[HOME]

[click above to access the forum]

Fr. Thomas Loya On Evangelization

Fr. Thomas is pastor at Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church

The following are edited and excerpted for convenience only, consolidating posts that occur under different headings.

posted 05-17-2005 03:59 PM 

Glory to Jesus Christ!

I need your help:

In my work on evangelization and as someone who is trying to help promote a sense of mission vision and strategic planning for the Byzantine Catholic Church in America, I am often given the message that the Byzantine Catholic Church in America simply does not have the stomach to envision and embrace the type of change that has to happen for it to move from a Church in survival mode to a Church that is thriving.

Despite the fact that I actually have thirty years of proof and lived experience that principles of vision work I am nonetheless forever told that "we can't do this" or "No, we can't do that because someone might get mad and leave." Translated honestly this message says that our people are too stupid, complacent and faithless to really change anything and embrace a brand of Church that would catapult us into the forefront of existence in this hemisphere. Among the many things that I find puzzling about this fear based reaction to mission, vision and planning is that having a sense of mission and vision is precisely what our hallowed ancestors had when they left EVERYTHING!! EVERYTHING! and came to America and established for US The Byzantine Catholic Church in America. So I need your help:

I would like to share with you the complete Fr. Tom Loya formula for real evangelization: mission, vision and strategic planning. But first I need to know if you have the stomach for it? I need to know if the message that others are always giving me about the incompetence of our Church is indeed true? This evangelization forum exists, I assume, because there are people of vision, courage and Faith out there who are willing to think creatively.

As you consider your response I will say at this point only that what I mean by "creative" and "visionary" is a journey deep into the latent inner dynamism of our Church. It is a gaze that is vertical and which goes deep into our innate riches. These are riches that can be articulated for any era. It is NOT a horizontal journey where we ape everyone and everything else out of a sense of inferiority and because we have no knowledge or confidence of our own gifts nor how to make our innate gifts work in our times.

Is there anyone out there who is truly ready to listen, and to consider a REAL plan of evangelization for the Byzantine Catholic Church in America? That is my question. I will be waiting.

--Fr. Thomas J. Loya, STB., MA.

posted 05-18-2005 05:06 PM 

Glory to Jesus Christ!

...   The best way for me to do this is in stages. Before I present a vision and plan, I want to make a few preliminary remarks. Then I want to give you some background on myself in regard to evangelization, mission, vision and strategic planning. Finally I want to submit some ground rules for what I call "vision receptivity."

As I mentioned in my first posting on this subject: "I need your help." Actually the Byzantine Catholic Church needs your help. I have to look to you people because the ONLY way that any real evangelization will occur in this Church is by an intellectual-spiritual Tsunami from the grass roots. If the administrative levels of the BC Church in America see that this is indeed where their real Church is at I believe that they can be inspired and empowered to strike out into the deep.

I cannot emphasize enough that our Church sees itself as incapable. Fear and inferiority is the operant factor of the BC Church. The only voice with any power behind it which the administrative levels of our Church hears from are those who are complacent and intellectually and spiritually constipated. They hold our Church hostage under threat of "leaving" in the face of any real change. Since our Church is in survival mode and is not a thriving Church, the underlying motive for all decisions or lack of decisions is "fear of loosing people." The people of vision, which I believe IS our real Church (which I assume includes you) by their very nature do not "make trouble." They don't get in the bishop's face or write nasty letters and threaten to leave (and take their checkbooks with them.) They (you) simply quietly leave as they have been doing by the thousands for decades. This give our Church the impression that "Oh, we can't do this or that. The people don't want it." What people?

The complacent ones. Believe me. These people are winning and they are winning big time. The only hope is groundswell revolution. "Revolution??" (Notice how my language is beginning to ratchet up. Just wait. I warned you. The unfolding of this vision will not be for the faint of heart but I truly believe it can bring this Church into a new Pentecost.)

Now a little bit about me: Although I am a celibate priest, I come from a long line of married priests on both sides of my family in the Byzantine Catholic Church that can be traced back 300 years. I am a thoroughbred Ruthenian-Hungrian Byzantine Catholic. Because of the particular times that I grew up in during the BC Church history in America and because of whatever gifts God gave me, the sum total of my experience of the BC Church was anything and everything that had anything to do with vision and development. As Church we used to have this in us but we lost it in recent decades in a cesspool of complacency. Growing up I watched the entire Cleveland area develop, because of 2 priests with vision, from the four inner-city parishes to the current bastion of Eastern Catholic parishes including two eparchial centers side by side. As a priest I was a part of this development as I built two parish complexes, helped to establish the HORIZONS newspaper and what was a thriving Single Adult Ministry for ten years. This is just some of the visionary things that I have been involved in and I submit this to you only to give credibility to the statement that the only thing I have ever known has been to think and act evangelically with vision and creativity. I hope this does not sound like boasting. Rather, it is my way of saying, "Class is in session! Close your mouths, open your books, your ears, your minds and your hearts."

