ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

CLUSTER 72 PASTORAL PLAN ONE PAGE SUMMARY

Montgomery County Vicariate

Rev. John C. Marine, Vicar

Center Square-Trooper-Valley Forge

Approved by Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, November 7, 1997

The Cluster Pastoral Plan includes the following goals:

1)Develop programs of evangelization targeting nonparticipating Catholics.

The Plan proposes that a committee of clergy and laity identify and engage the services of qualified persons (either from a Religious Community or from the Archdiocese Office for Renewal and Evangelization) to present a series on evangelization skills at a convenient location in the cluster. Each parish would send parishioners to attend, who would be interested in forming evangelization teams within their own parish in order to inform, encourage and motivate the non-participating people of the Cluster to return to the practice of the Faith. The efforts would be ongoing and appropriate to the liturgical calendar.

2)Develop a plan to best utilize the limited number of clergy, both priests and permanent deacons.

Pastors shall identify coming changes to their congregations and then educate the people concerning the roles of deacons and laity utilizing bulletin inserts which will be uniform in all nine parishes. (Lay ministry teams will be trained to accomplish the ministries available in light of the declining number of clergy.) Further, pastors are encouraged to extend personal invitations to prospective candidates for the permanent diaconate and to assist financially in their training.

It is proposed that a common catechesis regarding ministry to the sick be developed and be made available to all nine parishes by a uniform bulletin insert. Regarding the servicing of hospitals within the cluster, primary care for Montgomery Hospital will be the responsibility of St. Patrick parish, with back-up assistance from Holy Saviour, St. Francis, and St. Paul. St. Titus will have primary responsibility for Suburban General with back-up from Epiphany, St. Helena and Visitation. Each parish will continue to provide service to the institutions within their own boundaries.

In response to a projected shortage of three priests in the Cluster by the year 2000, it is recommended reducing one parochial vicar in Epiphany, Holy Saviour and Visitation parishes in a time frame to be determines by the Secretary for Clergy. (If boundary realignments areneeded because of the loss of a parochial vicar, they could be altered among Saint Francis, Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Titus, Saint Paul and Visitation, to be undertaken by the cooperation of the pastors, the Archdiocesan Commission for sites and boundaries and the Regional Vicar.

3)Develop a plan to integrate youth and their families in the total life of the parish.

The Plan proposes extending the present Life Teen Program to all interested parishes in the Cluster, with participating parishes sharing in the financial support to retain a Cluster youth minister who will serve as the liaison between participating parishes and the program.

Also proposed is the establishment of a committee of all parish directors/coordinators of religious education, CCD directors, and parish youth ministers to determine programs available from the Offices of Catholic Education and Youth for post-Confirmation youth, and train volunteers to implement a Children's Liturgy of the Word Program in parishes.

4)Develop a plan to educate laity for the purpose of becoming more informed participants and church leaders in order to revitalize and enhance faith, stewardship and Catholic Christian family-centered values.

The Plan proposes the research of individual parish needs and the resources available for adult religious education with a view to establishing cluster-wide presentation of adult education (in addition to those which might exist in individual parishes). This being accomplished, the plan proposes to utilize marketing and advertising skills to inform people of available programs. Yearly Sunday homilies to explain the benefits of adult education are encouraged.

The nine Catholic parishes of Cluster 72 in the Norristown area of Montgomery County have collaborated on the development of a Cluster Pastoral Plan for the next five years. This plan includes objectives and actions designed to achieve four goals. The plan reflects avenues through which the parishes will work together to organize, enhance and coordinate some of their ministerial activities. Strengthening the Cluster as a whole, it also preserves the integrity of each of the nine parishes. The planning process has taken place during monthly meetings conducted over the past year, under the direction of Reverend John C. Marine, Vicar for Montgomery County. Each parish has been represented by its pastor and two representatives of its pastoral council. Feedback from parishioners and pastoral councils was obtained during the process. This plan has recently been approved by Cardinal Bevilacqua. Implementation will be accomplished by the parishes who have volunteered to assume the primary responsibility for various parts of the plan. General oversight and accountability to the Regional Vicar will be the responsibility of a priest coordinator who will meet periodically and as needed with the person(s) from each parish who has leadership for a particular part of the plan. As it is a five year plan, the implementation of the various parts extends over this timetable. The nine parishes in Cluster 72 are: Epiphany of Our Lord (Plymouth), St. Francis of Assisi, Holy Saviour, St. Patrick, St. Paul, St. Titus, St. Helena (Center Square), St. Teresa of Avila (Valley Forge), and Visitation B.V.M. (Trooper).

Additionally, there are proposals to sponsor Cluster and parish education on the meaning of stewardship to meet parish needs, and to sponsor yearly liturgical workshops for the benefit of theentire Cluster.