Archdiocese of Indianapolis Pastoral Plan 2026

Vision

Go Forth in Joy and Hope as Missionary Disciples!

We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision.
(Pope Francis, 2025 Jubilee Year)

Hope is to bear witness that the Earth can truly resemble heaven. (Pope Leo XIV)

Rooted in the joy and hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we, the Church in central and southern Indiana, are resolute in prayer and purpose, outward-looking, and unified in mission. Together, we form missionary disciples who grow in faith, share Christ’s love, and serve all people. Through vibrant worship, lifelong faith formation, compassionate outreach, strong pastoral leadership, and faithful stewardship, we continue to build a united, Spirit-led Church that responds to the needs of our time and proclaims the Good News to the world.

As baptized Catholics and children of God, we are called to follow Jesus Christ as missionary disciples and pilgrims of hope. We accept the invitation to proclaim the Gospel joyfully and to minister to all our sisters and brothers in Jesus’s name as co-responsible witnesses. As one Body of Christ we prayerfully discern God’s will for our Local Church through attentive listening to the Word of God, prayerful celebration of the Sacraments, ministry to the spiritual and temporal needs of others, and respectful dialogue with one another and with all members of God’s family. We look forward in hope to a future that is rooted in the Gospel and Tradition that responds faithfully to the changing circumstances of our time. 

Mission Directive

Let us go as missionary disciples out to the margins, journeying together with all who need God’s healing mercy and saving love. In the words of Pope Leo XIV:

Christian love breaks down every barrier, brings close those who were distant, unites strangers, and reconciles enemies. It spans chasms that are humanly impossible to bridge, and it penetrates to the most hidden crevices of society. By its very nature, Christian love is prophetic: it works miracles and knows no limits. It makes what was apparently impossible happen. Love is above all a way of looking at life and a way of living it. A Church that sets no limits to love, that knows no enemies to fight but only men and women to love, is the Church that the world needs today. (Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, #120.)

The Lord will prosper our efforts to manifest His kingdom as we share the joy of Christ, living in the Spirit of authentic holiness. We are confident in the future, knowing that Jesus offers His disciples in southern and central Indiana the grace-filled gift of unfailing hope!

Pastoral Charge

Let us develop vibrant parishes within which missionary disciples are called, formed through a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, and sent out to proclaim the Gospel and minister to the needs of all God’s people through word, sacrament and service.
 

Goals and Objectives

Domain 1 | Parish Life and Worship: Encounter the person of Jesus Christ.

  • Goal 1: Enliven our encounter with Jesus Christ, the Word Made Flesh
    • Objective 1.1: Explore the need for additional support for prayer and worship at the parish level.
    • Objective 1.2: Develop the relationship between worship, Eucharistic Adoration, and the lived experience of faith through service.
  • Goal 2: Deepen our communion as the many members of the one Body of Christ bound to God and one another through public worship, especially the celebration of the Holy Eucharist (cf. 1. Cor 12:20)
    • Objective 2.1: Identify and assess best practices in building strong parish communities.
    • Objective 2.2: Facilitate healing, reconciliation and charity to repair division and strengthen communities.

Domain 2 | Evangelizing Catechesis: Teach as Jesus did.

  • Goal 3: Embrace our identity as missionary disciples of Jesus through understanding of His Call and assurance of His presence.
    • Objective 3.1: Create a shared understanding of key phrases and concepts such as evangelizing, missionary discipleship and related terms.
    • Objective 3.2: Strengthen evangelization ministry by holding activities that foster confidence among the faithful to witness to their faith in Jesus.
  • Goal 4: Go forth as missionary disciples of Jesus by facilitating personal encounters with Him and providing resources to help fulfill The Great Commission, a command from Jesus Christ for his followers to make disciples of all nations.
    • Objective 4.1: Provide opportunities to both share and receive the witness of fellow disciples, instilling a sense of belonging and increasing confidence.
    • Objective 4.2: Enable and empower witness through visible events and artifacts.

Domain 3 | Stewardship: Foster a culture of joyful and intentional stewardship.

  • Goal 5: Inspire joyful and intentional stewardship rooted in gratitude and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, as the foundation for discipleship.
    • Objective 5.1: Study the physical and spiritual gifts of our parishes, ministries, archdiocesan committees and archdiocesan offices through the lens of creating missionary disciples in our communities.
    • Objective 5.2: Review study findings and create appropriate recommendations, guidelines, support networks and best practices to facilitate administrative and pastoral care.
  • Goal 6: Unite the faith community of central and southern Indiana in organized efforts to grow the resources required to strengthen parishes and the archdiocese serving the least among us.
    • Objective 6.1: Conduct or update a feasibility study in support of increasing resources so that, when paired with existing study findings, archdiocesan and parish stewardship goals may be realized.
  • Goal 7: Serve as protectors (stewards) of God’s handiwork recognized as “essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience.” (cf. Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’ On Care for Our Common Home and his Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum On the Climate Crisis)
    • Objective 7.1: Create programs that call everyone to prayer and action in the stewardship of the natural resources with which God has blessed us.

Domain 4 | Vocations: Respond to the universal call to holiness.

  • Goal 8: Encourage the discernment of vocations (clergy, religious, and lay) in Jesus’s name.
    • Objective 8.1: Create strategies and resources for formation in discernment to enable young people to learn how to listen and follow the movements of the Holy Spirit that lead them to answer calls to marriage, ordained ministry, consecrated life, or professional lay ministry.
  • Goal 9: Provide for the spiritual, temporal and formational development of our clergy, religious, and parish ministers.
    • Objective 9.1: Assess current administrative structures and policies to identify areas for reconsideration and further action.

Domain 5 | Outreach & Ministry: Implement Catholic social teaching.

  • Goal 10: Increase participation in serving the most needy and vulnerable of our world.
    • Objective 10.1: Develop a network of people and resources by connecting parishes and deaneries in support of the Church’s social ministries.
    • Objective 10.2: Increase awareness and understanding of God’s call to build His kingdom through service and education of Catholic Social Teaching.
  • Goal 11: Create a culture of invitation and belonging for all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
    • Objective 11.1: Establish welcoming ministries within each parish and the Catholic Center that focus on creating welcoming, caring and connected communities.
    • Objective 11.2: Develop age-related activities to promote service with ties to Mass participation and companionship.

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