PASTORAL PLAN

ST. MARY'S PASTORAL PLAN

In 1881, God gave a small group of miners a mission to bring to the mountains of Park City the world’s greatest treasure: the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the Eucharist, and the Faith, Hope and Charity that flow from Him. For those miners, that treasure became the light that guided them into the mines. It was the beacon that drew them home at the end of each day. And, ultimately, their path towards salvation. Today, God’s mission for St. Mary’s has spread from the streets of Old Town Park City, to the meadows of White Pine Canyon, to the Heber Valley and beyond.

St. Mary’s seeks to evangelize, catechize, give back in charity, and enrich the community through the Catholic Faith and its intellectual, artistic, and cultural traditions. Following the Diocesan Pastoral Plan, St. Mary’s works hard to fulfill the main points:

1. FAITH FORMATION:

Evangelization is key in our parish. Taking an approach that serves every parishioner at their particular stage in life (whether that be as young families, religious education age, high school, young adults, or active adults), St. Mary’s prioritizes three ways in which we reach our parishioners: faith formation events, catechetical and digital content, and ministry. Examples include our monthly Summits, parish feast celebrations, religious education programs, prayer groups and ministries, our beautiful website, active communication channels, and much more.

2. VOCATIONS:

All vocations matter at St. Mary’s. We work towards developing a relationship with those who are discerning where God is calling them to serve the Church. Whether you are pursuing a vocation to the priesthood, religious, married life, or single life, St. Mary’s provides a supportive path forward.

St. Mary’s has also developed a plan, years in the making, to support the young men in Utah who are most serious about answering their call. The fruits of this have already been seen in the seminarians who have served our parish, the individuals who have entered Seminary after their time at St. Mary’s, and the young men who are here at the parish to further discern their own vocation. Fostering the vocations of all parishioners is some of the most important work we do, so that the future of our Church and the vocations of the future may be well formed.

3. STEWARDSHIP:

Through an engaged approach to development at St. Mary’s, the parish has been able to prioritize the life of the Church through the generosity of our supporters. To foster a community that can offer opportunities to all of our parishioners, regardless of their background, St. Mary’s has maintained a financially stable situation to help sustainably support our building and maintenance, our sacraments, religious education, and our numerous additional offerings on a weekly basis at no cost to those who come to the parish.

4. EUCHARIST AND CATHOLIC IDENTITY:

By maintaining a faithful expression of our Catholic identity, St. Mary’s is a true example of joyful Catholicism that flows from beautiful and faithful liturgies, regular opportunities for adoration and the sacrament of confession, and a reminder before each one of our many Masses that our mission from the very beginning has always been to offer the world’s greatest treasure to our community: the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and the faith, hope, and love that flow from him. Additionally, we are able to serve multiple pockets within our community through English, Spanish, and Latin Masses and liturgical events.

5. DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON:

Fostering an appreciation for each and every person is at the heart of who we are as a parish community. Whether we are serving their physical needs by offering assistance to those in need of help with rent, utilities, medicine, and more, through the Gabriel Project serving expectant mothers, through the Food Bank, through the St. Lawrence Thrift Store, or their spiritual needs through sacraments, ministries, classes, and more, St. Mary’s ensures that our work for all who might be in need
will encourage our parishioners to see the face of Christ in their neighbors.

And we are not finished. Since 1881, our mission has grown in order that we may bring the treasure of Jesus Christ to all, for the salvation of souls, and the Greater Glory of God—and we will never stop.