Called to Holiness and Mission: Pastoral
Planning in the
Diocese of Scranton
Status
Report and Timeline
December 2007
In a meeting for all priests and deacons
and a subsequent pastoral letter, Bishop
Martino announces comprehensive planning
project for the spiritual and pastoral
renewal of every parish in the 11 counties
of the Diocese. Bishop appoints Diocesan
Planning Commission comprised of priests,
deacons, religious and lay people. The Reid
Group, national pastoral planning
consultants, is commissioned to facilitate
the process.
January 2008
A Parish Core Team is formed in each
parish. Consisting of the pastor and four
other parish members, the Core Team is
responsible for completing all required work
at the parish level and keeping all
parishioners informed.
January 29-30, 2008
Eight regional meetings are held, at which
The Reid Group prepares Parish Core Teams to
conduct self-evaluations of their parishes
based on data compiled for the Diocese by
each pastor. Facilitators are also prepared
to assist, upon request, with future
pastoral planning meetings.
February – April 2008
In light of the 20 criteria for parish
renewal approved by Bishop Martino, Parish
Core Teams perform evaluations of their
parish’s liturgical and sacramental life,
evangelization activities, demographics,
ministries, finances and programs. The
results are presented to Parish Finance and
Pastoral Councils, and pastors invite all
parishioners to meetings to provide
information and seek input from
parishioners. Pastors also keep parishioners
informed through bulletin and/or pulpit
announcements.
April – June 2008
The 224 parishes in the Diocese are
grouped into 50 Clusters; each cluster has a
Cluster Core Team consisting of the Parish
Core Team members from the parishes in the
Cluster. Regional orientation meetings are held to
prepare Cluster Core Teams for their task:
studying the parish self-evaluations that
were completed by the Parish Core Teams, and
suggesting one or more of four
models for the parishes in their Cluster:
consolidation to form a new parish entity,
linking of two or more parishes under one
pastor, establishing partnerships with other
parishes to operate joint programs and share
resources, and forming teams of two or more
priests, deacons and lay people who would
serve multiple parishes. Parishioners
are kept informed through either meetings,
bulletin and/or pulpit announcements.
June 3 – September 2, 2008
Pastors arrange for professional
evaluations of their churches and other
facilities currently in use. Evaluations
will be submitted to Diocesan facilities
manager by September 2.
June 15, 2008
The suggestions from each Cluster Core
Team are presented to the Diocesan Planning
Commission.
June 30 – July 2, 2008
Diocesan Planning Commission meets to
review suggestions submitted by Cluster Core
Teams, and responds by formulating
preliminary recommendations for each
Cluster.
July 19-20, 2008
All parishioners will receive pastoral
planning timeline in parish bulletins.
July 26-27, 2008
Announcement Weekend: Each pastor will
announce to entire parish the preliminary
recommendations of the Diocesan Planning
Commission for their Cluster and publishes
these recommendations in the parish
bulletin.
Week of July 28, 2008
Regional meetings will be held for Cluster
Core Teams to receive instructions for
conversation and response to the preliminary
recommendations.
July – October 1, 2008
Cluster Core Teams coordinate
conversations at the parish level regarding
the preliminary recommendations. A formal
response to these recommendations will be
submitted to the Diocesan Planning
Commission by October 1.
October – November 2008
Diocesan Planning Commission will gather
for prayer, discernment and review of the
responses from the Cluster Core Teams. The
Planning Commission will make the final
recommendations to Bishop Martino.
November 2008 – January 2009
Bishop Martino will study final
recommendations, consult with Diocesan
advisory bodies, and announce the final plan
for parish reconfiguration.
July 2009
Implementation will begin.
