Pastoral Creativity Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Global Experiences
Inspiring Practice
Bangkog, Manila: Asian Research Center for Religion and Social Communication;Logos (Divine Word) Publications (2021), ix, 243 pp.
ISBN 978-971-510-309-1
"The content of the book is organized into four sections. The first three sections are essays recounting real-world experiences of pastoral agents. These essays are roughly divided into three sub-groups. The first group of essays focus on the parish setting and the ministries that each parish attempted to implement in response to the crisis. The second group of essays highlight the education and formation ministry, which includes both catechism teaching and other educational settings such as theology schools and formation houses. The third group of essays primarily depict outreach ministries such as those with the poor, migrants, and other marginalized groups. The pastoral workers carrying out these ministries may do so in context of a parish/diocesan setting or as part of a nonparochial program. The final section, comprised of five essays are responses to the experiences presented in the previous three sections. The aim of this section is to dialogue with the experiences recounted in the essays originating from a variety of countries around the world. Some of the issues that the writers of the responses were asked to consider include presenting theological insights gained from these experiences; lessons to be learned from what has been shared; the understanding of “pastoral creativity” in the contemporary world; and implications that these experiences hold for the post-pandemic Church." (Preface, page viii-ix)
I. PARISH MINISTRY
1 Challenging yet Memorable Moments of the COVID-19 Pandemic / Anthony Liew (Malaysia), 1
2 Evangelization during COVID-19: Teamwork and Adaptability / John Uhal (USA), 9
3 A Future Full of Mysteries and Surprises / Dominic Nguyen Quoc Thuan (Japan), 18
4 Church and Pastoral Care during the Pandemic in Europe / Nepolean James Raj (Belgium), 27
5 Pastoral Creativity in Parish Ministry during the Pandemic / Henry Siew (Singapore), 39
6 Masses and Funerals: The Surviving Liturgies amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic / Clement Baffoe, SVD (Australia), 43
7 My Pastoral Diary during the COVID-19 Pandemic / John Baptist Trinh Dinh Tuan, SVD (Chile), 51
8 Connection, Isolation and Love in the Time of COVID-19 / Patrick Carl P. Gunnacao (Philippines), 60
9 Parish Pastoral Work during the Coronavirus Outbreak / Lu Yunqiang (China), 65
II. TEACHING AND FORMATION MINISTRY
10 Sustaining and Nourishing Friendship with People with Different Developmental and Intellectual Abilities in Times of COVID-19 / Joseph R. Quane (USA), 72
11 Communicating the Good News to Thai Children amid the COVID-19 Pandemic / Camillo Pornsann Singchai (Thailand), 81
12 How to Teach in Time of Pandemic? / Leo-Martin Angelo R. Ocampo (Philippines), 88
13 Religious Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Family Affair / Minh Anh Dinh, SVD (USA), 93
14 Arching Over: The Experience of the Rainbow in the Midst of the Pandemic / James Phillip M. Monserate, OHF (Philippines), 102
15 Injecting Life into the Body of Christ: Reflections on Mission during a Pandemic / James McTavish, FMVD (Philippines), 107
III. OUTREACH MINISTRY
16 Pastoring the Religiously Wounded / Shiju Paul, SVD (USA), 118
17 A Facebook COVID-19 Hotline for Undocumented Vietnamese Migrant Workers in Thailand / Maria Tien Phan (Thailand), 127
18 Ministry on Palm Island during the COVID-19 Pandemic / Sarita Kurikattil, SSpS (Australia), 132
19 Spiritual Nourishment in Time of Crisis: Pastoral Creativity in the Catholic Diocese of Lucknow, India / Joshy Xavier, SJ, Lawrence Devin Noronha (India), 138
20 Ministry during COVID-19: A Mixed Bag / Len Uhal (USA), 147
