Faithful Asked to Pray for Pastoral Planning Success
 

Bishop Martino has asked that Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009, the Solemnity of Epiphany, be designated as a Day of Prayer for Called to Holiness and Mission: Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Scranton.

This project, which began last January, will foster the spiritual and pastoral renewal of the Catholic Church in Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania. After a year of assessment, evaluation and broad consultation in every parish, the final recommendations for the future configuration of the parishes have been presented to Bishop Martino.

The Bishop will discuss the recommendations with the appropriate consultative bodies, e.g. Council of Priests, and engage in a period of prayer and reflection before announcing the final decisions at the end of January. Implementation will begin in July.

Concurrent with this process, all parishioners are asked to pray for the success of Called to Holiness and Mission , especially at communal prayer services in their parishes on Jan. 4.

While each pastor will decide how the communal prayer will be offered in his parish, the Diocesan Office for Worship has made available to parishes several booklets as samples to be used for this day of prayer.

These booklets are offered as suggestions for communal prayer on Jan. 4. Pastors are free to adopt them or they are free to design their own prayer service for Called to Holiness and Mission on that day.