A Culture of Testimony

One of the things I would love to see grow in our parish is a culture of testimony – a parish where it becomes normal for us to talk about what God is doing in our lives. For many Catholics, faith has traditionally been something deeply personal. We come to Mass, we pray, we receive the sacraments, we serve our community – but we don’t always talk about what God is actually doing in our lives. Conversations after Mass can easily centre on the weather, sport, family, work or what is happening in the world, while the most important thing happening in our lives can remain unspoken: our relationship with Jesus. I wonder what would happen if that began to change?

Imagine a parish where people regularly said things like, “I was praying about this, and God really surprised me…” or “I’ve been struggling with this, and someone prayed with me – and something changed.” Imagine hearing ordinary parishioners speak about an answered prayer, an unexpected moment of grace, a new sense of peace, an encounter with the Holy Spirit, or simply recognising God’s presence in the middle of an ordinary week. This is what I mean by testimony.

I’m not talking about telling impressive stories or putting ourselves on display. I’m talking about simply recognising and sharing the good things God is doing. Sharing what God has done is not bragging; it gives glory to God and builds up the faith of others. The goal is not to force people to talk about themselves, but to make sharing the good things God does a normal part of parish life. Indeed, there is something powerful about hearing another person’s story.

When someone tells us how they have experienced God’s goodness, it can awaken something in us. We begin to think, “If God is working in their life, perhaps I can expect God to work in mine too.” We become more attentive to the ways God is already moving around us. We begin to recognise that prayer isn’t just something we do in a crisis, but part of a living relationship with a God who knows and loves us personally. And this doesn’t have to be dramatic.

Sometimes testimony is simply, “I was really worried this week, and when I prayed, I experienced a peace I couldn’t explain.” Or, “Someone called me at exactly the moment I needed encouragement, and I realised God had answered my prayer.” Or, “I’ve been struggling to forgive someone, but lately I’ve begun to see them differently.” These ordinary moments matter.

Our challenge is that a culture of testimony doesn’t just appear because Father announces that he wants one. Culture is formed by repeated experiences. If people rarely hear others speak about their faith, they understandably assume that this isn’t something we do. If leaders never share personally about their own relationship with Jesus, parishioners may assume that testimony is only for particularly holy people or those with extraordinary stories. The Senior Leadership Team and I are currently thinking carefully about how we can most effectively create this culture here within Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Parish.

Some of the possibilities we are exploring include brief testimonies from parishioners once a month following the homily, giving people simple opportunities to share with one another after Mass, inviting people to submit stories of answered prayer, and having our parish leaders model what it looks like to speak naturally about God’s presence in their own lives.

We don’t want to introduce another program simply for the sake of having another program. We want to find rhythms that are natural, accessible and genuinely life-giving, and that help us become the kind of parish described in our vision: a community where an encounter with Jesus transforms us and animates us to share what we have received with others.

Perhaps the first step for all of us is very simple. This week, ask yourself: “Where have I seen God at work in my life recently?” And then, perhaps, tell someone. Because when we begin to share what God is doing, we help one another notice that God is not just in whom we believe, read about in the Bible, or remember from the past. God is alive, present and active among us today. And that is something worth talking about.

With peace and love – Fr Josh