21 Reflection on Pastoral Work during the Pandemic / Shen Shuangying (China), 155
22 Reaching Out to Natural Disaster Victims Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic / Joseph Vo Cong Dung (Vietnam), 162
IV. THEOLOGICAL RESPONSE
23 Making Ways Out of No Way: Grace and Creativity in the Time of COVID-19 / Stephen Bevans, SVD (USA), 172
24 Pastoral Creativity and Performative Theology: Responding to COVID-19 / Gnana Patrick (India), 179
25 A Personal Response / John Mansford Prior, SVD (Indonesia), 202
26 Principles of Ignatian Spirituality that Can Aid COVID-19 Response and Rebuilding / Christina Kheng (Singapore), 205
27 Online Pastoral Presence: Virtual or Real? / Anthony Le Duc, SVD (Thailand), 219
28 Conclusion: Moving Forward with Pastoral Creativity in the Post-Pandemic Church / Anthony Le Duc, SVD, John Mi Shen, 231
1 Challenging yet Memorable Moments of the COVID-19 Pandemic / Anthony Liew (Malaysia), 1
2 Evangelization during COVID-19: Teamwork and Adaptability / John Uhal (USA), 9
3 A Future Full of Mysteries and Surprises / Dominic Nguyen Quoc Thuan (Japan), 18
4 Church and Pastoral Care during the Pandemic in Europe / Nepolean James Raj (Belgium), 27
5 Pastoral Creativity in Parish Ministry during the Pandemic / Henry Siew (Singapore), 39
6 Masses and Funerals: The Surviving Liturgies amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic / Clement Baffoe, SVD (Australia), 43
7 My Pastoral Diary during the COVID-19 Pandemic / John Baptist Trinh Dinh Tuan, SVD (Chile), 51
8 Connection, Isolation and Love in the Time of COVID-19 / Patrick Carl P. Gunnacao (Philippines), 60
9 Parish Pastoral Work during the Coronavirus Outbreak / Lu Yunqiang (China), 65
II. TEACHING AND FORMATION MINISTRY
10 Sustaining and Nourishing Friendship with People with Different Developmental and Intellectual Abilities in Times of COVID-19 / Joseph R. Quane (USA), 72
11 Communicating the Good News to Thai Children amid the COVID-19 Pandemic / Camillo Pornsann Singchai (Thailand), 81
12 How to Teach in Time of Pandemic? / Leo-Martin Angelo R. Ocampo (Philippines), 88
13 Religious Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Family Affair / Minh Anh Dinh, SVD (USA), 93
14 Arching Over: The Experience of the Rainbow in the Midst of the Pandemic / James Phillip M. Monserate, OHF (Philippines), 102
15 Injecting Life into the Body of Christ: Reflections on Mission during a Pandemic / James McTavish, FMVD (Philippines), 107
III. OUTREACH MINISTRY
16 Pastoring the Religiously Wounded / Shiju Paul, SVD (USA), 118
17 A Facebook COVID-19 Hotline for Undocumented Vietnamese Migrant Workers in Thailand / Maria Tien Phan (Thailand), 127
18 Ministry on Palm Island during the COVID-19 Pandemic / Sarita Kurikattil, SSpS (Australia), 132
19 Spiritual Nourishment in Time of Crisis: Pastoral Creativity in the Catholic Diocese of Lucknow, India / Joshy Xavier, SJ, Lawrence Devin Noronha (India), 138
20 Ministry during COVID-19: A Mixed Bag / Len Uhal (USA), 147
21 Reflection on Pastoral Work during the Pandemic / Shen Shuangying (China), 155
22 Reaching Out to Natural Disaster Victims Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic / Joseph Vo Cong Dung (Vietnam), 162
IV. THEOLOGICAL RESPONSE
23 Making Ways Out of No Way: Grace and Creativity in the Time of COVID-19 / Stephen Bevans, SVD (USA), 172
24 Pastoral Creativity and Performative Theology: Responding to COVID-19 / Gnana Patrick (India), 179
25 A Personal Response / John Mansford Prior, SVD (Indonesia), 202
26 Principles of Ignatian Spirituality that Can Aid COVID-19 Response and Rebuilding / Christina Kheng (Singapore), 205
27 Online Pastoral Presence: Virtual or Real? / Anthony Le Duc, SVD (Thailand), 219
28 Conclusion: Moving Forward with Pastoral Creativity in the Post-Pandemic Church / Anthony Le Duc, SVD, John Mi Shen, 231