I have for several years now, presented thoughts on vision and plans to our Church. I have tried to help give our Church permission to dare to at least think creatively. At least think before we react. Look at possibilities and potentials and not first and foremost the liabilities. Basically all I have really heard from our Church in return is fear, inferiority and the reasons why we can't do this or can't do that. You can throw envy and jealousy in there as well. (NOTE: In saying this, I am not pointing a finger at any bishop or person. This is simply a systemic problem of a Church in survival mode. In fact, I credit Bishop John Kudrick for according me as much confidence as he has knowing that what I am about is simply too much for far too many Byzantine Catholics, which I hope does not include you.)

Alright, enough about me. Now the groundrules for "vision receptivity."

1. Everyone must take some spiritual-mental Exlax before we begin. Let's get all of our spiritual constipation loosened up. Calm down, relax, enjoy. This is time for creative thinking and visioning. Vision works this way: Vision is not about fantasizing. It is about a very reasoned assessment of potential. After making this very reasoned assessment of potential you present the vision. We never take our eye off of the vision. We never look back. We think first in terms of possibilities not dangers, hesitations and liabilities. These things come later and they come too darn easy. You don't need a brain to come up with the "what ifs," just a lot of fear. Fears have no place in the creative process. Visioning is a creative process.  (Creativity and thinking has practically become a crime in our Church. )

2. When a vision or parts of a vision are put out there for consideration, DO NOT REACT. REPEAT: DO NOT REACT!!!  Stop nuking things before they even get out of a person's mouth! This has become one of the greatest "talents" of our Church. Believe, me I sit in enough meetings to know! Look at a proposal from 360 degrees first. Look for its potential. It is easy to garbage-can something, harder to realize its potential.

3. I am supplying everyone with a "comfort-o-meter." Monitor all of your negative or uneasy responses to proposals to see if in fact you are trying to protect a comfort zone.  NO COMFORT ZONES allowed when developing a vision. You will soon see how many of our negative responses are based in a fear of loosing comfort and I will call you on this if I see it because it is killing our Church.

4. The Church is not what you experienced or what your parents experienced or what your grandparents experienced or what I experienced. It is not just what a person experiences in their lifetime. It is greater than all of our experiences and we need to stop holding the Church hostage and conforming it into our image and likeness. I do not care if "we've been doing it this way for 50 years." Fifty years is nothing in the history of the Church. The life of the Church is not static but always organic yet within parameters.

5. This vision and plan will NOT be an irresponsible "modernization" or in any way deviate from what the Eastern Catholic Church is supposed to be about. Rather, this vision is a journey further INTO, not "away" from, our authentic identity. The vision will take who we are and unlock its inner dynamism so that we can make an impact on a world that soooooo badly needs what we have to offer.

6. The Vision and Plan will have fierce adherence to Church teaching and to the Mission of the Church. The Mission of the Church is to be the visible presence of the Body of Christ on earth and all that this entails (self-denial, martyrdom, evangelization, etc.)

7. Vision, by its nature, is one-source based.
This means that some ONE person has it. There is a place for collaborative work but we MUST accept the fact that vision by its nature comes from one source. Most of the work of vision and planning is getting others to see what has long since been obvious to the visionary. It is forbidden in this discussion to refer to vision or aspects of vision as "opinions" which we can so conveniently just dismiss and remain nice and comfortable in the very situation that is killing us. Like the comfort zone, I will call you on this one as as well.

These are some groundrules. I will begin the unfolding of the vision and the plan in my next post. Are you still ready? Hang on to comfort-o-meters!! Here we goooooooo!!!!

--Fr. Thomas J. Loya, STB., MA.

 posted 05-19-2005 11:21 PM 

 Glory to Jesus Christ!

...  For the next two days I will be busy "doing evangelization" so I will not have alot of time to write about it. I have a interview with Ave Maria Radio and I have to present our Eparchy's symposium on the Eucharist in Sterling Heights Michigan this Saturday. So, I will present just a few ideas now and then continue in a couple of days.

The key words are Mission, Vision and Strategic Planning. This is first and foremost a spiritual renewal of our Church. This is judgment day for our Church. We must ask ourselves "What" are we doing and "Why" are we doing it?

We also have to establish in our mind the Mission of the Church which is to configure itself to the image of Jesus Christ. Then we compare how our Church current stacks up against this. There are no excuses. This IS the Mission. Everything must conform to that Mission. Remember; this is judgment day for our Church.

Now, we establish the Vision by asking ourselves, given what the Mission is, how do we want our Church to look in ten, years, 20 or whatever?

Now remember: there are no "what ifs" or "we already tried that" or "we can't do that" allowed. Visioning at this stage does not bring into consideration any limitations. First establish how we think this Church of ours should look. Remember we are going for a THRIVING, kick ass Church that makes an impact and sends a message that says to the world; "you need alot of answers and we got'em. So look out here we come."

Remember also that vision is not dreamy or unfounded. It is based on very reasoned sense of full potential.

