Notre Dame de Lourdes, Swarthmore Our Lady of Peace, Milmont Park
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Morton Saint Madeline, Ridley Park
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Essington Saint Rose of Lime, Eddystone
The Cluster Pastoral Plan included the following goals:
1) Establish a Cluster Subcommittee for Youth Ministry
The proposed actions for this goal includes the establishment of a subcommittee to coordinate the youth ministry within the Cluster. The duties of this subcommittee will include the coordination and communication of the various parish youth programs. In addition, the subcommittee will coordinate and facilitate certain combined activities for the youth of all the parishes in the Cluster.
2) Provide Adult Education Programs Which Will Actively Form, Educate and Evangelize the Adults of the Cluster Parishes in order that these Adults will further the Mission of Christ within the Cluster and the Church Universal
The proposed actions for this goal includes the establishment of a subcommittee for adult education, the objective of which is to establish an integrated plan of adult education in the Cluster parishes. The Subcommittee will develop and coordinate programs which will be targeted to the continuing education of adults in matters of Scripture, Dogma and Tradition. In addition programs of specific needs will be developed to assist parents in the raising of Catholic youth.
3) Appropriate Assignment of Priest Personnel
In response to the priest personnel projections provided by the Office for Clergy, the Cluster Pastoral Planning Committee recommends the reduction of one priest at Saint Madeline Parish upon the retirement of the eldest parochial vicar. The Cluster Pastoral Planning Committee also reached consensus around the need to research and study the Cluster situation further before making a recommendation regarding the reduction of one more priest within the Cluster. This task will be performed by the Implementation Committee by January 15, 2000, taking into consideration the future demographics of each parish; the growth/decline indicators of each parish; the possibilities of sharing parochial vicars; and the reallocation of external parish responsibilities.
The six Catholic parishes of Cluster 65 in Delaware County, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and which include Notre Dame de Lourdes Parish, Swarthmore; Our Lady of Peace Parish, Milmont Park; Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Morton; Saint Madeline Parish, Ridley Park; Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish, Essington; and Saint Rose of Lima Parish, Eddystone, have developed a Cluster Pastoral Plan for the next five years. This plan centers around three goals which stress organization, enhancement and coordination of the talents within the Cluster in order to better serve the needs of the faithful of the Cluster.
The planning process has taken place during monthly meetings conducted over the past year. Each parish has been represented on the Cluster Pastoral Planning Committee by its pastor and two other persons who have been members of its Parish Pastoral Council. Upon acceptance by the Cardinal, the Cluster Pastoral Plan will be put into operation under the direction of a Cluster Implementation Committee. The Implementation Committee will consist of three members from each parish, the pastor and two other parish members.