MARCH 2003
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St. Barbara |
Our Lady of Lourdes |
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St. Callistus |
Our Lady of the Rosary |
|
St. Donato |
Our Lady of Victory |
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St. Ignatius of Loyola |
Our Mother of Sorrows |
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Our Lady of Angels |
St. Rose of Lima |
The Pastoral Plan for the parishes of Cluster 21 was submitted to Cardinal Bevilacqua in November 1997. Now, after five and a half years of implementation, these parishes are undergoing an evaluation of the Plan. Such an evaluation is taking place in each of the 41 clusters of the Archdiocese.
At their March meeting, Cluster 21 Council members began this process by gathering information. This was accomplished, first of all, by answering five questions: What has been carried out? What still needs to be carried out? To what degree has the vision been implemented? Are there new needs to be addressed? What are the obstacles? Besides the obvious (that is, the twinning of some parishes, the reduction in the number of parish priests assigned here, and the closing of one parish school), Council members agreed that most of the goals of the Plan have been (or are being) implemented. The goal regarding evangelization efforts is being implemented. Most of our parishes have adopted or created evangelization programs. Sister Mary Catherine, IHM (St. Rose of Lima Parish) was commissioned recently as Cluster Coordinator for Evangelization.
Initially, our goal to market our parish schools was deemed unnecessary. Council members seemed to agree that, in light of diminishing enrollment numbers here, this goal now should be revisited. Father Thomas Kletzel, pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary and Our Lady of Victory, "put on the table" the proposal of his Pastoral Councils to begin separate feasibility studies for possible restructuring of these schools. Such a study could impact other schools in the Cluster.
Several Council members identified the need to address again the presence of Catholic Social Services in the parishes of Cluster 21. Also, a discussion took place on the need for our parishes to work together more closely, and to share better each one's resources.
During the course of the meeting, Monsignor Conway (Regional Vicar) announced that Cluster 21 must work toward the reduction of one parish priest by June 2004 due to a diminishing number of priests throughout the Archdiocese. Given the fact that none of the parishes of the Cluster has a parochial vicar (i.e. an assistant pastor), this will mean some form of restructuring. After much discussion on this topic and in light of current statistics, he asked that Council members consider the future of Our Lady of Angels Parish.
Cluster 21 Council members will meet next on April 1st. At that time, feedback on this information, from the individual Parish Pastoral Councils and other parishioners, will be considered.