Planning Process Phases

January 6, 2001                         Pope John Paul II calls on dioceses to develop pastoral plans to create vibrant parishes.

 

March, 2005 - May, 2006           Bishop Galante holds Speak Up Sessions in every parish.

 

January, 2006                            Proclamation of Diocesan Vision Statement.  Diocesan Planning Commission formed and begins work.

 

August, 2006                             Six Major Pastoral Priorities identified from Speak Up Sessions.

 

September, 2006                       Bishop presents a broadly consultative planning process to pastors, Gathering God's Gifts. A Diocesan Demographic report is published.

 

September - Dec., 2006             Organization of Parish Planning Teams. They study Diocesan and their Parish Data.  Bishop gives evening presentations for all planners. Parishes choose

planning partner parishes and delegates to the Diocesan Assembly.

 

December 9, 2006                     Diocesan Assembly endorses 14 Pastoral Goals to give specific direction to the Pastoral Priorities.  Bishop approves them.  The Diocesan Vision and the Pastoral Goals are incorporated into planning for vibrant, dynamic parishes.           

January - May, 2007                  Parish planners attend a January In-Service Day to learn about possible models. Parish planning partners formulate together possible reconfigurations to recommend to the Bishop by May 15.

 

Summer, 2007                           Diocesan Planning Commission studies the May 15 recommendations, deanery by deanery.  They develop discernment questions in response to the proposed reconfigurations.

 

September - Dec., 2007            Bishop Galante and the Diocesan Planning Commission respond to planners.  Bishop asks each group to broaden its scope, use the discernment questions and plan together for the common good of the Church by extending their planning for the entire deanery.  

 

January, 2008                            Revised recommendations for the deanery are submitted to Bishop Galante.

 

February, 2008                          The Diocesan Planning Commission meets for 2 ½ days to review deanery recommendations. They give their careful assessment to Bishop Galante who  reflects on them and takes these assessments to prayer.

 

March - April, 2008                    Bishop presents his reflections to the Presbyteral Council whose consult he must seek. The Presbyteral meets for 3 days to give consult to the Bishop.

 

April 3, 2008                              Bishop announces the intended reconfigurations of parishes.  Over 100 churches are slated to remain open for worship.

 

April - May, 2008                      Every merging parish is consulted regarding the qualities needed in the pastoral leader of the reconfiguration.

 

June - July, 2008                      All diocesan priests are asked to name 3 reconfigurations for which they would like to be the Priest Convener, working with a Core Team of parishioners to develop a newly configured parish.

 

August, 2008                             The Priests Personnel Board spends 3 days of prayerful discernment, considering the priests' preferences, the parishes input, the positions that will be open, and the particular circumstances of each intended reconfiguration. Decisions regarding Priest Conveners are announced August 28, 2008.

 

September - Oct., 2008             Information meetings are held with all priests, pastors and their staff, Priest Conveners and newly named Core Teams.  A Merger Manual is provided by Diocesan Offices to help the pastors and Priest Conveners move through the transition process as smoothly as possible.

 

Fall 2008                                  Lay Ministry Formation Program announced to help form and educate lay men and women who will help carry out critical ministries at the parish level, particularly the pastoral priorities identified at the parish Speak Up sessions.

 

Beginning October, 2008           Priest Conveners and Core Teams begin to work through the process of merging parishes.

 

July 29, 2009                             Effective date for first decree issued to a newly parish. The Catholic Community of Christ Our Light in Cherry Hill ( see complete list of parish consolidations here ).

 

September, 2010                       Harvesting Gifts for the Church of Camden: a new initiative to advance the Pastoral Priorities identified by the people of the Diocese of Camden through a series of Speak Up Sessions in 2005-2006.