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Office of Parish Support | Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux
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  • Home
  • What is OPS
  • The Priorities
      • Adult Formation
      • Youth Formation
      • Major Life Moments
  • Contact Us
  • Events
      • Youth Formation Summit 2022
      • Adult Formation Summit 2022
      • Leadership Formation Night
    • The Office of Parish Support exists to serve and accompany pastors, their staffs, and their pastoral leadership teams in the work of parish renewal.  We support, equip, and accompany each parish as they implement their own vision of making disciples of Jesus Christ.  This mission of making disciples focuses on four priorities: adult formation, youth formation, major life moments, and Sunday.

      OPS consists of a team of liaisons who each work with individual parishes to assist them in discerning and implementing the vision that God is calling them to.  Rather than having different diocesan offices each working to serve all parishes, the liaison model places the parish first and provides the opportunity to invest more deeply in individual parish communities.  This allows us to best serve needs of the parish and foster the vision of those particular communities, knowing that each community is unique and has different needs.

    • DISCERNMENT

      In all of our work as an Office and with parishes, discernment plays a foundational role.  Discernment involves intentionally taking time in prayer to ask God what He desires and to listen to what He shares with us.  God has a plan for each of us and for each of our parishes, so the most important thing we can do is give Him a chance to speak about that.  Discernment is not asking the Lord to confirm our ideas, and neither is it a time to figure everything out, but it is primarily a time to listen and be attentive to what God's desires for us.

      Without discernment, all of the pressure falls on us to figure out what to do in a given situation.  When we discern together and listen to the Lord, we are confirmed not in our own desires but in what He is calling us to, confident that He knows what is best for our parishes and the pastors and leaders we serve.

      THE FIVE

      The Formation Life Cycle, what we often call "The Five," attempts to shine light on the experience we each have as we grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.  Since the mission of the Church is to make disciples, and the mission of the Office is to help support that process in our parishes, it is crucial for us to have a vision for what that looks like.

      "The Five" are five dimensions or phases in the process of growing as a disciple.  As we begin the journey of discipleship, it is crucial that we have authentic relationships that encourage us to start and remain engaged with the process (Connect).  Through authentic community and good human friendships, we are often prepared for a deeper Encounter with God in our lives.  This encounter with the Lord can lead us to change certain elements of our lives, striving to root out sin and things that pull us away from Him (Conversion).  We also strive to grow in virtue and learn how we can more authentically live Christian discipleship (Grow).  And, as we more deeply experience the Lord, we then want to invite others into this same journey in response to what God has done for us (Mission).

      Connect, Encounter, Conversion, Grow, and Mission are not necessarily five strictly sequential steps, although this order is important, but five dimensions of our Christian discipleship.  It is important that we are aware of each element as we implement programs and processes in parish communities to foster growth in discipleship.


      A PROCESS OF DISCIPLESHIP

      Christian discipleship is not a one-time encounter but is an going process, as The Five aims to illuminate.  That means that as we take steps in that process, we move from one phase of discipleship to another, moving more deeply into a total relationship with Jesus and commitment to living with and in Him.  This means that as we aim to make our parishes "schools of discipleship," we should be attentive to that process as we plan our ministry and discipleship efforts.  The intentional "hand-off" from one step to the next ensures that people continually move deeper in their life of Christian disicpleship.  Some ministries are designed to be a first step ("shallow end"), while others are "deep-end" experiences.
    • David Dawson

      Director, Liaison, &  Major Life Moments Specialist for the
      Office of Parish Support
      [email protected] |  (985) 850-3130
       

      Parishes

      Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales
      St. Gregory Barbarigo
      Christ the Redeemer
      St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles Community
      Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Houma

    • Fr. Patrick Riviere

      Liaison & Priest Specialist for the Office of Parish Support
      [email protected] |  (985) 850-3143
       

      Parishes

      Sacred Heart, Morgan City
      Sacred Heart, Montegut
      St. Anthony of Padua, Bayou Black
      St. Charles Borromeo, Pointe-aux-Chenes
      St. Joseph, Chauvin
      Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow
      Maria Immacolata
      St. Andrew

    • Stephen Estes

      Liaison & Adult Formation Specialist for the Office of Parish Support
      [email protected] | (985) 850-3159
       

      Parishes

      St. Thomas Aquinas
      St. Bernadette
      St. Bridget
      St. Eloi
      St. Luke
      St. Lucy
      Holy Family
      St. Hilary of Poitier & St. Anthony, Gheens
      Our Lady of the Rosary, Larose

    • Rebecca Abboud

      Liaison & Youth Formation Specialist for the Office of Parish Support 
      [email protected] | (985) 850-3151
       

      Parishes

      St. Joseph Co-Cathedral
      St. Genevieve
      St. Lawrence, Chacahoula
      St. Louis King of France
      Sacred Heart, Cut Off
      Holy Cross
      St Mary's Nativity
      Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Chackbay
    • Joe Klapatch

      Liaison & Events Coordinator for the Office of Parish Support
      [email protected] | (985) 850-3155
       

      Parishes

      St. Lawrence the Martyr, Kraemer
      Our Lady of the Isle
      St. Ann
      St. Joseph, Galiano
      St. John the Evangelist
      Annunziata
      Holy Savior
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Home
What is OPS?

Adult Formation
Youth Formation
Major Life Moments
Events


Diocesan Office of Parish Support 
[email protected] | 985 850 3155 

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