Once you establish the vision, you devise a plan to accomplish the vision. No taking our eyes off the vision. No fear and no whining. March down field: There's the goal line. We're going for the touchdown and here's how we are going to do it.

Now, the reason why in visioning you go for the whole picture is that you know it may not all come to fruition exactly as you envision. But what you end up with will be dramatically better than the limp version of Church that we have been striving so hard to maintain for far too long.
And don't be offended!!! None of this nonsense about how dare we say this or that about our wonderful Church. I said you have to have the stomach for what you are about to hear or step aside. We have to name the demon before we can drive it out. The doctor has to name the disease before he can cure it.


I believe that for the Byzantine Catholic Church in America to become what I believe it in fact CAN become, it will have to be completely dismantled and rebuilt according to a more radical and therefore authentic model of its true self. This means plummeting deep into the inner dynamism of an Eastern Christian Church in union with Rome and all that this means. It means gathering up our riches and presenting them to today's world that speaks and makes an impact. At this point there is no pretty way to do this. It will have to be like surgery. Although you try to minimize the pain and blood it is unavoidable but it is the only life saving option. We have to stop trying to put "new wine into old wineskins." Nonetheless the complete dismantling and rebuilding of our Church WILL BE a win-win proposition for everyone. DO NOT! DO NOT worry about "Loosing people." A visionary thriving Church does not ask that question. A Church in maintenance and survival mode worries about loosing people even though what we are currently doing has been hemorrhaging people out of our Church for several decades.

No! A Church of Vision does NOT loose. Repeat we will NOT loose. From here on out any fear of "loosing" is forbidden from our discussion.  I don't want to hear this!!

The next step is a complete evaluation of our Church. No person, parish, eparchy or entity is exempt from being considered as to how it contributes or detracts from the vision. Some things will stay as they are but many things will change or have to be discarded. Every thing, every person, every entity must serve the vision or its gone. Simple as that.

The rebuilding of the Church will have to happen along every line especially our sense of Eastern Christian spirituality, faithfulness to Church teaching, community (Eucharist) and Biblical Stewardship. There will have to be some "sacred" (but destructive) cows that are going to have to be changed and they will not go away quietly. Nonetheless they must go. For instance. It is not "my parish-your parish." Rather it is Acts 2 of the Bible: They shared things in common.

I have not even scratched the surface but I have to leave town now and DO evangelization. More later.

--Fr. Thomas J. Loya, STB.MA.

posted 05-23-2005 01:11 PM 

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear Fellow Evangelizers,

Before we continue to unfold the plan for Mission, Vision and Strategic Planning I have two considerations: First, it is important not to get bogged down in anxiety and discussions about the “new translation of the liturgy.” Basically this is much a-do-about nothing. If we are going to get excited about something that is nothing more than tweaking a few words (yawn,) how are we EVER going to have the stomach for REAL renewal and vision in this Church? It is like getting all anxious about the style of hubcaps when we do not even have the car. It would have been much better had the tweaking of language in our liturgy been part of a total vision for our Church (the car.) Also I believe that the rough drafts should have been sent to the rank and file to include the “sensus fidelium” element. I will only say this about the “new translation:” Having been lead through it in detail I think it will overall be a good thing for our Church. I disagree with the inclusive language although it is not nearly as bad as it could have been. For anyone just tuning in please do not presume or judge my reasons for being against inclusive language since this subject always inspires emotion rather than reason. To understand me on this subject it is better to first become steeped in the Theology of the Body and to understand the mind of the Church. We can get into this inclusive language subject another time.

The second point is this and I have to have some indication from you before I go much further: I am very grateful to your receptivity to my proposed plan for radical renewal of the Byzantine Catholic Church. Unfolding this plan will take a great deal of time and effort for me to unravel here on the forum. But should I bother? Please remember that I am EXTREMELY busy DOING vision and evangelization. I do not have time to waste just writing and talking about it to a few people who just want to chat. What I am about: is vision and follow through, vision and follow through: ACTION! I see the vision. (as do many QUIET others.) The vision is obvious which means you have about three minutes to shoot your mouth off about it and then we go and DO the vision. It comes from my art background. You don’t “talk” a good painting. You get the vision and then spend the rest of the time DOING IT, bringing it into realization. During the process it is totally confusing to those without vision. But then you put the last stroke of paint on it and the whole thing becomes clear. Those who are not artists just have to wait because they cannot envision final products until they are right in front of them in complete form but the artist has to put up with them in the meantime.

I have no use for” opinions” and the overly glorified “collaborative”approach to vision. I have to endure enough waste-of-time meetings and discussions built upon the heresy of contemporary man that all of our thoughts, FEELINGs and reactions are just sooooo (damn) important and have to be heard and regarded with soooo much deference. This may be good in other areas (although I can’t imagine where.) But they simply have no place in vision and especially in regard to the current situation of the great modern sinking Titanic called the Eastern Catholic Churches. We have to first get a vision out there (the “car) to look at from 360 degrees and poke at a bit and then we GO WITH IT!

