The parish: Where we find God and God finds us

“The parish is the single most important part of the church,” said Archbishop Murphy in his weekly Catholic Northwest Progress “In Joy and Hope” column. He described the parish as the place where people find God and God finds us. The archbishop stressed the importance for a parish to acknowledge its relation to the archdiocese and the universal church. In his view, parishes are so much more than a collection of buildings. “Such buildings are important for the life of every parish community, but a parish is not a place where, but a people who,” said Archbishop Murphy. “Buildings and staff persons are not ends in themselves, but rather are reflections of the priorities of parish communities in fulfilling their ministry and mission.”