ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

Informal Evaluation by the Cluster Implementation Committee

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 - Develop a plan and process for the equitable deployment of priests that takes into account the canonical and pastoral implications of the deployment.

• The Augustinian Friars withdrew from Our Mother of Consolation Parish and the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales took over the Parish;
• St. Josaphat and St. Ladislaus Parishes were twinned in June 2000. After a formal evaluation of this twinned arrangement, it was recommended, in January 2003, that St. Ladislaus be suppressed, as of July 1, 2003. His Eminence accepted this recommendation;
• Cluster Parishes share the pastoral care of Roxborough Memorial Hospital and MCP Hospital.
  
  

Goal # 2 - Encourage Catholics to make prayer, including liturgical and personal, central to their lives.

• The Cluster sponsors the Lenten Journey, which is very popular, especially among the Manayunk Parishes and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish;
• The Cluster sponsors Advent and Lenten Penance Services;
• The Cluster sponsored adult religious education classes on Prayer and Liturgy. The Program was called "Liturgy in a Vibrant Environment - L.I.V.E."

Goal #3 - Develop Cluster-wide processes to insure the maintenance and development of quality Catholic Schools.

• The Cluster sponsored a workshop for grant writing for the parish elementary schools;
• The Manayunk Parishes received tuition grants from Mr. & Mrs. Nedusin, developer for the restoration of Main Street, for children in their schools;
• The Cluster hosted a Workshop for the Pastors and Principals to learn more about Tuition Tax Credits and other opportunities for tuition assistance.
  
  

Goal #4 - Support and develop adult religious education efforts through the Cluster.

• The Cluster sponsors, twice a year, courses on the liturgy, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and moral/ethical issues. These courses have been well attended.

Goal #5 - Reach out and evangelize those distanced from the Church.

• Parishes in the Cluster sponsor Disciples in Mission and Landings, but generally speaking there has been little done in this area.
  
  

Goal #6 - Develop lay participation and responsibility in the Leadership of the Church and plans and programs that will prepare the laity for greater involvement.

• While this subcommittee did meet faithfully for the first couple years, many parishes did not have representation. The subcommittee collated ministries and activities within the Cluster parishes that highlighted lay involvement, but nothing came out of their efforts.

Goal #7 - Focus on youth.

• There was an attempt to establish a Cluster Youth Board but there was a lack of leadership and support from the Pastors to make this happen;
• The Office for Youth and Young Adults met with and presented different models of Young Adult Groups in the Archdiocese, but again nothing came out of these meetings.
  
  

Actions that still need to be taken include:

• With the changing demographics, the five parishes in Manayunk have initiated a self-study of their schools.

Obstacles, that have stood in the way of the implementation of the Cluster Pastoral Plan are:

-The five Manayunk Parishes are really a Cluster within a Cluster. To their credit, they have, for years, shared many educational, pastoral, social and youth programs and resources.

-Our Mother of Consolation Parish has requested to change Clusters because the Parish shares resources and programs already with St. Genevieve and Holy Martyrs Parishes.

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 develop or expand the Cluster Plan - New information indicates that new cluster plan actions are needed.