Dear Beloved Parishioners,
Though I was not expecting to send this out until Friday, apparently, someone sent out the 2nd Draft Models of the parish configurations to the press today, so, in response, the Archdiocese moved up the timeline. The hope was that everyone would receive the same information at the same time. But seeing as that is not going to happen, I am forwarding this information on with just a few comments at the end… Without further ado: (and without the All Things New graphics at the top or bottom…)
All Things New Update – Second Draft Models
From the very beginning of All Things New we have been asking the question “Which communities does it make most sense to have come together in light of demographic shifts, evangelization and social outreach efforts, resources, and priest availability?”
Last Fall, the Archdiocese of St. Louis circulated the first draft models of parish structures for your consideration. These were unfinished because we needed your insight and feedback. You have spoken loudly and clearly during this time, and we thank you.
You were prayerful, thoughtful, passionate, and candid. You challenged us to think more creatively, and we took notes. We heard you.
As a result, we have changed all the planning area draft models because of what you shared with us about your parishes and your lived experience of the Catholic faith.
You shared your feedback on what our parishes, ministries, and institutions need to look like to effectively share the faith in a way that is suitable and sustainable for our children, grandchildren, and generations to come.
We gathered feedback about which communities it made sense to bring together under the care of one pastor. In addition to the feedback we received from 70,000 parishioners across the Archdiocese from the Disciple Maker Index (DMI) Survey, this fall we hosted nearly 350 Listening Sessions at 178 parishes, surveyed 18,000 parish school parents, administrators, teachers, staff, donors, community partners, and volunteers, compiled sacramental, financial and demographic statistics for every parish and school, met with community, civic and business organizations, held focus groups, and had conversations at the deanery and parish levels, both in groups and one on one.
The All Things New planning committee, which includes priests, deacons, parish life coordinators, lay leaders and religious from across the Archdiocese, has now reviewed the parish feedback summaries, parish workbooks and financial data of every parish in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. All are currently posted on allthingsnew.archstl.org. Using that information, the planning committee has refined the first draft models to a second set of draft models, which offer one draft model per planning area. It is important to note that because of your feedback, of the 42 first draft models initially presented to priests, deacons, religious, parish life coordinators, key archdiocesan advisory bodies, and the lay faithful for consideration, none were adopted in the second draft models.
The second draft models reflect the input received across the Archdiocese from the priests, deacons, religious, key parish leaders, and the lay faithful. The models show the Archdiocese being reshaped from 178 individual parish pastorates into 88 pastorates in order to best serve the lay faithful. A pastorate is a community that is under the pastoral care of one pastor and pastoral team.
In some cases, an individual parish may remain as its own pastorate, but may have to adapt some of its ministries and Mass times due to priest availability. In other cases, it may be that two or more parishes remain financially independent of each other but will become a new pastorate sharing one pastor and pastoral team. Finally, in some cases it may be that parishes merge their resources together and become a new pastorate under one pastor and pastoral team. Only after we have discerned which communities ought to come together as a new pastorate can we begin the case-by-case examination of which structure is most prudent for each existing parish. No matter the chosen structure, some worship sites may no longer be used in the future.
The planning committee has analyzed each pastorate to ensure each one has the resources to sustain a new territory and model.
The next step is to gather feedback on the second draft models. We have made all the models public on allthingsnew.archstl.org as well as an updated section with Frequently Asked Questions.
We are asking you to provide any feedback you may have on the second draft models to your pastor or Key Parish Leaders by Wednesday, February 15. (Since I head out for a week of vacation on Monday, if you could direct any feedback to the key parish leaders or myself by SUNDAY afternoon, Feb. 12th. Our key parish leaders are: Ryan Carney, Sue Fagan, Al Hauser, Michael Hopfinger, Maureen Wilke)
This will be the last set of draft models and the final portion of feedback gathered in order to enable Archbishop Rozanski to make a well-informed, discerned decision for the spiritual well-being of the Archdiocese, looking at the extensive feedback of the people and the needs of the Archdiocese. This decision will be announced on May 28, 2023 by Archbishop Rozanski.
For additional information, please scan this code to be directed to the All Things New website:
Or go to Allthingsnew.archstl.org.
Fr. Bill’s comments.
I confess I did not see this option coming for us here at St. Justin. And, should this model remain unchanged in the final decision by Archbishop Rozanski on May 28th, then it means that the mother parish which gave birth to St. Justin and her daughter, (us) will be re-united in a new Pastorate. Just the two of us. The current St. Elizabeth/St. Raymond would become a personal parish for the Maronite Catholics. Then, as far as I understand it, the site of the new pastorate would be here, as long as there are no changes to these second round models. So, we continue to pray, as we have been every Sunday, that our only desire is to all things for the greater glory and honor of God’s name and for the good of God’s people in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
And, lest we start patting ourselves on the back and say: “Thank you God” and figure our work is over, toward the end of our priests meeting on Feb. 2, Fr. Don Wester made these comments: Whether your configuration is changed or the same in the new models, EVERY PARISH must change. We need to change the spirit of our communities. Our hearts and minds must change -embracing the need to become evangelizers….
To which I simply say, Amen, Amen.
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Again, you can view the 2nd models for every parish in the Archdiocese here at https://allthingsnew.archstl.org/Planning-Process/Second-Draft-Model
Blessings,
Fr. Bill