Our Family of Parishes
Pastoral Planning Updates
The St. Columban/St. Margaret of York Pathways team consists of Fr. Ed, two staff members from each parish and two parishioners from each parish. The group has met twice this year to discuss thoughts on being in a family together when both parishes and schools are so large… and growing. We have been focusing on moving forward by sharing best practices, knowing we are NOT combining schools, Parish Councils, Finance Councils, etc. We have already been sharing events together like inviting SMOY parishioners to St. Columban’s quilting group, combining the High School Youth Groups into one larger group, and creating a Knights of Columbus Assembly that connects 4th Degree Knights from the Knight Councils at both parishes.
Our next meeting will focus on what ministries each parish could invite the other to be part of as well as more work on best practices between the two parishes, enhancing parish life by using the Beacons of Light as a tool to work towards our shared goals and mission as Catholic faith communities. If you have any questions or would like to send us insights, hopes, opportunities for collaboration that would be beneficial, etc. please email Cathy Nagy at cnagy@stcolumban.org or Kathy McGaughy at kmcgaughy@smoy.org.
St. Margaret of York and St. Columban announced as a Family of Parishes as part of the Beacons of Light pastoral planning process.
Our Parishes
St. Margaret of York Campus
located just 10 minutes South of Kings Island
Beacons of Light is a pastoral planning initiative by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati aimed at revitalizing parish life by organizing parishes into “Families of Parishes” for better collaboration and resource sharing. Each Family of Parishes will tailor their approach based on their unique demographics, resources, and community needs. This individualized strategy ensures that each parish family can effectively address its specific circumstances while working towards the initiative’s overarching goals.
This section of our website provides updates on the Beacons of Light initiative for the entire Archdiocese and offers resources to help you better understand its purpose and implementation.
General Beacons Updates
Sunday Mass attendance increased in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati 4.5% from October 2022 to October 2023, continuing a rebound in participation since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 we saw more than a 52% return, another 6.5% in 2022, and 4.5% in 2023. While we remain down from our 2019 pre-pandemic attendance, three years of increase is a strong and encouraging trend for our archdiocese that will hopefully continue as Families of Parishes focus on the vision for the future and the “Why” at the root of the Beacons of Light project: “To proclaim the Gospel and make disciples in this particular time and place.” Participation in the Eucharist, and in particular Sunday Mass, is a foundational principle in Beacons of Light.
Curious about how the first year of Beacons of Light has gone in our 57 Families of Parishes? Archbishop Schnurr has released the Year 1 Parish Vitality Report to bring everyone in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati up-to-date. In addition to facts, figures, stories and witness, there’s an opportunity for you to give feedback on your experience of parish life.
If Beacons of Light fulfills the vision set for it, our churches will be full, our liturgies will be joyful, our priests will be present for their people, and our communities will be fully alive! The Parish Vitality Report helps us understand the progress being made in each of our 57 Families of Parishes. This honest snapshot of the work our pastors and leadership groups are undertaking shares wins to celebrate and also obstacles to overcome.To learn more, visit https://pathway.catholicaoc.org/pastoral-vitality-report-feb-2023.
Access to the Beacons of Light Pastoral Planning Pathway digital platform is now available to anyone, not just parish leaders. Create a free user account at http://pathway.catholicaoc.org to stay informed about the planning process, to better understand the work being done in your Family of Parishes, and learn how you can contribute!
Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr has written a letter to the faithful of the archdiocese regarding the Eucharist principle of Beacons of Light.
"We ask our Lord in a special way that our celebrations of the Eucharist truly foster unity, not only in our Families of Parishes, but across our entire archdiocese. This unity – not uniformity – is a cornerstone to building up the Catholic Church in these nineteen counties of western and southwestern Ohio."