CLUSTER PASTORAL PLAN FOR CLUSTER 29
ONE PAGE SUMMARY
Media Release: December 21, 1998
Throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, parishes located in a particular geographical area, were formed into Clusters. In Bucks County there are six such Clusters.
Assisted by their Mission Statement and Self Study program, six parishes in the Quakertown, Sellersville, Hilltown, Chalfont, Ottsville, and Riegelsville area met in March 1998 to evaluate needs, strengths, limitations and resources within the Cluster.
These parishes are: St. Isidore, St. Agnes, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, St. Jude, St. John the Baptist and St. Lawrence.
Each parish was represented on the Cluster Pastoral Planning Committee by its pastor and two members of the Parish Pastoral Council.
Early meetings dealt with parish surveys, internal strengths and weaknesses of Cluster parishes, shortage of clergy and religious, and the need to develop more lay leadership. Key issues surfaced for concentration and inclusion within the Cluster Plan; viz., youth ministry and their continued religious education, training of lay leadership, adult religious education, communications among cluster parishes, evangelization, stewardship, sacramental policy, and social issues.
With input from Parish Pastoral Councils, the Cluster Committee then presented the Cluster Action Plan which calls for six goals:
1.Provide a ministries training program.
2.Develop young adult/adult religious education program.
3.Expand youth programs.
4.Strengthen inter-parish communications.
5.Support evangelization programs for active and inactive Catholics.
6.Nourish the spiritual life of families.
Representatives from each of the six parishes (pastor and two Parish Pastoral Council members) will begin to implement the Cluster Plan in April 1999 as well as identify the common needs, resources, and system for monitoring progress within the Cluster.
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