Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

ALL THINGS NEW – Steadfast in Faith - Forward in Hope

Strategic Pastoral Planning Initiative for the Archdiocese of St. Louis

 

WHAT IS THIS STRATEGIC PASTORAL PLANNING INITIATIVE?

All Things New will examine all of our parishes, schools, ministries and agencies, evaluating our effectiveness as a local Church in proclaiming the Gospel and identifying opportunities for improvement and renewal.  The goals are:

• To “make all things new” by Gospel renewal in our parishes, schools and other

       ministry efforts.

• To enhance our evangelization efforts to those on margins of society.

• To secure a vibrant future for the Church of St. Louis.

This initiative is in response to the call of our Lord Jesus Christ to be missionary disciples, and to the Church’s desire to “make all things new” by the Power and Joy of the Gospel.

 

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?  WHY NOW?

• The Church and its people continue to evolve as society evolves.

• The landscape of Catholic faithful in our archdiocese looks different today than it did even a few decades ago.

• This process will allow us to move our ministries forward to meet people where they are – spiritually and geographically – while remaining constant in mission and rooted in faith.

 

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS INITIATIVE?

The purpose is to:

• Reimagine how the Church serves her people throughout the archdiocese.

• Foster viable, sustainable, and vibrant parishes and schools that support the evangelizing mission of Jesus Christ and His Church.

• Ensure we are serving effectively, and preserve the faith for future generations.

 

WHAT WILL THIS ENTAIL?

This process will affect the entire archdiocese.  We began this process in July 2021 with prayer and listening, and will continue collecting data and feedback from various stakeholders – including our priests, deacons, lay leaders, consecrated religious, and faithful of all ages – which will inform the rest of the planning process.

 

WHAT IS THE TIMELINE?

This is a multi-year project, involving ongoing prayer, listening sessions, and collecting feedback from various stakeholders that will develop options for a strategic plan for the entire archdiocese which will be finalized by Pentecost 2023.

 

WILL WE BE CLOSING PARISHES AND SCHOOLS?  IF SO, HOW MANY?

The data and feedback from various stakeholders – including priests, deacons, lay leaders, consecrated religious, and faithful of all ages – will guide the planning process for evangelization.  While we are not yet in a place to make decisions regarding structures, we anticipate a significant impact on our current blueprint and will address immediate needs as they arise.

 

THE NEXT STEP: DISCIPLE MAKER INDEX

Over the next few months, all Catholics will be invited to pray and offer their feedback about the future of the archdiocese.  The Disciple Maker Index survey, to be released on Ash Wednesday, March 2, will allow Catholics to share their thoughts and hopes for the Catholic Church here in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.  Survey results will give the archdiocese a clear picture of the needs of the local Church. This will be a driving force in deciding what will happen within the archdiocese.

 

Find more information, please go to: allthingsnew.archstl.org

 

Sincerely yours in Jesus, Fr. John Seper