A Wake-Up Call for Parish Leaders
As the Cardinals gather behind locked doors in Rome, headlines swirl, speculation builds, and the world waits for white smoke. Everyone’s watching.
But what if this moment isn’t just something to observe?
What if the conclave is more than a moment in Rome—what if it's an invitation for you?
What if every parish leader used this time to pause, pray, and reflect—not just on who will lead the Church next, but on how we’re leading right now?
In the same way the Cardinals seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we’re called to ask:
Are our goals aligned with God’s mission, or just our calendar?
Discerning Like a Disciple
Too often, parish and school plans revolve around seasons, programs, and what’s always been done. Discernment becomes secondary to survival. We measure success by how full our schedule is, not how fruitful our ministry has been.
But that’s not the way of missionary discipleship. That’s not how the Spirit moves.
The conclave offers us a different witness, one rooted in:
- Listening in prayer
- Letting go of personal agendas
- Seeking the good of the whole Church
These same attitudes are essential for parish leaders striving to lead with intention and purpose. If we want to be led by the Spirit, we have to make space to hear His voice.
For a deeper dive into what it looks like to lead from mission rather than maintenance, check out Parish Leadership & Evangelization Priorities.
A Simple Discernment Practice for This Week
Our pdf Discernment for Alignment to Mission(4.05 MB) resource walks through a practical framework for aligning ministry to mission. If you’re not sure where to start, try this:
- Choose one ministry area or initiative to focus your discernment on.
Youth ministry, sacramental prep, your school partnership—even your bulletin or social media. - Pray: “Come, Holy Spirit.”
Before you assess anything, begin in silence and prayer. Ask for openness, clarity, and the courage to respond. - Reflect on these alignment questions:
- What fruit have we seen from this in the past year?
- Does this effort clearly support our parish’s mission?
- Are we doing it because it works, or because it’s what we’ve always done?
- Is the Spirit asking us to let something go or go deeper?
You can find a fuller version of these questions in our pdf downloadable discernment guide(4.05 MB) .
And if you’re unsure where you are in all of this, consider pausing with our pdf Discipleship Check-In. It’s a simple tool that can help you name where the Spirit is already moving in your life—and where He might be inviting you next.
Not Just Our Plans
There’s a real difference between asking God to bless our plans and taking the time to discern His. It’s easy to rush from one program to the next, to build out the calendar and hope it’s enough. But real fruit comes when we start with listening, not logistics.
That’s what the conclave models for us. The Cardinals don’t show up with campaign platforms. They enter into prayer, conversation, and silence—trusting that the Spirit speaks in the midst of community.
Ministry rooted in busyness but not discernment is exhausting. It often leads to burnout, resentment, or that quiet belief that none of it really matters. But when our work flows from God’s movement—when we’ve taken time to listen first—it becomes more joyful. More sustainable. More fruitful. That’s not a cliché. That’s the lived experience of leaders who’ve made the shift from maintenance to mission.
The Holy Spirit doesn’t give us a bullet-point plan—at least He's never given me one! But He does stir in our hearts a deeper clarity. Sometimes He provides clarity about what to do. More often He offers us insights into who we are being called to lead closer to Jesus.
“The Holy Spirit is the principal agent of evangelization: it is he who impels each individual to proclaim the Gospel, and it is he who in the depths of consciences causes the word of salvation to be accepted and understood.” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 75)
That’s the goal for every decision, every program, every budget line. If it’s not helping people encounter Christ—if it’s not living the Church's mission of evangelization—what are we doing?
Discernment isn’t a delay tactic. It’s how we act with clarity and conviction.
This week, while the Church discerns its next pope, we’re invited to do the same in our own corner of the vineyard.
And if you’re wrestling with how to balance internal parish health with outward evangelization, take a look at Mission and Ministry: Making Disciples Inside AND Outside the Walls.
Don’t Let This Moment Pass
If you’ve been running on autopilot—or are just plain tired—don’t miss this chance to reset. Discernment isn’t a luxury for mountaintop retreats. It’s the foundation of mission.
- Download our pdf Discernment for Alignment to Mission Guide(4.05 MB) . Use it with your team. Ask the hard questions. Take action.
- If your own heart feels off-center, start with our pdf Discipleship Check-In. You don’t need to be perfect to begin. You just need to be honest.
Don’t just watch the conclave. Let it stir something in you.
You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight. Start small, start honest, and let the Spirit lead.
The Church doesn’t need more spectators. It needs Spirit-led leaders willing to follow where God is already moving.
And if your team needs help starting that process, Burning Hearts can lead a customized discernment retreat or workshop to guide your parish into deeper clarity, unity, and mission alignment.
