Pastoral planning is never just about logistics or buildings — it’s about people, mission and the call to live as the Body of Christ in this moment in time.
As we, as a diocese, face the current realities such as declining engagement, fewer priests, shifting populations and financial challenges, the process of planning for the future
involves hard decisions.
Churches may merge, ministries may evolve and long-standing traditions may change. These changes may cause grief in the hearts of parishioners and leaders.
That grief is real. People are not only saying goodbye to buildings or programs — they are mourning communities that held their memories, shaped their faith and provided spiritual roots for generations. At the same time, pastoral planning and goal setting invites us to hold grief and hope together, trusting in God’s promise to make “all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
In times of transition, the words of the prophet Jeremiah offer us reassurance:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
This verse was spoken to a people in exile — displaced, disoriented and unsure of what the future would hold.
It speaks directly to our Church today, especially in communities navigating change and uncertainty. God’s plan does not always spare us from difficulty, but it always moves us toward new life, deeper faith and lasting hope.
Jesus echoes this divine promise when he says: “I have come so that they may have life, and have it in abundance” (John 10:10).
The abundant life Jesus offers isn’t tied to a particular structure or format — it is found wherever the Gospel is lived.
Pastoral planning helps us ask not simply what we are losing, but where abundant life is waiting to be discovered. The process encourages us to reflect on how we can better serve our mission now, not just
preserve what once was.
The theme of “All Things New” is not a dismissal of grief — it is a holy invitation. We acknowledge what has been lost with reverence and gratitude.
Grieving together honors the sacred history that brought us to this point. At the same time, we ask: what new thing is God doing in our midst? What new forms of community, service, prayer and mission might arise if we let go of fear and open ourselves to renewal?
Pastoral planning, when approached prayerfully, is an act of faith. It asks us to trust in the Holy Spirit’s guidance. It invites leaders and parishioners to listen deeply to one another and to the signs of the times. It encourages co-responsibility, where all the baptized take part in discerning and shaping the Church’s future.
As Catholics, we are resurrection people. We believe that new life is always possible — sometimes through death, always through trust in God. The Paschal Mystery is at the heart of pastoral planning: something must die so that
something new can rise. In every loss, God is already planting seeds of renewal.
All Things New is not a slogan — it is a promise rooted in Scripture, fulfilled in Christ and made visible in every community that dares to hope. In grief, we remember. In planning, we trust. In faith, we move forward.
And so, even amid uncertainty, we echo the words of Jeremiah and Jesus — not as wishful thinking, but as bold declarations of faith:
God does have a future for us.
Christ does desire abundant life for all.
And in the Church, through grace and discernment, God is indeed making all things new.
Action Steps for September
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Diocesan Level
- Distribute second guidebooks on pastoral
- care and merging and closing
- Prepare for and hold fourth deanery level
- ACC ATN meeting
- Meet with individual ACC ATN committees
ACC Level
- Attend deanery meeting
- Continue to discern and begin putting a plan together for the Area Catholic Community
- Determine own timeline for submitting the plan to the Committee for Affirmation of Plans
- Determine what additional community engagement might be needed to before submitting plans
Parishioners
- Avoid spreading rumors or misinformation,check your sources
- Remain open-minded and ask respectful questions
- Be a source of hope and possibility
- Encourage your pastor and ATN committee, their work is hard