Having said that my question is: Is it possible to begin a “movement” of sorts? Out of compassion for the awesome challenge that our bishops face being bishops today, I believe that they need empowering. They need to be given a message that is it OK for them to respond to the voice of visionaries and to strike out into the deep. This is why I began this whole thing with the statement to you: “I need your help.” The status and future of this church is entirely up to you who have vision and zeal. I just wish people like you would stop being so damn quiet or simply quietly walking away. We cannot just blame the bishops. Remember, if they are only going to keep our Church in maintenance mode (perpetuate old wineskins) it is ONLY because they see no overriding reason to do otherwise. I cannot stress enough that what reigns in our Church is the message that any change would “upset people” and as Church in survival mode we will cling to this until a voice that is stronger than the voice of spiritual constipation begins to be heard. In a sense, I suppose that I am” recruiting” people for spiritual, visionary revolution. Now, let’s move our attention away from the hubcaps and begin to design our magnificent state-of-the arts “car:”

If we REALLY want to be visionary (and Christian) we should approach major renewal and vision on a Pan-Eastern level (ideally Orthodox and Catholic together.) For instance, we need things like ONE major seminary for the whole United States for all Eastern Catholics.

However, what I am outlining here applies at the very least to the Ruthenian Church in America. The essence of the vision and my plan is to prune (dismantle) the Byzantine Catholic Church. Just as with nature, pruning makes a plant stronger. We will have to go through a type of “imploding” or apparent shrinking. But, this is the only way to get stronger so that we can then explode again and I believe that we can if we develop and courageously pursue an evangelical vision. Besides, we are imploding now anyway by default. Why not do it purposefully and productively as part of great vision?

The plan revolves around re-appropriating resources and investing in those things which serve the Vision and which in turn would yield. By “resources” I mean clergy, finances and effort. The following are just the points. I will not unpack them now:

1. A high profile Church that makes an impact in our culture. This includes using the media. We have the answers and we need to let everyone know about it.

2. Establish a standard for every aspect of what we call a “parish:” parish life, structure architecture, art, landscaping. Anything that does not conform to this standard cannot be a parish. Currently we have many “chapels of convenience.” These should be eliminated in favor of “parishes.” Eliminating them would cure the so-called priest shortage overnight. We do not have a priest shortage. We have a real estate overage. And we have a people and resource shortage because we have spread our resources out too thinly with redundancy and non-productively just to “maintain” our current “wineskin.”

3. A standard for clergy especially for pastors. If a priest, for whatever reason cannot meet this standard he simply cannot be a pastor. Do not confuse this with being all negative. Some priests have special gifts and being pastors may not be the best use of their gifts and subsequently not the best thing for the parish.

4. Make a commitment to rediscovering authentic eastern monasticism in all of its dynamism and flexibility. This is important: No thriving eastern monasteries; no Eastern Catholic Church…End of story!

5. Every parish that thinks they are “doing fine” (i.e, on cruise control) must look at its future and surrounding environment according to a specified plan of assessment.

6. Keep an eye on real estate and demographics and, yes, believe it our not, “get into the real estate business” so to speak. (Remember all of my points need explaining. Don’t just react!)

7. Make a radical renewal and updating or our Catechetical series. A teen and young adult curriculum should be a priority. The Theology of the Body will now have to be woven into our entire curriculum from womb to tomb and especially into seminary training.

8. Have a FOR REAL renewal of our Liturgical worship. Not just tweak some words and then have World War III over such trifle. I call it “releasing the inner dynamism of our Liturgy.” This will take days and days to unpack but I have definite thoughts some of which I am of course living out at my own parish. Remember: If you have come to the Eastern Churches (Orthodox or Catholic) because they seem to “preserve” and “not change” you have a mistaken and destructive notion of these Churches. Now, CALM DOWN!! Do not confuse what I said with imitating the “changes of the post-Vatican II Latin Rite” or with what I call “romancing the secular world.” “Change” in the Eastern Churches means plummeting the depths of who we really are, seeing it as dynamic for all times and living it. This includes a fierce loyalty to, not a departure from, authentic Church teaching which is dynamic, transforming and good for all times.

9. Develop a sense of Biblical Stewardship. I have to once again step on sacred cows here but remember nothing is beyond scrutiny when it comes to a vision. We have to move from a hold-my-personal-money-back-and-do-fundraisers and move to Biblical giving and wise investment and planning. This includes things like tithing, planned giving, future funds, etc. This will mean re-orienting our spirituality according to Acts 2—we are all part of the same community whether in Pittsburgh or Omaha.
We share and give according to need and according to the vision.

I am not finished with my points but I have to stop for now. I will resume this next time.

