Suggested Action Steps

[The following Action Steps are suggested as guidelines for parish and archdiocesan leaders as they seek to implement the Goals and Objectives contained in this pastoral plan. It is understood that the diversity that exists in our parishes and archdiocesan ministries will require different approaches. Specific strategies for implementation will be discussed during the Implementation Phase of the pastoral planning process.]

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

Goal 1, Objective 1.1

  • Action Step 1: Using practical resources, provide formation opportunities on prayer and worship. Include the celebration of Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, popular piety, devotion, etc. Empower parents, grandparents, godparents, priests, deacons, altar servers, acolytes, school teachers, coaches and other role models. Help them form and inspire others to discover the treasures of our personal and communal prayer through their personal witness.
  • Action Step 2: Strengthen and cultivate liturgical music throughout the archdiocese. Focus on elevating participation in liturgical music while recruiting and training new ministers/musicians through formation in liturgical theology and through an offering that is accessible and attractive.

Goal 1, Objective 1.2

  • Action Step: Cultivate opportunities for parishioners to animate their faith through activities designed to encounter and serve those who are on the margins “so that we may all become an image of Christ and his mercy toward the weakest.” (Cf. Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te “On Love for the Poor.” by Pope Leo XIV and Lk 14:12-14.)

Goal 2, Objective 2.1

  • Action Step: Generate a practical guide or menu of best practices for building/sustaining community and connectedness in parishes. Focus on the importance of hospitality (for example, the function of sharing food/meals together.)

Goal 2, Objective 2.2

  • Action Step: Cultivate skills, develop resources, and promote encounters that will enable parish and archdiocesan leaders to prioritize relationships, and foster empathy, depolarization, and solidarity among the faithful to emphasize the idea of becoming a listening Church as a path toward unity.

DOMAIN 2: Evangelizing Catechesis: Teach as Jesus did.

Goal 3, Objective 3.1

  • Action Step: Help the faithful understand and appreciate “evangelization,” “missionary discipleship” and related terms. Develop new communications resources for parish use.

Goal 3, Objective 3.2

  • Action Step 1: Encourage each parish to develop an Evangelization Plan with small group ministry. Parish plans should be flexible given the diversity that exists among parishes.
  • Action Step 2: Publish a comprehensive list of all parish adult faith formation ministries—making sure to acknowledge various groups, movements and apostolates focusing on adult evangelization and catechesis, including support of the Domestic Church. 

Goal 4, Objective 4.1

  • Action Step: Encourage all parishes and schools to start or continue small group ministry, with guidance from appropriate offices; this includes providing and/or recommending specific resources.

Goal 4, Objective 4.2

  • Action Step 1: Establish endowment funds for equipment to be used in processions as well as for electronic message boards, high-profile statues and additional works of art.
  • Action Step 2: Provide training and information to help the faithful engage in faith-related conversations when observers of public witness express curiosity, ask questions or otherwise make inquiries about our Catholic faith.

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

Goal 5, Objective 5.1

  • Action Step 1: Appoint a Steering Committee comprised of clergy, staff and laity to identify key performance indicators and charism guidelines for Thriving Parishes.
  • Action Step 2: Conduct a study of archdiocesan parishes to identify opportunities for growth, and challenges to overcome, in improving the vitality of parish communities.
  • Action Step 3: Review results of the study of parishes and define actions needed to assist parishes in overcoming challenges while presenting opportunities to build Thriving Parishes.

Goal 5, Objective 5.2

  • Action Step 1: Identify best practices for Thriving Parishes, centering on creating a welcoming encounter, joyful witness, service, evangelization, and ongoing dialogue.
  • Action Step 2: Attract talent to serve in parishes, schools and ministries through archdiocesan benchmarks on tuition increases, staff salary scales, organization structure, mentorship, HR policies and appropriate staff training, development best practices, and finance best practices.
  • Action Step 3: Consider new business models to serve parishes and archdiocesan ministries in recruiting and attracting talent, and shared services. Enhance and coordinate communication plans to existing Catholic audiences and new audiences using websites and other media sources.

