Participate in a Small Group
Small Groups
Each small group gathers in Jesus' name for friendship, spiritual growth, and prayer. Group time will include moments of relational connection, spiritual growth through teaching and discussion, and prayer with and for one another.
Group Goal
Foster personal relationships, build community, and provide faith formation to help parishioners grow as joyful missionary disciples of Christ.
"The church exists in order to evangelize." -Pope Paul the Sixth
Evangelization Prayer
Holy Spirit, renew your wonders in our time, as though in a new Pentecost, and grant that this Archdiocese, united in prayer around Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and guided by St. Peter, may spread the Kingdom of the divine Savior, a Kingdom of truth, of justice, of love, and of peace. Amen. Saint Paul, our great missionary patron, pray for us!
Small Group Leader
Interested in starting a small group? View resources below to get started.
How well do you know your fellow parishioners, the people you worship with each week? This is a question for all of us—and one that prompted me to become involved in the Archdiocesan Synod small group implementation efforts. We meet in my home, usually every other Sunday evening. We are fortunate to have a group of eight people.
Some of the benefits I have experienced from this regular time of connection with other parishioners:
Deeper, more meaningful connections, building virtuous friendships and camaraderie.
Feeling a real purpose in helping each other build a solid relationship with God.
Praying for each other and sharing life with each other, building trust that our needs and intentions are important, and the group truly cares about each other's intentions/needs.
Knowing that my presence and efforts matter to others, i.e., we all feel the emptiness if we need to skip/cancel a group session.
Greater understanding of many teachings of the Church that we've studied together; Prayer, Pillars of the Catechism and Sacraments, Biblical foundations and reasons behind what we do at Mass, and the Eucharist.
I pray that we can continue to multiply our small groups and offer this experience to even more parishioners, and potentially expand it to include outside guests and/or those who have stopped attending Mass.
- Cheryl K, Small Group Leader
Reclaiming Sundays
Each parish of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is asked to help families in their parish “reclaim” Sundays. To assist this effort, parishes are encouraged to adopt a monthly theme that focuses on an aspect of living out the gift of Sunday to its fullest and encourages families to take concrete steps — large or small — to develop habits that produce the fruit that comes from fully living the Lord’s Day.
The strategy is to cultivate an interiority (habit of being) among parents and families that allows them to live Sundays as God intends. The intention is to provide enough institutional structure to help families grow in their ability to live out the theme that corresponds to their season in life and meets them where they are. The 12 themes (one per month of the year) of how to reclaim Sundays are intended to be a springboard for parishes.
Watch the video series on reclaiming the peace, rest, and leisure of Sundays with the Lord and family. As the first part of the Year III priority, 'Parents as Primary Educators of Their Children,' this Reclaiming Sundays series will offer lasting habits to anchor each week in a joyful, prayerful, and restful observance of Sunday.
To support parents as the primary educators of their children, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis has published “Reclaiming Sundays: Recover Sunday as a Day for the Lord and Family.”
This guide outlines monthly themes and provides practical suggestions for families — and the lay faithful in all walks of life.
Access Reclaiming Sundays resource materials, such as reflection questions for use in small groups or families, and journaling pages that you can print each week to keep a written account of how God is working in your family throughout the year.
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Archdiocese Year 3 Plan for small groups
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Archdiocese website: Reclaiming Sundays
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September (Prayer): Video, small group questions
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October (Rest + Recreation): Video, small group questions
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November (Beauty): Video, small group questions
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December (Music): Video, small group questions
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January (Invitation): Video
The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is thrilled to announce that the Catholic prayer app, Hallow, is providing resources specifically for the Reclaiming Sundays initiative. Hallow has curated a collection of prayers, meditations, and sessions for each of the thematic months in the “Reclaiming Sundays Guide.”
How to Pray Challenge
Experience the transformative power of prayer together. Guests will cover fourteen different prayer methods, focusing on the themes of listening to God in prayer and then being transformed to bear the fruits of charity and service. Access Hallow here.
January: Invitation
In January’s video of the Reclaiming Sundays series, Catholic parents Mike and Krysten Fulcher recall the warm welcome they received as newcomers to their parish, and how that experience has inspired them to seek out new families to invite into a community of faith.