--Fr. Thomas J. Loya

posted 05-26-2005 12:50 PM 

Glory to Jesus Christ

Dear Fellow Evangelizers,

First of all I commend Gavin for using music as an “instrument” for unity and evangelization. It is efforts like these on the grass-roots level that will hopefully crescendo and thereby empower the administrative levels of the Church to go ahead with a truly authentic, dynamic, creative and courageous Vision and Plan for the Church. When we first began the vision for the ByzanTEEN Youth Rally I said that ultimately this should evolve into a pan-eastern event (both Catholic and Orthodox.) I have this vision of thousands of kids playing and praying together at a national rally with all of the Eastern bishops (Catholic and Orthodox) looking on in utter dismay and then turning to themselves and saying, “So, why are we still out of Communion with each other??” Don’t be surprised if you see this actually happening in Chicago at ByzanTEEN Youth Rally 2008! (Remember; it’s vision-follow through, vision-follow through. It is not just “vision” or “hope” or “dream.” Rather it is; No whining. Get to work. Make the vision happen!

Your thoughts on the domestic church are right on target with the Vision and Strategic planning that will in fact bring the Byzantine Catholic Church into a new “springtime” of evangelization. The renewal of the domestic church is an extension of the “for real” liturgical renewal I am calling for in our plan for evangelization.

Pope John Paul II said that “humanity will go by way of the family.” I would like to add to this; ‘the family will go by way of marriage and marriage will go by way of the Theology of the Body.’ Furthermore, if we renew and develop the domestic church, especially marriage there will be renewal of vocations especially to the celibate religious state. Celibacy and marriage are interdependent. Where there is a breakdown in one, there is a corresponding breakdown in the other. No church knows that better than, believe it or not, a church that has a married priesthood! (It was the Eastern Church that gave monasticism to the world.) This is vitally important to know for the Eastern Catholic Churches who are trying to return to their married clergy tradition in the western world. This return must be done with a purely sacramental view and without any shred of the secular view (such as, “let’s make the priesthood more attractive by letting the guys get married. Then we will have more vocations.”)

The so-called vocations crises is a faith crises not a marriage vs. celibacy crises. The type of vision and planning that I am purporting would actually give us a priest overage overnight. Our problem is our perspective: We are locked into the idea that every existing parish and mission must be “covered” with a priest. We don’t have enough priests to “cover” every parish and mission so we mistakenly say that we have a “priest shortage.” With a sense of vision and a return to a more Biblical sense of Church and stewardship we would see that actually we have too much real estate, a lot of waste, drain and non-productivity. We are a bush that needs some big time pruning. The evangelical realigning of entities (parishes, missions, monasteries) according to a vision, is a key ingredient of my plan for evangelization because it will ultimately make the remaining entities strong and more dynamic. It’s the implode-in-order-to-explode model. Furthermore, what we really have is a “people shortage.”

The “home churches,” so to speak, are part of the what I referred to earlier as the “dismantling and rebuilding” of the Byzantine Church according to more authentic models. Our answer is in developing new (which are actually old) models of evangelization. Along with defining a standard for what a parish really is as opposed to just a “chapel of convenience” we have to develop models that come out of a total missionary consciousness. The spiritual strength of the Church has shifted around over history. (Third world nations are now re-evangelizing First World nations.) In this same way, I believe it is the Midwest and West Coasts that are going to be the new spiritual powerhouses for the Byzantine Catholic Church America. Part of this new vision is to come up with models to reach out to these areas which are inherently mission territory. Your home church ideas are going to be part of the answer. As these grow we can establish “for real” parishes that will have been conceived in the dynamism of authentic Eastern Christian prayer. These entities will provide great hope because they will be free of the encumberances we find in the places of origin for the Byzantine Catholic Church in America which have become fatally provincial. I certainly see this openness to a new and authentic spirit in the new members of my parish of Annunciation. The whole point of the new Vision plan will be for our Church to make a commitment to invest in these areas of new potential. This is part of that “re-appropriating of resources into areas of higher yield ” that I speak about in the Vision Plan. This is a radically different awareness for our Church and something that I have experienced great frustration in trying to communicate to the more provincial areas of my own eparchy. Again this is where I am turning to you. Our Church MUST hear from YOU! YOU! YOU! Our hierarchy have to hear your pleas and your proposed solutions. Empower our bishops to go ahead with joy and confidence into the new springtime for the Byzantine Catholic Church in America.

Let it be known to all who hear and care, that I, Fr. Thomas J. Loya, a priest and thoroughbred Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic with 300 years of family legacy in the priesthood of this very Church and via the medium of this forum, and at certain risk to myself, am calling for a movement in the Byantine Catholic Church in America. I will do all that I can to help facilitate such a movement. I will continue to unfold the Vision and Plan as I see it. But this is only to invite and hopefully inspire you to step up to the plate. You absolutely MUST understand that the thriving dynamic Byzantine Catholic Church that I truly believe could be, is now in YOUR hands. Look at Church history and you will see what I mean. I have personally tried working Vision and Planning through the existing system and structure and it has failed. The soil of our existing structure simply is not fertile enough to accept the seeds of Mission, Vision and Strategic Planning. Locked in maintenance and survival modes, the existing structures seek only to preserve the status quo even though it is killing. The fear of change is greater than the fear of death in the Byzantine Catholic Church of America!!

