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Informal Evaluation by the Cluster Implementation Committee
Cluster 19

St. Ambrose
Holy Angels
Incarnation of Our Lord
St. Veronica

St. Helena
St. Hugh of Cluny
Our Lady of Hope

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 - Address the need for quality Catholic education on the Sacramental life of the Church for children, teenagers and adults.

  • While the parishes work heroically to do to meet the tremendous needs of religious education for children, teenagers and adults, there is so much more that needs to be done. With the help of the Office for Catechetical Formation, training sessions for catechists are being prepared for the Fall 2003. Local Universities will be invited to support the Cluster with students from their Universities, who would be interested in teaching religious education in the Cluster schools.

    Goal #2 - Reach out to marginal Catholics and evangelize the uninitiated and unchurched.

  • The Cluster hosted a Workshop on evangelization;
  • Incarnation of Our Lord Parish started a Neocatechumenate Group;

  • The Hispanic Evangelization Team provided training, to evangelization teams, for those parishes with a sizeable Hispanic community, to do door-to-door visitations;
  • St. Veronica Parish sponsored a Cluster charismatic concert;
  • Holy Angels Parish hosted a Cluster "Night of Grace" retreat and a two-day conference with Eileen George.

    Goal #3 - Make quality Catholic education in parish schools affordable to children of all parishioners, as well as every child whose parents desire it.

  • The Cluster submitted grant proposals to the Koch Foundation and the Hines Foundation for tuition assistance for the parish elementary schools, for a DRE in each parish and for evangelization outreach programs.

    Goal #4 - Work at the Cluster level to increase our stewardship to support the ministry of the Church.

  • The Cluster sponsored two Workshops on Stewardship and Tithing.

    Goal #5 - Share resources to meet common spiritual and social needs.

  • The Cluster has compiled a list of social outreach programs and have shared this information with the staff of the parishes.

    Goal #6 - Increase ministry to youth and young adults and promote their involvement in parish activities.

  • Some parishes cannot afford a director or coordinator of youth ministries, nor do they have a pool of adults for youth ministry. A couple parishes have their own Young Adult Group.

    Goal #7 - Call forward and form lay leadership.

  • The Cluster participates in lay leadership workshops at the Catholic Institute for Evangelization.

    Goal #8 - Address the allocation of diocesan priests in Cluster 19 in the year 2002. The Cluster was to be reduced one diocesan priest.

  • St. Helena Parish was reduced one parochial vicar.

    Goal #9 - Address the canonical status of Holy Angels Parish.

  • The Cluster Implementation Committee, after much discussion, decided to maintain the current canonical status of Holy Angels Parish, which is a territorial parish.


    Actions that still need to be taken include:

    The Cluster will continue to work on implementing the goals that focused on religious education, making quality Catholic education available for their parishioners, youth ministry and sharing spiritual and social resources.


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

    Because of diversity in cultures, languages and traditions, because of limitations of finances and personnel and because the Pastors and their small staff seem to be extended to the limit, it has been very difficult to implement many of the action steps in the Cluster goals. But there is surely good will and support for one another in the Cluster.

    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.

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