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 - Provide support for the efforts of parents to teach their children the Catholic faith.

It was the consensus of the Committee that this goal was being addressed through:

· Strong Catholic Elementary Education System through C.A.C.E.S.

· Strong CCD programs in each Cluster Parish

· Summer Bible School Program at two parishes which is open to all parishes in the Cluster.

· Teen Life Program at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish (OLR) which is open to all parishes in the
Cluster. However, the need was identified to create a liaison representative from each parish to
the Teen Life Program at OLR to encourage participation by teens in each parish.

· Moving forward with efforts to build a new Regional Parish School within Cluster 42.

· Goal #2 - Provide support and education for increased Evangelization efforts.

It was the consensus of the Committee that this goal continues to be addressed through:

· Individual RCIA Programs in each parish and cooperation within Cluster Parishes in providing the
dates and times each RCIA candidates meet in the respective parishes.

· Goal #3 - Address the Priest Projection report which indicates a decline in the number of priests available for parish work in the Cluster.

This goal was addressed through the twinning of St. Joseph and St. Stanislaus Kostka Churches and the appointment of Father John V. Oulds as Pastor of both parishes.

· Goal #4 - Improve the level of community services especially for the Hispanic, elderly and needy populations of the Cluster.

The Committee addressed this goal through:

· The continued support by the Cluster Parishes of the Hispanic Apostolate, which is currently led
by Father Nick Dinini.

· The presence and works of the Comboni Missionary Sisters with the Hispanic Community within
the Cluster, which is supported by all Cluster Parishes both spiritually and financially.

· The utilization of Cluster buildings (i.e. church and school halls) for religious and social functions
by the Hispanic Community.

· Goal #5 - Renew religious education and stewardship programs through the inclusion of new parishioners.

The Committee addressed this goal through:

· Continuing support, education and encouragement of the Hispanic population in the Cluster
regarding the education of their children and themselves with the importance of religious education
in preparation for the Sacraments.

· New parishioners are instructed in their financial responsibility to their parish and their financial
support of the capital campaign for a new Regional Parish School.

Actions that still need to be taken include:

• During the Cluster Implementation Process the Committee recognized that the needs of a new Regional Parish School would be better served by repositioning several parishes to other clusters. The Committee's request for realignment was approved by the Cardinal. Our Lady of Consolation Parish, Parkesburg, moved from Cluster 42 to Cluster 41. St. Peter Parish, Honey Brook, moved from Cluster 43 to Cluster 42. By this movement, St. Peter Parish has become a member of the new Regional Parish School, currently, the Coatesville Area Catholic Elementary School, and is planning to relocate the St. Peter Parish plant to property adjacent to that land planned for use by the new regional school.

• At this time, the Cluster 42 members, identified the goals of the Cluster to be the construction of the Regional Parish School and the relocation and construction of a parish church and rectory for St. Peter's.

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

Obstacles encountered and identified during Cluster Implementation were:

• The need to secure a new location for the Regional Parish School, which would comply with the Archdiocesan regulation of a school being placed, near a parish church.
• The need for St. Peter's to relocate their parish campus to a suitable location due to the land constraints on their current location.
• Strategizing ways to raise additional funds to meet the required monetary goal to begin construction of the new Regional Parish School.

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 develop or expand the Cluster Plan - the goals have been addressed but new information indicates that some new cluster plan actions will be needed.