Maybe it was God’s Providence that the structures failed in this regard. Maybe it was God’s way of directing the renewal of HIS Church to where it always was and should be: the rank and file of the people of God. I will continue later. Thanks again for your zeal and gifts. Now, I will see what you are really made of. Remember: this is Judgement Day for all of us!
--Fr. Thomas J. Loya, STB.,MA.

posted 05-27-2005 12:41 PM 

 Glory to Jesus Christ!

Thank you, thank you for your encouragement. You give me hope! I really needed this. (Actually the Church needed this.)

Alright, as far as I am concerned the movement has begun. There is no turning back. This is for real and it is serious business. Are you with me? Then, let’s get going. There are a few things we need to look at right away as many of you mentioned. Here are some of my own thoughts:

I believe this thing will happen in the arena of ideas supported by prayer.
I have used the term, ”movement” which I personally have no problem with but this word can be very intimidating in our Church and especially to hierarchy. We can still use it but keep in mind that “Movement “ is too often associated by our Church as dissident. Remember, in all honestly the Ruthenian Church is very small thinking right now. Everything intimidates. (You can’t even change a note and word on a chant without World War III!) Our hierarchy will always get nervous when they perceive that two or more people are ”gathering” with ideas. This is in some ways understandable especially given the history of splits and schisms in our Church which were always ugly. Therefore, the most important message that we must struggle with all of our might to constantly convey is that this “movement” is all about supporting, empowering and inspiring our hierarchy (as well as the whole Church.) It is not about criticizing or working against them. Our hierarchy want what is best for our Church. But, I believe the problem is simply that they need creative, evangelical, prophetic ideas and the sense that it is OK to strike out into the deep to pursue these ideas, that we are not going to “loose” people. In fact we are going to gain—win/win!!!

This will have to be carried out, as I mentioned in the arena of ideas. We simply connect with more and more people who can think creatively and evangelically about the Eastern Churches and let our ideas be disseminated. They will be naturally contagious and catch more and more people up into them. This means we have to develop structures to disseminate our ideas. BUT we must try hard so that it never looks like an “underground” group even though some might always perceive it this way.

We always have to be up front and public. Even if someone gets intimidated and seeks to silence the “movement” we keep going because you cannot silence ideas. Anyone is allowed to think creatively and according to the mind of the Scriptures and to express those ideas (even though it seems like this has become a crime the Ruthenian Church.)

A correct idea enters a person’s heart and germinates because truth by its very nature works this way. There is no way anyone can stop truth from working in the human heart especially hearts that are so ripe and hungry for truth as in we have in the Eastern Churches.

I believe that the pan-eastern, pan-jurisdiction approach is correct (as I mentioned earlier about my vision for the ByzanTEEN Youth Rally.)
I recommend, as some of you have, that we simply invite people (Orthodox and Catholic) to an informal meeting. I believe, as you can see from this forum, that there are many people out there with basically the same sense of vision for the Eastern Churches and a willingness to pursue a plan to realize the vision. If done correctly this “movement” will quickly become high profile (as is the nature of movements. In fact it must become high profile to effect change.) What will define us will be that we live the very prayer life and vision that we are inviting all of the Eastern Churches to become a part of. Wherever we go we speak about our vision with eyes aglow, not fighting and arguing, just telling everyone about the “Good News.”

The other obstacle that we have to avoid is that, especially with Eastern Churches, everyone has their personal view of what the Church is supposed to be and they cling to these views with great emotion and passion. The truth is they are all wrong, which is why we are dying.

The views that will be fought for most passionately are the very ones that are killing us. We do crystallize the Church into OUR image and likeness WE DO NOT WANT THIS. ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN!!!. This is precisely why any efforts thus far for Mission, Vision and Strategic Planning have failed. The existing structures of our Church preclude creative thinking. They seek only to preserve the status quo and function completely on fear of change. This “movement” is intrinsically about fluid, creative, courageous, Biblical, prophetic thinking. Please be very careful at this stage not to connect or invite anyone who is not completely open to creative, fluid thinking. In the visioning process, everything is fair game. You do not bring in the parameters and the “what ifs” or the “we can’t do that” garbage when you are developing a vision.

If you want to meet in Chicago, that is fine. I will go to the top of Mt. Everest if that is where we have to begin. If only a few of us can be present at any one location, that is fine. But we have to begin, NOW. So, name the place and I will be there even if I am the only one.
--Fr. Thomas J. Loya, STB., MA.

The Byzantine Forum- "Razing it to the ground!? Is he crazy!?"

Fatherthomasloya
Moderator
Member # 1723

posted 06-15-2005 08:02 AM 

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear Fellow Evangelizers,

I’M BACK!! Bravi! Bravi! to all of you for your recent posts! They have been absolutely marvelous!! Keep up the honest, open, positive, creative, prophetic, evangelical (and yes, J. Thur,) “Jesus Christ” based thinking (and action.) J. Thur you are correct: The whole point of talking Evangelization, Mission, Vision and Planning is to configure our Church more closely to the Mystical Body of Christ.

