ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

During the Spring, 2003, the Cluster Implementation Committee conducted an informal evaluation of the Cluster Pastoral Plan in consultation with the Parish Pastoral councils. The purpose of this informal evaluation was to determine the current status of the cluster plan. They considered the following questions:

1. What action(s) has (have) been taken to carry out the Cluster Pastoral Plan?

2. What action(s) still need(s) to be taken to meet the goal(s) of the Cluster Pastoral Plan?

3. To what degree has the vision of the Cluster Pastoral Plan been implemented?

4. Were any new needs discovered or new actions taken during the implementation of the Cluster Pastoral Plan?

5. What obstacles, if any, stood in the way of the implementation of the Cluster Pastoral Plan?

The committee found the following actions have been taken:

Goal #1 - To address the projection of diocesan priest in the year 2000.

• The Cluster was asked to reduce the number of diocesan priests from 19 to 14 by the year 2000. Four parochial vicars from Holy Innocents, Ascension of Our Lord, St. Adalbert and St. Joan of Arc Parishes were reassigned. The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales offered to take over Mater Dolorosa Parish.

Goal #2 - To offer Catholic education which meets the changing Cluster needs

• A Cluster Education Committee was formed to oversee the implementation of this Cluster goal;
• The twelve parishes in the Cluster were divided into three geographical areas: All Saints and St. John Cantius Parishes (Bridesburg), Nativity of Our Lord, Our Lady Help of Christians, St. Adalbert, Mother of Divine Grace and St. George Parishes (Port Richmond) and St. Joan of Arc, St. Joachim, Holy Innocents, Mater Dolorosa and Ascension of Our Lord Parishes (Harrogate, Frankford, Juniata and Kensington).
• Each of the three subclusters of parishes worked together to market Catholic education in their schools and share resources where possible;
• St. Joan of Arc, St. Joachim and Mater Dolorosa parish elementary schools will close in June 2003 and the Holy Innocents Area Catholic School will provide Catholic education for the children of the above schools and Holy Innocents Parish;
• The other two subclusters will continue to dialogue on the future of Catholic education in their area.

Goal #3 - To share cluster riches and spiritual resources.

• The Cluster sponsors Pre-Cana classes for engaged couples;
• The Cluster studied the possibility of combining CCD programs but eventually decided that each parish should provide CCD religious education for its own children;
• The Cluster formed a Senior Adult Task Force to provide educational, social and spiritual opportunities for the high number of elderly and homebound in the Cluster. Catholic Social Services, the Archdiocesan Parish Nursing Program and the Office for Senior Adult Services have worked closely with this Task Force on a number of Cluster events for the elderly;

• The Cluster hosted a Corpus Christi Procession in Port Richmond;
• The Cluster sponsors "Healthy Families" program at St. Joachim Parish to assist single parents.
  
  

Goal #4 - To increase lay leadership and involvement in the Church with special emphasis on evangelization.

• The Cluster met with representatives of the Office for Renewal and Evangelization to discuss how to form a Cluster evangelization outreach program but eventually decided that each parish should have its own evangelization outreach program;
• The Cluster agreed that it has not implemented this goal but feels that this goal should be the focus for the future.

Actions that still need to be taken include:

• The Cluster Implementation Committee will continue to work on Pre-Cana Classes, the Senior Adult Task Force, Catholic education in the other two subclusters and lay leadership.

Status of the Plan

In light of the information collected, the Cluster Implementation Committee in consultation with Parish Pastoral Councils recommended to the Regional Vicar that the status of the plan be

To continue - implementation is not complete, new data does not indicate a need for revised cluster plan but further work is required on the current plan.