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The Mission: Promoting Catholic Life in Rural America
One hundred years of Catholic Rural Life! What a wonderful milestone to celebrate! This past year, Catholic Rural Life(CRL) celebrated its Centennial Anniversary. On May 8, we gathered over 300 CRL members, chapter leaders, clergy, and friends for a national event in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The event was spectacular, reminiscent of a joyful family reunion, and highlighted keynote remarks from Cardinal chapter Timothy Dolan and Monsignor James P. Shea. At the close of the year, we have much to celebrate and reflect upon.
During the past year, CRL has continued to its good work in rural dioceses throughout America. We have supported and fortified priests who served in royal communities through our Thriving in Rural Ministry program. Through retreats, workshops, conferences, and ongoing accompaniment, CRL has journeyed with over 300 rural priests from 53 dioceses to date! The ministry of these pre-impacts over 600 parishes collectively, serving approximately 120,000 rural Catholics.
We have also been steadfast in our commitment to our 32 CRL chapters, including our first ever college chapter, formed earlier this year on the campus of Kansas State University. We regularly assist Chapters, sharing best practices and ideas, as well as attending to the individual needs of their local communities. Annual Rural Life Celebrations and Masses, praying the Saints Isidore and Maria Novena each year, and meeting regularly in prayer, and service has also been a part of the ministry of these Chapters.
For an entire century, CRL has been dedicated to promoting Catholic life in rural America. The Diocese of Stockton is an essential part of this community. The Diocese of Stockton, along with the Diocese of Sacramento and Fresno, will work together to represent California’s Catholic agricultural leaders’ presence among the other CRL regions of the United States.
We are looking forward in sharing the vision of CRL. The vision of this ministry is the following:
CRL‘s vision is flourishing Catholic life in rural America- curious thriving families and parishes- centered on faith, community and care of creation. Our work in ethical agriculture and pastoral ministry and outreach, supports and builds the rural Church by educating leaders- clergy, religious and laity.
We are currently accomplishing our vision through various priorities, including our 30 local CRL Chapters and Thriving in Rural Ministry, retreats and workshops for priests serving in rural parishes.
In addition, here is a little more about CRL:
CRL, is a membership-based organization, comprise, the dedicated clergy, laity, and religious supporters who are joined in a common effort to serve the rural Church, rural people, and their communities.
I invite our Catholic families who are involved in agriculture, to consider joining and participating in Catholic Rural Life‘s mission of evangelization and celebrating our faith as you encounter God‘s presence in all that you do in the varied profession of agriculture, here, in the Central Valley of California- here, in our Diocese of Stockton!
For more information, please view CRL‘s website: CatholicRuralLife.org
or
[email protected]