I have removed my previous posts concerning vision and strategic planning for two reasons: First, they had been up there for a while. But there is a second and more important reason: I want to pause to step back so as to leap forward again with even greater intensity. I knew that my postings on this Evangelization forum would run the risk of some viewers getting stuck on a word, point or phrase, reacting emotionally, defensively, enviously or uncharitably. I knew that anyone who would react this way would not have read my postings in their entirety and thus be tempted to also sound bite them and even misrepresent them to others who also would not read them in their full context or at all but who would likewise react emotionally, defensively and uncharitably. Viewers do a disservice largely to themselves but also to the noble cause of a thriving Church by not considering visionary language in its entirety.

I am very gratified and humbled to know that none of the contributors to this Evangelization Forum have acted in the way I have just described. However, I am also well aware and I fully expected that there are
non-contributors to this Forum who have regrettably reacted as I mentioned above. Therefore, I am posting on this Forum some clarifications for the benefit of those who got stuck on a word or phrase and were unable to consider my previous postings in their entirety and intent. I invite anyone who has strong negative reactions to any of my thoughts to come out from the shadows. Please make your self known to me in person because I am very anxious to hear your creative and prophetic ideas and to know what you have done to move our Church from survival and maintenance mode to a thriving, evangelical church that will still be thriving long after Fr. So and So is no longer pastor or our great grandchildren have grown up. I call forth your creativity, sincerity, charity and zeal. Our Church needs you! Dinner and a glass of wine (or beer) is on me! Why, I’ll even offer you one of my favorite cigars. (Of course for the ladies chocolate usually works better.) So, how about it?

Oh! Speaking of cigars; We have a St. Maximos the Confessor Theology and “Cigar” Club that meets at Annunciation parish. We do terribly clandestine, subversive things like gather periodically to read and discuss the writings of the Fathers of the Church. Our next meeting is Saturday June 26 following our regular 5:00PM Vespers. Come and be a part of the “conspiracy” to grow in holiness. All are welcome! This club was organized by some of my parishioners but they let me play to.

The emotional reactions from some viewers who remain outside of this forum arena of ideas have given me an insight into our Church that gravely concerns me. Our Church seems incapable of looking at itself in a critical way born of love. In posting some of my thoughts thus far, I have in the eyes of some, committed the unforgivable sin: I dared to say what is not working and I dared to encourage other solutions. But I can and must do this because I am actually LIVING these solutions in various ways including at my parish of Annunciation in Homer Glen. I must “share the wealth” in hopes that others (parishes, monasteries and individuals) may come into a more dynamic evangelical experience of our Byzantine Catholic Church. My thoughts on this forum are at the same time my actual living experience.

The sign of health and maturity of any entity is precisely when the members of that entity feel free enough to take a critical look at themselves and ask, as I believe our Church is being asked, “What are we doing and why are we doing it?” Because I am a priest and ask these questions or because I might hold a certain position of eparchial service it is viewed by some that I “broke ranks” with the company, so to speak, by taking a critical look at things. Actually the opposite is true. On this forum I do not speak in any official capacity. But I am speaking in SUPPORT of the “company,” for its betterment. It reminds me of the classic story of the “emperor has no clothes.” I speak of what I find time and again is in the hearts of so many of you but yet is never heard. Quite frankly, our bishops do not hear from those with vision and zeal. At least they do not hear from you with any real force. Otherwise we would be a Church in vision mode and not in survival mode. You are the people that will carry our Church into a new Springtime of Evangelization. Your ideas and action plans born of love of this Church
and a sense of mission MUST be heard. No matter where I go within our Church I hear the same lament: “we are dying.” Yet, we dare not let anyone say it in any manner that might make an impact and inspire change. Before we can heal a disease, we must first name it. We name the disease precisely to heal it, not just to name it for the sake of “being mean and insensitive.” Some will say of me, “How DARE he say this!!” I ask, “How dare you NOT say this? Don’t you want our Church to thrive?” (Notice I did not say “survive.” It’s “thrive” ONLY.) If you want our Church to thrive, then why perpetuate some of the things that are killing it?

I heard with my own ears laity and clergy alike giving up and simply not caring. So many of us have pronounced “Eternal Memory” on our Church without even trying to heal it. There is no reason to be outraged at me or anyone daring to think and follow through with evangelization. Rather it is I, with the centuries of family legacy in this Church who am outraged that we actually have some laity and clergy alike who actually do not care if this Church continues on after their lifetime. They have told me this themselves! Do they not fear Judgment Day? How do we expect to stand before God on Judgment Day and justify NOT taking the necessary risks to perpetuate a Church that Jesus Christ died and rose for? How convenient it is to blame bishops or one another or the Latins or the weather or the world or…. I say, “Shut up, roll up your sleeves, take some mental-spiritual Exlax and start thinking and DOING evangelization.”

