Editorial

A new pastoral plan for the Church in central and southern Indiana

In the spirit of synodality, successful planning requires broad consultation and teamwork. It requires a profound sense of openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit—as this is manifested both through the rich history of the Church in this region and in the present circumstances. —Archbishop Charles C. Thompson

The new pastoral plan for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, which was promulgated on Dec. 3, 2025, the Memorial of St. Francis Xavier, was begun during the time of the National Eucharistic Revival and formed, in a special way, during the periods of time that preceded and immediately followed the historic National Eucharist Congress held in Indianapolis in July 2024.

It’s no wonder that this plan echoes themes from this time of concentration on the eucharistic mystery, which is the source and summit of the Church’s mission.

“Go Forth in Hope and Joy as Missionary Disciples: A Pastoral Letter and Plan for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis” is the result of what Archbishop Charles C. Thompson calls “broad consultation and teamwork” conducted with a “profound sense of openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” The plan expresses a clear sense of mission:

We are a Eucharistic community, a people gathered by Christ, formed in faith by the Word of God, united in communion with Christ and one another, and then sent out on mission to preach, to heal, to prophesy, and to console God’s people here in our diverse regions of central and southern Indiana and beyond.

Within this broad “mission directive,” the plan identifies a particular “pastoral charge” that calls attention to the “most prominent and far-reaching ministries” that exist in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis—namely the 125 parishes located throughout 38 counties of central and southern Indiana.

According to Archbishop Thompson, “the primary focus of our new pastoral plan is to develop vibrant parishes within which missionary disciples are called, formed through a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, and then sent out to proclaim the Gospel and minister to the needs of all God’s people through word, sacrament and service.”

Vibrant parishes are centers of evangelization. They are communities of faith which foster a personal encounter with Jesus Christ through parish life and worship, through teaching, through stewardship of all God’s gifts, through responding to the universal call to holiness (vocations), and through outreach to people in need.

The timeframe of this new pastoral plan is five years (2026–2031), but as Archbishop Thompson frequently said during listening sessions in various regions of the archdiocese, planning is a way of life for this local Church. “In the spirit of synodality,” the archbishop observes, “we are constantly listening to one another, asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and working together as co-responsible leaders carrying out our baptismal responsibility to go forth as missionary disciples and build up the Body of Christ in our 125 parishes throughout 38 counties of central and southern Indiana.”

The new pastoral plan is not really new. It simply takes the mission entrusted to the Apostles by Christ 2,000 years ago and applies it directly to the needs of God’s people here and now. By fostering the personal encounter with Jesus Christ that is absolutely essential to living as authentic disciples, vibrant parishes become places where evangelization flourishes through worship, teaching, stewardship, vocations and outreach. By means of genuine pastoral renewal, the Church in central and southern Indiana remains faithful to the missionary spirit reflected so powerfully by our co-patrons, St. Mother Theodore Guerin and St. Francis Xavier.

Archbishop Thompson’s pastoral letter entrusts the implementation of the new pastoral plan to these co-patrons, but he includes the Blessed Virgin Mary as well.

“Mary is found at the heart of every vibrant parish and archdiocesan ministry,” the archbishop says. “She is the one who leads us to her Divine Son through prayer and the sacraments. She facilitates the encounter with Jesus that is the true purpose of ‘evangelizing catechesis.’ Mary shows us how to answer the Lord’s call to use our unique gifts to love and serve Jesus in and through others. Our Mother Mary accompanies us in our efforts to reach out to others. She shows us how to welcome strangers and carry out the principles of Catholic social teaching.”

Let’s embrace this new pastoral plan as an opportunity to renew our mission and to build up the Body of Christ here in our local communities and beyond.

—Daniel Conway