Does Your Parish have a Parish Pastoral Council Charter?

Parish Pastoral Councils are asked to work this spring and summer to form new Parish Pastoral Council Charters in alignment with the Parish Pastorl Council Guidelines issued in November, 2010. Copies of the new charters should be returned to the Pastoral Planning Office by September 30, 2013. Please see this flyer for more information.

In a recent letter from Bishop Galante to all of the pastors of the Diocese, Bishop Galante spoke of “a comprehensive evangelization effort throughout the diocese that will strive to renew the baptismal spirit of parishioners while engaging in various outreach actions”. This effort, the Isaiah 43 Project, requires that some preparation happen in the parishes in the coming months. To help parish staff and leaders easily find the materials they need we have created the Isaiah 43 section of the website. 

The first part of this preparation is the Hospitality and Welcoming Assessment, which Bishop Galante has directed all pastors to complete. The toolkit is available in English and Spanish. There are a number of additional resources available as well.

We also highly recommend that you clean up your ParishSoft census data prior to starting the Isaiah 43 Project. This Census Validation Toolkit will give you a clear method for updating your ParishSoft census data to provide the most current and accurate information about your parishioners.

New parish self-assessment toolkit ready!
We've been telling you that a collaborative effort was underway in the diocesan offices to create a self-assessment tool for parishes to use. The toolkit, called "Hallmarks of Parish Vitality", is designed to provide parishes with feedback that is helpful to parish leadership for future planning. Clicking on the image at left will take you directly to the toolkit.

"Hallmarks of Parish Vitality" is toolkit #15 under the Pastoral Planning tab. Also new this month is toolkit #18, "What should I have on my Parish Website?". See the latest Harvesting Gifts Newsletter for updates from the diocesan offices on their work with the Pastoral Priorities.

Providing young adults with opportunities, time, and places within the diocese to gather, pray, share, and serve.

Read more: Young Adult and Campus Ministry

Pastoral Planning is a process that engages members of the faith community, invites them to take and express their baptismal responsibility to build up the Church through prayer, discernment, and actions that address the needs of the faith community and those served by it.

Read more: Pastoral Planning

While recognizing the right to life as the first moral response on life's continuum, the Office of Life and Justice also will seek to promote a consistent and seamless ethic of life from conception to natural death, with particular attention to those who are most vulnerable.

Read more: Life and Justice