The Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church Initiative

Renewing the Church by Strengthening Her Priests

Introduced through Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha’s December 2024 Pastoral Letter, A Time for Fortitude: Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church is a three-year diocesan initiative centered on the spiritual, human, and pastoral flourishing of our priests.

The initiative begins with a simple conviction: when priests are spiritually grounded, personally healthy, fraternally supported, and equipped for ministry, parishes and ministries are better able to lead people to Jesus Christ.

As the initiative reaches its midpoint in the fall of 2026, this video celebrates the renewal already taking place and looks ahead to its final phase. Hear directly from Bishop da Cunha, priests, parish staff, and others who have participated in this work—and discover how the initiative is strengthening priestly well-being, fraternity, collaboration, and hope across the Diocese.

About the Initiative

The initiative moves outward through three stages. In 2025, the focus was the priest himself—his relationship with Christ, health, fraternity, human formation, and personal support. In 2026, attention expanded to the environments surrounding the priest, including brother priests, parish and diocesan staff, rectory life, personnel processes, and the systems that support ministry. In 2027, the renewal will extend to the entire local Church, inviting priests, parish leaders, and parishioners into deeper communion and shared mission.

The work includes spiritual renewal, priestly fraternity, health and wellness support, ongoing human formation, stronger collaboration, and clearer pastoral and personnel systems. Together, these efforts are helping to create a healthier ministerial culture in which priests are supported and parishes can flourish.

Meaningful signs of renewal are already emerging: stronger priestly morale and well-being, more intentional fraternity, healthier collaboration, and fewer major crises requiring diocesan intervention.

In Lent 2027, the initiative will enter its final phase through One Church: Living Christ’s Mission Together, a five-week formation experience for every parish. This diocesan journey will build upon the faith already alive in our communities while deepening our understanding of the Church, strengthening collaboration between priests and parishioners, and helping each parish participate more fully in Christ’s mission.

As Bishop da Cunha wrote, the hoped-for fruit is “a Priesthood set up for success for years to come and a new positive ministerial environment where Christ can more readily reach every soul in our Diocese through the mediation of His priests.”

Introductory Video

2025: Year One in Review

English

Portuguese

Spanish

Pastoral Letter

English

Portuguese

Spanish

A printed copy of the Pastoral Letter is available upon request. You may click here to email your request, or you may send it by mail to Office of Clergy Support, Diocese of Fall River, 450 Highland Ave., Fall River, MA 02720-3701

Initiative Featured on Ave Maria Radio

Matt Robinson, Director of Clergy Support for the Diocese of Fall River, was a recent guest on Dr. Marcus Peter’s program on Ave Maria Radio to talk about the Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church Initiative. Listen to his interview here.

Resources

• Frequently Asked Questions
–Frequently Asked Questions
-Portuguese: Perguntas Frequentes
-Spanish: Preguntas Frecuentes

• Executive Summary (Executive Summary of the Bishop’s Pastoral Letter)
– English
– Portuguese
– Spanish

• Campaign Summary (The Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church Initiative Summary)
– English
– Portuguese
– Spanish

• Holy Card (trilingual)

• Small Brochure (trilingual)

• Poster (trilingual)

Spiritual Bouquet for Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church

Prayer is the most important way we can support our priests and this new initiative. We invite you to offer prayerful support by participating in a Spiritual Bouquet. A Spiritual Bouquet is a collection of prayers or spiritual devotions that are offered for a person or a particular intention.

April 2026 Update: Thank You! We’re excited to share that over 23,250 prayers have been dedicated to this initiative. Learn more here

We ask you to kindly continue to submit the prayers and devotions you will offer for our priests and the Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church initiative by filling out the form below.