Goal 6, Objective 6.1

  • Action Step 1: Conduct a study of the overall funding needs of parishes and archdiocesan ministries.
  • Action Step 2: Involve parish and archdiocesan leaders in identifying financial needs and developing strategies for addressing them.
  • Action Step 3: Develop a case statement that outlines the priority funding needs of parishes and the archdiocese. Develop and implement strategies for meeting these needs.

Goal 7, Objective 7.1

  • Action Step 1: Provide resources to facilitate prayer and action for the stewardship of Creation.
  • Action Step 2: Encourage parishes to discuss how to be responsible stewards of all God’s creation using Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’ and his Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum as platforms for action. 

DOMAIN 4: Vocations: Respond to the universal call to holiness.

Goal 8, Objective 8.1

  • Action Step 1: Develop a tool to assess parish efforts in the area of marriage, consecrated life, priesthood and laity vocational discernment.
  • Action Step 2: Review the archdiocesan marriage preparation process in light of the Marriage Catechumenate, with special attention to discernment of marriage as a vocation at the dating stage, and accompaniment of newly married couples into family ministry.
  • Action Step 3: Support the emergence and growth of apostolic movements directed toward the renewal of laity, family life, and ministerial priesthood.

Goal 9, Objective 9.1

  • Action Step 1: Develop and implement ongoing formation programs for clergy, lay leadership, and families in parishes and schools to assist them in their mission to inspire priestly, religious, and lay ministry vocations.
  • Action Step 2: Partner with institutions of Catholic higher education to provide programmatic support of ongoing formation of pastoral leaders.
  • Action Step 3: Assess the current deanery structure in light of clergy personnel and the need for further lay leadership.
  • Action Step 4: Identify opportunities and create guidelines for lay and clergy sabbaticals.
  • Action Step 5: Examine the temporal needs of lay leadership throughout the archdiocese and implement just compensation to fill these needs.

DOMAIN 5: Outreach & Ministry: Implement Catholic Social Teaching.

Goal 10, Objective 10.

  • Action Step 1: Create a parish engagement matrix as a resource for both parishes and the archdiocese to track data on all parishes regarding social services and outreach. 
  • Action Step 2: Recruit 3-5 parishes/deaneries and train pilot advocates for parish engagement. 
  • Action Step 3: Increase the infrastructure/support system for parish social ministries as the need and parishioner involvement increases. Offer feedback opportunities, share best practices, provide a toolkit with a how-to guide for beginning parishes, and increase the connection between parishes via regular communication, identification of ways to serve, and coordination of events/activities/service projects. 
  • Action Step 4: Hold annual “Catholic Social Teaching (CST) in Action” service events in different deaneries.

Goal 10, Objective 10.2

  • Action Step 1: Expand presentations and workshops relating to Catholic Social Teaching (CST), particularly around the three theological virtues, the four principles of CST, and the seven themes of CST. 
  • Action Step 2: Create a digital marketing campaign to increase public awareness around Catholic Social Teaching and highlight the ways local Catholic agencies are meeting the need through stories and testimonials.
  • Action Step 3: Create experiential events utilizing the network and deanery service events to enable people to connect CST principles and themes to actual service. 

Goal 11, Objective 11.1

  • Action Step 1: Research and draft a welcoming ministry set of directives. Pilot the directives in 3-5 parishes.
  • Action Step 2: Roll out the welcoming ministry across the archdiocese, providing feedback opportunities, sharing best practices, and creating a toolkit with a how-to guide for beginning parishes.

Goal 11, Objective 11.2

  • Action Step 1: Engage youth/young adults to create a service passport (a special document to record works of service, as you would travel). Pilot the passport among a small number of youth groups.
  • Action Step 2: Expand passport program across the archdiocese through communications and materials support.  
  • Action Step 3: Hold an annual Service Passport Mass with the Archbishop, who will offer his final stamp of approval on the completed passports.

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