Flipping the Question: Episode 1

Flipping the Question: A Bold New Missionary Mindset for the Church is a three-part audio narrative series exploring the collaboration between Catholic Leadership Institute and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that led to the development of a new Missionary Hub model.

When Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez was named Archbishop of Philadelphia in January 2020, one question quickly followed him wherever he went: Will you close parishes? It was a question rooted in the realities facing the Church, from declining Mass attendance to fewer priestly vocations, and one the faithful of Philadelphia understandably wanted answered.

But Archbishop Pérez began to flip the question. His vision was not simply about what the Archdiocese might need to close, but what it could build. He also challenged the faithful to consider a different question: Could building up the Church require change?

In the months that followed, Archbishop Pérez began discerning how the Archdiocese could navigate the complex crossroads facing the Church and invited Dan Cellucci, President and CEO of Catholic Leadership Institute, into the conversation. Together with leaders across the Archdiocese, including Brian McCarthy, who now serves as Chief Strategy Officer of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, they began exploring a bold new approach, one that would shift the focus from managing decline to fostering missionary growth and help the Church in Philadelphia reimagine its future, one step at a time.

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This podcast was written and produced by Spackle Media. Story edited by Tressa Versteeg. Mixing and mastering by Carolina Duque.