Looking Back: The 2022 Report
St. Paul, as a sign of his ministry and missionary journey, said in his Letter to the Romans, “Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).
At the beginning of the 2021 Liturgical Year, I began my new ministry and missionary journey as the new pastor of Good Shepherd and Chaplain for the English-speaking Catholics of the Canton of Zug. I was graciously welcomed with open arms and I received the community with the same enthusiasm. This experience of acceptance and charitableness makes a difference to someone who is trying to settle into and adapt to a new culture.
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me." Matthew 25:35.
Gut Hirt: Feeling "At Home"
In our multicultural, multilingual world, we need places where people, who are living away from their native homeland, can gather and feel free to express their cultural heritage. Gut Hirt, in the middle of Zug, wants to be a place for the heart of Catholics who seek a spiritual home in their native language.
Good Shepherd and the Parish of Gut Hirt are located in the middle of Zug. Our pastoral charisma “One church – many languages” supports us as we strive to be a place where migrants and Ex-Pats can feel at home or even find a new home.
Building on a Strong Foundation
Our pastoral team has brought ideas to help support families and children with the addition of a weekly children’s liturgy during the lively Sunday evening Mass. This allows adults the opportunity to hear the Word of God in a quiet setting while the children hear the same gospel, in a setting where they feel comfortable.
In 2022 we held our first ever Maran Devotion and Rorate Light Mass in English. The Minis (Altar Servers) of Gut Hirt and Good Shepherd serve with each other and enjoy activities together such as our excursion to the Seilpark Rigi or our Christmas Cookie Workshop in November. Developing stronger ties across cultural borders can be challenging. No matter what age, the joint work of the Pfarrei Gut Hirt and the Community of Good Shepherd is met with sincere interest in each other and in their cultural and religious roots. Creating stronger ties through interaction helps us to learn from and with one another.
Hurdling Boundaries-Celebrating Together
The 85th Anniversary of our Church on November 6th was a celebration of diversity as we celebrated and prayed together in a multilingual Mass followed by a celebration of food and fun around the church. As we look back on where we have been and what we have accomplished, we look ahead to where we are going and what we can achieve.
A New Design for Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd welcomed a new Corporate Design in 2022. The former blue boxes of Gut Hirt/Good Shepherd reveal a lighter blue Good Shepherd alone half in and half outside the box. This expresses the independence of Good Shepherd supporting itself outside of Gut Hirt yet depending on Gut Hirt for structural support and guidance. The motto of “One Church, many languages” has a bold presence in the Corporate Design.
A Look Back - A Look Ahead
As we review the accomplishments of the last year, we look forward to which direction we are going and what we can achieve. There are many things for us to discovery and activities in which we can engage. Similarities unite us – Differences take us farther. It is such a joy to seek, and cultivate life with God in fellowship with others.
Chaplain Kurt Schaller and the Pastoral Team of Good Shepherd
(link to German language version can be found here under the Jahresberichte der kantonalen Fachstellen 2022)
