Special to CatholicPhilly from the Steier Group • Posted January 28, 2026

The Trust and Hope initiative emerged from more than 100 listening sessions with nearly 15,000 participants last year across the Philadelphia region. One message was unmistakably clear: The Catholic Church of Philadelphia is ready for renewal.

But to grow, our local Church must move from a mindset of crisis to one of hope.

Today, 83 percent of baptized Catholics in our region no longer participate in the sacramental life of the Church. Instead of managing decline, the Catholic Church of Philadelphia is choosing a different path: one focused on growth, mission, and encounter.

Central to this renewed vision is the development of Missionary Hubs, an innovative approach designed to connect parishes, schools, and ministries in a community and help Missionary Disciples proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ’s love, mercy, and resurrection to a world that needs it.

Missionary Hubs ‘Integrate Ministries’

“Missionary Hubs are the mechanism for pursuing growth over maintenance,” said Deacon Jim O’Neill, director of Strategic Operations for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, who oversees staff of the missionary hubs. “They integrate pastoral, educational, and charitable ministries to serve people who feel far from the Church. They’re planted in existing parishes but with a focus on bringing everyone to the Eucharistic table.”

Each hub is shaped by the needs of its community. With the support of private donations, the Church of Philadelphia launched its first five hubs this past fall. There is currently one pilot hub in each of the five counties of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia: St. Isidore (Bucks County), St. Matthew (Philadelphia County), St. Alphonsus (Montgomery County), St. Ann (Chester County), and St. Katharine Drexel (Delaware County).

Staff members hired to serve at these hubs completed months‑long training in missionary discipleship. Although based at an existing parish, hub staff members focus intensely on evangelizing all residents and building community within their surrounding neighborhoods and nearby Catholic parishes.

Their task is simple: form relationships, create community, and invite others to encounter Christ.

New Hubs See Warm Reception

At St. Ann Parish in Phoenixville, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Everyone has been warmly receptive to our new hub,” said Lauren Joyce, Missionary Hub director. “We are grateful for the many groups and organizations who have welcomed us into the Body of Christ here in Phoenixville. Dozens of parishioners have taken the time to meet one on one with hub staff, sharing history and community highlights about each parish’s unique story in our local area.

“The Holy Spirit is at work here at St. Ann, and also among our other three regional parishes: St. Basil the Great (in Kimberton), St. Mary of the Assumption (in Phoenixville), and St. Joseph, Spring City. We have been so honored by this gracious reception.”

At St. Isidore in Quakertown, Missionary Hub Director Nina Corona echoed the same sense of hospitality, collaboration, and hope.

She cited the generosity of St. Isidore’s pastor, Father Kenneth Brabazon and school Principal Robin Conboy along with parish ministry leaders, parishioners, and others “in offering their gifts to support this important mission,” she said.

“From the beginning, there has been a shared sense of openness and hope—a feeling that God is at work among us doing ‘something new,’” Corona said, referring to the prophet Isaiah (43:19).

Early Hub Events Help Connect People, Lift Prayers

The Missionary Hub at St. Ann hosted a debut event in December entitled, “Noisy Holy Half-Hour for Families.” The gathering featured acoustic music, eucharistic adoration, and a pizza party in the church hall.

“We were also able to offer three weeks of Advent prayer workshops at our Holy Family Regional Catholic School, in which students kindergarten through sixth grade were able to spend prayerful time exploring the Bible stories of Advent,” said Joyce.

“Students had a lot of fun ‘decoding’ the Old Testament men and women featured in our 19th-century stained glass windows and enjoyed discussing how the Jewish people waited centuries for their promised Messiah, just as the Church waits for Christ to come again each Advent.”

The Missionary Hub at St. Isidore also began with an Advent gathering.

“One especially meaningful moment was our candlelit Advent evening of reflection, where we formally introduced the hub and reflected on Christ being born anew in us,” Corona said. “The gathering drew a large and diverse crowd, and people left feeling encouraged — aware of God’s love at work through community and excited about what might unfold next.”

Prayer, she added, “is the foundation of this work. An intercessory prayer team has formed and now gathers regularly on Zoom, offering prayer for the Church, the hub, and the wider community. All are warmly invited to join us in prayer as we continue to listen together for where God is leading.”

The Missionary Hubs are one of the proposed components of a potential capital campaign of the Catholic Church of Philadelphia, for which a planning study currently is underway. Your voice matters, and you are invited to take part in the planning study survey.

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The Steier Group is a national Catholic development firm providing stewardship and development support to the Catholic Church of Philadelphia.