We are a Church poised and ready to truly make an impact in the world. We are being called forth. But, we are a Church paralyzed by our own fears. Many in our Church would rather see it die than change. They would rather see it die than be challenged out of their personal complacency. So, I am the one who is scandalized and I personally am doing what I can not to let the issue of evangelization rest in this Church. My question is what are YOU thinking or doing that is not simply perpetuating the same thing that is killing us? What are you thinking and DOING that is truly Biblical and evangelical. What are you thinking and doing that is truly configuring our Church more and more to Jesus Christ?

There are two principles that I stand on in all of my thoughts on Mission, Vision and Strategic Planning and I will repeat them here: 1. Our Church is experiencing Judgment Day: “What are we doing and why are we doing it?” 2. The Byzantine Catholic Church must be “razed” to the ground and completely rebuilt in order to realize its full, honest, charismatic and evangelical self. “Razing to the ground!!?? How DARE he say this? Is he saying that everything was no good before HE came along with his crazy ideas.??? No, I am not saying this. I ask you, why did we put icon screens BACK into our Churches? How DARE we!! Wasn’t the fact that out of a sense of inferiority and trying to be accepted as Catholics that our ancestors removed our icon screens good enough for us today?? How DARE we change what our venerable ancestors did? Was the reinstallation of icon screens not a form of “razing” our Church and rebuilding at least this piece of it according to what was more true to itself? Now simply take this idea and apply it to every aspect of our Church today. Why come out with a “new “translation of the Divine Liturgy? Is this not a form of “razing” the Church for its betterment, (although just a trifle form at that?)

You will find the idea of “razing” the Church in the very heart of the Byzantine Catholic Church itself. Don’t you recognize it??? It’s the PASCHAL MYSTERY!!!!! It’s John 12:24 “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat…”

So now we once again continue to leap forward on this Evangelization forum. My personal message to my own Church, “Give ourselves permission to think and to act creatively, prophetically evangelically. Allow the best version of our Church to emerge. Change for our Church is going to have to be cataclysmic. I am not suggesting that this happen all at once. But the change has to be that deep and comprehensive because we have too many things that have taken too deep a root in our Church for too long. Simply tweaking the system won’t do it. There is a great day ahead.
We are marching down field. We are going to the “Superbowl.” You are either on the team or you are not, but one way or the other the team is going to the Superbowl. Remember, I am living what I am saying. All you have to do is visit my parish or listen to my radio programs. (My radio program does not deal with issues here. It simply presents the teaching of the Magisterium as lived out in the Eastern Catholic Churches.)

As we resume let me simply remind us all of our rules for this particular forum which as you can see by now, is a bit different than the rest and certainly not for the spiritually faint of heart:

1.This Evangelization forum is not a Canonical entity of the Church. It is simply an arena for ideas that seeks to inspire evangelical commitment, action and ultimately help carry the Eastern Catholic Churches toward a new “Springtime of Evangelization.” We should all feel free to submit our ideas for discussion no matter who we are or what may be our positions in life.

2. Because this is an arena for creative thought, being “offended” is absolutely forbidden. Being “offended” has become a national pastime in our culture today but it is full of all manner of fear, ego and a handy excuse for nonperformance. Even if you “feel” that you are offended, ignore it and continue on with vision and planning.

3. There is no arguing or debating and no catty-ness. You can do that elsewhere but not on the Evangelization forum. We accept only positive creative ideas that must first be viewed charitably and with an open heart and mind from 360 degrees.

4. There is no specifically directed criticism of persons especially of the Hierarchs. Our comments and especially the “movement” that will grow out of them are meant to inspire and empower our leaders (and everyone else as well.)

5. It is forbidden to speak about “loosing” people because of a creative idea. This is a fear-based response and therefore forbidden. I will explain more about “loosing people” another time.

Remember; this internet medium is extremely handicapped. It does not convey tone of voice, body language, intentions, etc. This is why we must always be charitable and act with vision and intelligence, not react with small mindedness, envy, pettiness and out of a sense of protecting a complacent existence or personal agenda.

When I speak about my own Church I am someone who speaks from the standpoint of having literally hundreds of years of family legacy in this Ruthenian Church. Throughout my life and especially my adult and priestly years I have always found myself involved in some way or another in whatever visionary and cutting edge thing that was happening in our Church at any particular time. It is against this background that I speak both critically and creatively about my Church all in the same breath. The word
“critical” is not to be confused with irresponsible “criticism.” For our purposes, to look at our Church with a “critical” eye means to simply say, for the GOOD of the Church, that this or that thing is not working and that something better can replace it. This is what any one does about any person, place or thing that they really care about.

So let us go forth with faith, courage and zeal. And again, I say to my detractors: there is a fine meal, fine wine and a good cigar (or chocolate) waiting for you. Let’s meet in person. I am anxious to hear your solutions.

--Fr. Thomas J. Loya, STB., MA. Posts: 29 | From: Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church