Keeping Christ’s Sacred Promise a Pastoral Plan for Indigenous Ministry

By: Fr. Michael Carson | Assistant Director, Native American Affairs 

When the Church works with diverse cultural communities, the Church lives out being one and catholic at the same time, and it is better able to realize its mystical union with Christ. Therefore, the steps laid out in this Pastoral Framework seek to promote reconciliation and healing, proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, celebrate God’s love for Indigenous Peoples and peoples of all cultures, and proclaim our unity in faith in the love of Christ. (Keeping Christ’s Sacred Promise, Preface) 

Keeping Christ’s Sacred Promise, A Pastoral Framework for Indigenous Ministry was approved at the June 2024 Catholic Bishops Plenary assembly. 

This document was born from the gathering of Catholic Native leaders from across the country in Phoenix, Arizona in 2019. Catholic Native leaders from various tribes and parts of the country met with the bishops from the USCCB Subcommittee on Native American Affairs and other bishops that have a large Catholic Native population. From that gathering, the Subcommittee has worked with the Catholic Native leaders on the drafting of the document.  Although it is in the voice of the bishops, the concerns, hopes, and especially the way forward in Indigenous ministry have been developed by way of an in-depth synodal dialogue. In this way, the Framework reflects the concerns that are paramount to the U.S. Catholic indigenous leaders and sets priorities to refocus and reinvigorate Native Ministry. 

The framework includes an apology for the Catholic participation in the Federal Native Boarding school program and for any neglect and mistreatment any Native person might have suffered at the hands of Catholic individuals. The Framework also addresses effective ways to build up Native families and Native Catholic ministry. Most importantly, the Framework promotes the idea that evangelization is a partnership of shared responsibility between the clergy and Native Catholics.

From the time it was approved by the Bishops of the United States, it has enjoyed a favorable reception not only with Catholic Native communities, but the larger public as well. Parts of the Pastoral Framework have been quoted in leading newspapers across the country and also in the recent Department of Interior’s Second Report concerning Native boarding schools. With the approval from the U.S. bishops, the hard work of implementation at the local level has begun. 

The Subcommittee on Native American Affairs is ready to work with dioceses and archdioceses to use the Framework as a template to create regional, diocesan, and even parish strategies to advance evangelization, social justice, reconciliation, and healing in Native communities. It is hoped that the dialogue with Catholic Native leaders at the national level will be repeated within each diocese as well. 

The development of the Pastoral Framework consisted of numerous listening sessions, thoughtful conversations with Catholic Native leaders, and a willingness to engage everyone in a common Catholic vision. This model of synodality has already advanced the priorities of what is important not only to the bishops but also to what is vital for Catholic Native leaders and their ministry. However, because of the vast differences in Native cultures in the U.S., this Pastoral Framework is best utilized as a tool for local Tribes and Native communities to help them to advance local needs and priorities in Catholic Ministry. 

This advancement of Catholic Native ministry is not just for today, but a blueprint that advances Indigenous ministry was designed to speak to many future generations. 

The printed version of Keeping Christ’s Sacred Promise is available through Our Sunday Visitor. Click to order online: https://www.orderosv.com/product/keeping-christ-s-sacred-promise-a-pastoral-framework-for-indigenous-ministry 

A PDF copy can also be found on the Committee/Subcommittee’s website.