What is Twinning?

Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Mission Office
February 2012

What is Twinning?
Parish Twining is an invitation to live our lives of faith in a spirit of Global Solidarity

Twinning IS About….

  • building a mutual relationship
  • promoting social justice and peace
  • sharing faith journeys in Our Lord
  • learning worship styles
  • developing joyful friendships in another culture

Twinning is NOT About….

  • changing others
  • imposing our way of life
  • building infrastructure
  • fund raising

Through the process of parish twinning, a parish seeks to integrate global concerns into their parish life by developing a faith‐filled relationship with another parish within or outside of the U.S. In many circumstances, a twinning partnership involves a parish in the U.S. twinning with a community organization (e.g., an orphanage), rather than with a church parish. The form that a particular twinning relationship takes depends entirely on the two parishes involved, the creativity and gifts of the members of the two parishes. Establishing the relationship is an evolutionary process involving pastor and parishioners of both parishes. It requires work, dedication and understanding from both parishes – the reward for these efforts is great. The desired twinning relationship is one where, like the Christian community described by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12, there is a mutual sharing of gifts within the Body of Christ. We seek to recognize, embrace and nurture a relationship with our twinning partner as a relationship between equals. The mutuality of our twinning relationship requires humbleness. It requires an openness to recognize and accept the gifts that our twinning community has to give to our parish.

Why Twin
The reasons for wanting to twin are many and varied. Some of our parishes state the following as reasons it is important to them:

  1. Parish Twinning is a response to Jesus’ call to justice
  2. Parish Twinning shows solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ
  3. Parish Twinning expands a parish’s and parishioners’ self-identity
  4. Parish Twinning reflects a Vatican II definition of “missionʺ
  5. Parish Twinning shows acknowledgment of and appreciation for the universality of the Catholic Church

Long term planning
Before beginning the twinning relationship, it is advisable to have a general plan with clear measurable goals. Investing time in developing this plan is well worth the effort. Before writing the plan, both potential twinning partners need to discuss expectations for this relationship. Discussion should include what both partners want and do not want from this relationship. It is recommended that the committee writing the plan have 10 or more individuals.

Two major goals for this plan might be:

  1. Building cohesive relationships with the twinning partner.
  2. Building broad ownership for this commitment within both communities.

Other considerations include:

  1. The plan should be fluid.
  2. It could include subheadings such as: prayer, communication, cultural awareness, visits.
  3. Specific time lines are essential.
  4. Individuals should be assigned responsibility for each section. The goal is to involve as many people in the community as possible.
  5. Periodic evaluation of the plan is crucial.
  6. This plan needs to be communicated well with the parish council, staff, and major committees.

Twinning Visits

Visits to the twinning community are essential in developing relationships. The goal is to experience a mutual sharing of the gifts of the individuals and to be humble as the travelers see the face of Christ each day of their trip. The timing and size of each trip needs to be balanced with the available financial resources.

  1. Hopefully there will be one visit per year between the twinning communities.
  2. A selection process with application form for each participant should be established.
  3. Orientation meetings discussing hopes, culture, historical, social, political, and religious should be done before the trip as well as debriefing opportunities at the end of the experience. This is necessary to help them ʹunpackʹ the experience and put it into perspective. Sometimes a visit to a developing country can leave a parishioner with emotions with which they are not prepared to deal.
  4. On the trip, there should be daily opportunities to have group reflection, journaling, with maximizing opportunities to get to know local people, personal stories, and faith journeys.
  5. The individuals should be open to appreciate the gifts from the community as well as understanding their struggles.
  6. From the twinning community, it would be advisable to have visits from the pastor and lay leaders at least once every three years and preferably annually.
  7. This time could be used to get to know the people, personal stories, faith journeys. There should be time for mutual shared scripture/life.