Pastoral Planning Must Consider Priest Personnel
 

Better stewardship of resources – human, financial and spiritual – and a more effective practice of the parish mission are the primary goals of the pastoral planning process.

Also, pastoral planning must consider the declining number of priests available for active service.

In 1966, the Diocese had 476 priests in active service, the most in its history. By 2001, that number had fallen to 241. Today, there are fewer than 190 priests available for active service in the 11-county Diocese.

The Diocese projects that the number of active priests will fall even more – to 147 or fewer – by 2012.