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 allocate the clergy and laity in regard to pastoral care of parishes and pastoral care of the sick:

• It was felt that this goal has been implemented with the exception of the assignment of an additional permanent deacon for St. Justin Martyr/St. John Vianney Parishes. This was left up to the discretion of Fr. Leighton.
  
  

Goal #2 - To foster a cohesive Christian community within the parish and ultimately among the parishes in the cluster:

• It was decided that an ad hoc committee for this purpose was not necessary. Each parish would evaluate existing programs and surface any needs for other programs. Any need for cluster cooperation on this issue would be surfaced as needed.
  
  
• Pre Cana - several attempts to form a cluster Pre Cana were not productive. Instead, the cluster accepted an invitation from St. Joseph University to share resources to provide Pre Cana to its students and to the people of the cluster. Pre Cana is also offered at St. Margaret Parish.
  
  
• Deacon Jim Owens assembled a Cluster Lector Workshop at St. Colman's in April 2001 It was agreed that an additional Lector Workshop should be conducted.
  
  
• Deacon Owens also conducted a cluster evangelization program entitled: Alpha for Catholics. It was held on several evenings.
  
  
• St. Matthias Parish sponsored a Cantor Workshop which was open to the entire cluster.
  
  
• The cluster media committee is a work in progress.

Goal #3 - To provide programs for Catholic education and ministry; CCD, Youth Ministry, RCIA, and Adult Education:

Objective one:

• The Implementation Committee felt that it was not feasible to conduct high school and Post Confirmation C.C.D. on a cluster level. Instead, those parishes which have a program. e.g. Presentation has opened their program to other parishes. This was published in bulletins.

• Four parishes joined together and hired a Cluster Youth Minister (St. Justin, St. John Vianney, Our Mother of Good Counsel and St. Colman)
  
  

Objective two:

• Fr. Rodgers convened representatives from each parish to explore the possibilities of a cluster adult education program. After a number of meetings, it was decided that each parish will have its own program and open it to the whole cluster. It was felt that such programs are more effective on a parish level.

Goal #4 - To initiate steps to establish viable schools within the Cluster:

• The closing of St. Matthias School was implemented at the end of the 1998-1999 school year.

• The cluster subcommittee on education is a work in progress.

Goal #5 - To coordinate and consolidate parish social outreach programs:

• It was felt that this goal should be removed. It is more effective to offer these programs on the parish level. If a need for cluster cooperation arises, it will be addressed as the need presents itself.

No actions beyond those already mentioned were identified to be taken at this time.

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

-The feeling of self-sufficiency among the individual parishes vs. a genuine need to work as a cluster.

-Some frustration was raised as to the time it takes from decision to implementation

-Some have been unable to be involved in commitments they have agreed to perform.

- It was felt that the parishes in the cluster are very individualistic. There does not seem to be a vision of totally working together among them. With regard to the cluster youth minister, only four of the seven parishes are utilizing her talents.

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 hold - implementation is complete, new data does not require a new cluster plan at this time.