Where There is No Vision, The People Perish

One of the great truths of Scripture is found in the book of Proverbs: “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov 29:18). Vision isn’t simply a corporate buzzword or a leadership gimmick. In the Christian life, vision is the ability to see with the eyes of faith what God desires to bring about among His people—and then to respond with trust, courage, and obedience. Vision is the spark that ignites mission; it is the horizon that draws a community forward; it is the shared conviction that God is doing something here, and that each of us has a part to play. But if vision is so central to our life of faith, why is it something Catholic parishes are only now beginning to emphasise? Why does “vision sharing” feel like a new development in the life of the Church?

Part of the answer lies in how dramatically the cultural landscape has shifted. For much of the 20th century—especially until the mid-1960s—the Church lived within what could be called “cultural Catholicism.” In Australia, as in many Western nations, Catholics didn’t need a compelling parish vision to come to Mass, engage in parish life, or pass on the faith. The culture itself pulled people toward the Church. Being Catholic was woven into family life, schools, neighbourhoods, and social expectations. Faith didn’t need much explanation; attendance was steady, the parish calendar full, and vocations strong.

Because the faith was so culturally reinforced, parishes could rely on sacramental participation without needing to inspire missionary discipleship. Vision didn’t need to be named or intentionally cultivated—the culture did the heavy lifting. But we are no longer living in that world.

Today, the cultural glue that once held Catholic life together has loosened. Families are busier. Social patterns have diversified. Faith is no longer assumed; attendance is no longer automatic. Many people—especially younger generations—no longer inherit a Catholic worldview from their culture or family environment. In this new landscape, parishes cannot simply maintain what once was. What is required is deep, missionary renewal. And renewal doesn’t happen by accident. It requires vision.

A parish vision names where God is leading us and why it matters. It answers questions that our culture no longer answers for us: Why be Catholic? Why gather? Why serve? Why share faith? Why give your life to Jesus? Why does this parish exist? A clear and shared vision focuses hearts, strengthens unity, and prevents us from drifting into survival/palliative care mode. Vision reminds us that the Church doesn’t exist simply for her members, to run programs or keep buildings open—we exist to make new disciples of Jesus, to form saints, and to become a living sign of God’s love in our community.

This is why sharing vision is so important. While vision begins with the parish priest, it belongs to the whole community. When a parish shares a common vision, something powerful happens: ministries align, energy increases, mission becomes joyful, and parishioners begin to see their own lives as essential to what God is doing. Vision animates desire; it awakens hope; it calls us out of comfort into purpose.

Our parish’s vision—that every parishioner experiences the joy of intimacy with Jesus which transforms their lives and inspires them to boldly and joyfully share what they have received—is not a slogan. It is a conviction about what God wants for His people here and now. It is an invitation to each of us to lean in, listen to Holy Spirit, and commit ourselves to being a parish that is alive in Jesus Christ.

In a time when faith can no longer rely on cultural momentum, vision becomes not just helpful but essential. As Proverbs reminds us, without vision we wander, we wither, we lose heart. But with vision—God’s vision—we flourish.

May Jesus continue to draw us deeper into His heart, and may our shared vision lead us together into the mission He entrusts to our parish today.

With peace and love,

Fr Josh