. “I know for me, I’m too spread out.”

Amazing Parish helped.

Father Sampson praises his leadership team who meet with him weekly. “It’s good to have an extra support group in your parish,” he says.

Msgr. Cihak agrees. With the Christ the King team, he said: “I don’t feel like I’m alone. I have people walking with me.

Msgr. Cihak describes the program as operating through concentric circles: the leadership team, volunteers and apostolates, parishioners, “ultimately the world.”

“It works because it has to do with being human,” he said. “His tools are vulnerable, honest and have tough conversations instead of letting issues escalate.”

Msgr. Cihak said the program is slow to get going, but has revitalized Christ the King staff. “We have all personally benefited from it and it has helped us to be better at our work and our mission.”

Father Sampson now uses more of a collaborative leadership model. He has discovered that he has more time to lead, because others are managing more and because he now has time to discern where he should spend his time.

Coaches from Amazing Parish’s offices in Colorado meet with pastors enrolled in the program up to twice a month to discuss challenges.

Discipleship and prayer

A second change at Sacred Heart, Fr. Sampson said, is the culture of evangelism he now sees.

When people give a personal testimony of how God is working in their lives, it takes openness and vulnerability. This, in turn, makes the parish more welcoming.

“We show by our behavior that we care about you and welcome you,” Father Sampson said.

But perhaps the most significant change that has taken place in Sacred Heart Parish through the Amazing Parish program is prayer.

“Always pray,” said Father Sampson.

Prayer is not only the first thing on the agenda of a meeting, there is a culture of prayer at the Sacred Heart. Also, it’s not just the prayers where someone else has written the words.

“Spontaneous prayer from the heart is a bit more foreign,” admits Father Sampson. “But it’s powerful. Everyone who comes to the office knows that we will pray with them. I meet parishioners in the parking lot and we pray together.

The telephone conversation with Father Sampson lasted a long time because of his enthusiasm. Before saying goodbye, however, he asked how things were going in Portland.

And we prayed together.