What is a parish?
Meaning
The parish is a community of Christians who believe in Jesus Christ and who live according to His values.
The main aim of the parish is to listen to and follow the teachings of Christ as a community, so that its members indeed become His disciples.
This aim is reached by the members of this community who, without any form of distinction between them, build healthy relationships with one another and help eachother to build a relationship with Christ.
The community is called to be a clear sign of love:
"A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Love between the members of the parish community should be a reflection of the relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, the three distinct persons but one God.
The parish is the community within which the Church is embodied and becomes concrete, a reality.
The community lives out the liturgy and the sacraments to grow as a community.
The members of the community help one another so that can all live their Christian values. In this way, by means of their work and their witness, they influence society so as to be a living Church in the world.
Participation and responsibility
For the community to reach its goal and its calling, it requires the full participation of all its members in its life and work.
Each member bears responsibility for the role s/he carries out in the community and takes an active part in the mission of the parish.
Each member needs the other members of the parish community to be able to carry out his or her duty well and also to be strengthened as a disciple of Christ.