Resources

Our parishes face a number of challenges — demographics have changed, especially in some of our rural areas; the parishioner base of some parishes is quite small; in some places lack of volunteers makes it difficult to do the ministry and mission of a parish; we have fewer lay people working for the Church and fewer priests. Additionally, the world has changed, and the membership of our Churches has declined dramatically over the past 10-20 years, not just because of demographics but also because of disaffiliation. Because of all this, we are led to ask the question: How can we structure ourselves and our parishes to accomplish the mission with fewer resources? This process is described more fully in the playbook for Diocesan Planning for Mission Processes for Parishes and Parish Clusters.  

We need regional Planning for Mission processes because our current realities call us to faithfully adapt in order to continue the Church’s mission. Changing demographics, fewer priests, and limited resources make it necessary for us to look honestly at how our parishes are structured and how we can best serve the people of God. These regional processes provide an opportunity for priests and parish leaders to come together in prayer and dialogue, to listen to the Holy Spirit, and to discern the most effective ways to share the life of Jesus Christ in our communities. By collaborating regionally, we can ensure that every parish has the vision, leadership, and resources needed to build vibrant communities of faith that form disciples, strengthen unity, and inspire witness in a missionary Church.