NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 1999 Contact Person - Rev. Msgr. John V. Bartos
CARDINAL BEVILACQUA APPROVES
CLUSTER PLAN OF LOCAL PARISHES
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, four parishes in the
Feasterville, Southampton, Holland, and Hatboro area met in March 1998 to evaluate needs, strengths, limitations and resources within the Cluster.
These parishes are: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. Bede the Venerable, and St. John Bosco.
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 four goals:
1. Develop and provide adult religious education.
2. Expand programs to nourish faith life of youth and young adults.
3. Strengthen and support the spiritual life of Catholic families.
4. Collaborate on evangelization programs.Representatives from each of the four 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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