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 - To establish a new parish in Buckingham area.

1. Cluster parishes participated in the Archdiocesan process to establish Our Lady of Guadalupe as a new parish in the cluster.

Goal #2 - To strengthen the opportunity for Catholic school education.

2. Pastors, principals and Religious Education Directors meet periodically. Study was done on population in Catholic Schools in Cluster. We currently have over 350 seats available in our cluster elementary schools.

3. This Goal was originally written in response to the problems experienced at the time the Cluster Action Plan was written. The pastors defined what the issues were and how to proceed which were then settled to the pastors' satisfaction.

Goal #3 - To improve and coordinate youth and young adult ministry.

4. Made Archdiocesan Office for Youth and Young Adults leadership training and recruitment workshops were conducted for our youth leaders.

5. Ran a pilgrimage for World Youth Day through the Cluster.

6. Questionnaire was sent to parishes about their needs.

7. Shared information on youth activities among parishes in Cluster.

8. The value of cluster in this area is probably in having informal meetings among the youth leaders.

Goal #4 - To provide pastoral lay leadership training opportunities.

9. Held a very successful Cluster Ministries Training Day.

10. St. Vincent de Paul and St. Cyril Pre-Cana team met with the Family Life Office to update the program

Goal #5 - To provide cluster adult religious education programs.

11. Advent and Lenten programs were offered and publicized throughout the Cluster .

12. Our Lady of Mount Carmel adult education program and their regularly held presentations "Super Bowl of Catholic Thought" were promoted as Cluster events though attendance from other parishes is low.

Goal #6 - To provide family ministry and encourage religious vocations.

13. Cluster is looking into initiating M.O.M.S. program (currently very successful at St. Cyril) into other parishes.

14.Cluster parishes support the Knights of Columbus working with Altar Servers recognition program.

15.Most cluster parishes have some type of family program in place.

Goal #7 - To support parish evangelization efforts.

16. Evangelization committee in each parish is working on building communication with the non-practicing Catholics. They have sent mailings and made phone calls.

17. Disciples in Mission and other programs run at most parishes.

18. This goal was intended to recommend that parishes share ideas and effort on evangelization. The intent may have been so that parishes could meet and share ideas on evangelization since at the time the Cluster Pastoral Plan was written they were new to the idea, and dialog would be helpful. It was felt that there would be no cluster-wide evangelization program. Since the time the Cluster Pastoral Plan was written the Archdiocese has taken a larger role in assisting parishes by providing organized programs of evangelization.

Actions that still need to be taken include:

• The cluster still needs to find more positive ways to reach young adults and teens.
• Information on religious vocations should be provided to youth and young adults.
• Pull together coordinators of parish programs for a discussion on what works and does not work, how to make parish programs stronger.
• Evangelization programs should be evaluated and success stories shared.
• Better communication to all cluster parishes the purpose of Cluster planning and implementation. Encourage pastors to include a "Cluster Corner" in their bulletins to keep all parishioners of Cluster 30 informed - identify all ongoing activities that are open to Cluster members. Create a newsletter of cluster parish activities (including parishioners names, pictures, etc.).
• Pastors, Principals and Directors of Religious Education should meet periodically to discuss needs in order to strengthen the opportunity for Catholic school education.
• Lay leadership ministry days should be offered regularly. Establish an ongoing Ministry Day committee.
• A Cluster Implementation Committee Coordinator should be appointed to review the goals and find new and exciting ways to implement them.

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

• As in parishes, the lack of volunteers and time.
• Lack of understanding of "cluster". Most parishioners are still unaware of what cluster is really about.
• Each parish works on meeting parish goals, which are similar to cluster goals and at times it is not evident where the Cluster would be more successful.
• The large geographical area and diverse parish situations make it difficult to achieve a cohesive spirit within the Cluster and get parishioners to go to other parishes for cluster events.

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.