CLUSTER PLAN
Assumption, St. Basil, St. Matthias, St. Michael Parishes
Jesus said to them, “Go into the whole world
and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” Mark
The
Clustering Planning and Coordination Team composed of parishioners from
Assumption (
We
are fortunate that in our cluster all four parishes are in good financial and
spiritual shape. We are blessed with dedicated priests, deacons, religious sisters
and lay ecclesial ministers. We have for some time already been exercising
collaborative ministries through our ACE (Adult Catholic Education) program,
Alpha, Summer Bible Camps; cluster Communal Penance Services in Advent and
Lent.
The
realities, however, warn us that we must be proactive in addressing the future
realities. When we started this process over a year ago, there were nine
priests ministering in our four parishes. By the time this Plan is implemented
we will be down to seven priests in the four parishes. Only 29% of our registered
parishioners are regularly attending Sunday Liturgies. The cost of Catholic
education is placing a great burden on our resources. These realities and
others need our creative attention now rather than later.
It
is in this spirit that the Cluster Planning and Coordination Team has developed
the following plan which is to be presented to the Bishop in October for his
review. If approved/amended, we will spend the next several years implementing
this Plan.
Let
us continue to pray for our parishes, our Cluster and the whole Church as we
strive to fulfill the command of the Lord found in Mark 16:15.
The
composite summaries for the South Hills Catholic Cluster listed several areas
of vibrancy within the cluster. Areas of
strength within the cluster at one or more parishes included
The cluster identified ministry to the
un-churched and alienated as a weakness and has made collaboration in this area
a priority. In addition, the cluster
would also like to strengthen ministry to the already initiated. Collaboration in programs such as Catholics Coming
Home, Alpha, Door to Door Evangelization, Bereavement, Social Concerns, and
already existing church groups will be addressed in the cluster master plan for
strengthening pastoral care.
Since each parish within the South Hills
Catholic Cluster meets the diocesan guidelines for financial solvency, the
cluster will focus on continuing to provide quality pastoral care without
increasing expenses. The master plan
will include areas where the cluster can reduce costs at the parish level
through bulk purchases and sharing of “best business practices”.
We will continue to build upon exiting
collaboration in our A.C.E. (adult catholic education), Alpha, Catholics Coming
Home,
The
Cluster Planning and Coordination Team reviewed the following areas for
planning to provide pastoral care within the cluster.
In
general the demographic trends (age, race, income) of the South Hills Catholic
Cluster remain unchanged although the cluster continues to grow in the number
of registered households. The cluster
contains a large number of households with children which will continue to
require pastoral care in the areas of education (catholic day school and
P.S.R.) and Sacramental Preparation.
A
review of Sacramental statistics and staffing lead the team to recommend
collaboration in several areas such as R.C.I.A., Marriage Preparation, and
Baptismal Preparation for first time parents.
In addition, the statistics of our cluster reveal the continued need to
minister to the homebound, elderly and financially challenge in our area. The team has recommended the cluster continue
to share ministry to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, and area
hunger centers.
The
team has also recognized the need to continue to monitor the financial solvency
of our cluster’s catholic schools. The
goal of the cluster is to provide a quality affordable catholic education for
children within our cluster. The reality
of an excellent public school system and high property taxes has affected
enrollment in our cluster schools to some extent. The cluster has a team in place which is
meeting on regular basis to ensure that our catholic school presence remains
strong. This team is developing a
detailed plan of what would trigger the need to merge and how it would be
implemented.
Although each parish within our cluster is
financially solvent, the C.P.C. team has appointed several members of each
parish to begin to identify ways to save money through bulk /blanket purchases
as a cluster.
The
C.P.C. team has also identified evangelization and outreach as a targeted area
for the cluster in the next several years.
The reality of registered parishioners that do not attend or participate
in weekly Mass or parish activities remains high. The team has identified specific areas of
collaboration which will provide ongoing ministry to the alienated and
un-churched in our area.
In
May of 2007, Bishop Lennon offered five (5) challenges to our Cluster. After
months of prayerful discussion and discernment, we have responded with this
current proposed plan for our Cluster. We have taken the five challenges and
broken them down into two focuses: Growth and Sustainability. We further
delineated the challenges, based on the two foci into a number of proposed
goals. Finally we have proposed certain Aims to attain each goal and answer
each challenge.
CHALLENGE-àFOCIàGOALSàAIMàACTION ITEMS
Focus: Growth
Goal: Service
Aim: 1) Establish a Cluster Communication Team to Promote Catholic
identity in the area: help members of the four parishes become acclimated to
the cluster concept.
2) Continue to encourage, support and
enhance current areas of collaboration (e.g. A.C.E., Catholics Coming Home,
Summer Bible Camp, and Alpha)
Focus: Sustainability
Goal: Financial collaboration
Aim: 1) Compare fiscal year financials of each Cluster parish
against the diocesan criteria which establishes a parish in “good standing”
financially.
2) Analyze the possible collaboration on
bulk purchases.
3) Analyze the possible collaboration on
blanket service contracts.
Focus: Growth
Goal: Evangelization
Aim: 1) Provide for the Already Initiated
2) Invite
the participating but uninitiated into the Church
3) Reach
out to the alienated and unchurched.
4) Coordinate
current parish Evangelization programs.
Focus: Growth
Goal: Evangelization
Aim: 1) Reach out to Alienated and Unchurched.
2) Invite young people/families to full and
active participation in the Liturgical life of the Church.
3) Coordinate
current programs (such as Alpha, RCIA, and Catholics Coming Home) so as not to
be duplicating efforts.
Focus: Growth
Goal: Welcoming
Aim: Establish a Cluster Communication
Team to Promote Catholic identity in the area: help members of the four
parishes become acclimated to the cluster concept.
Focus: Growth
Goal: Service
Aim: 1) Collaborate on projects that will further a Catholic presence
in service and advocacy, locally, in the greater community and internationally.
2) Provide volunteer opportunities to cluster
members for existing international and outreach ministries.
3) Provide for the needs of the greater
community by establishing cluster partnerships with already existing parish
relationships (e.g.
Focus: Sustainability
Goal: Monitor Catholic education (day school and
religious education)
Aim: 1) Compile school demographics and
comparative costs.
2) Using
the previously established school committee among the cluster parishes,
continue to monitor enrollment trends in order to provide the opportunity for a
good, affordable, Catholic education within our Cluster and community.
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Once this plan is approved/refined by the
Bishop, the Cluster will form an Evangelization Team composed of members of
each of the cluster parishes by the spring of 2009.
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During the summer of 2009 form a Cluster RCIA
team to be trained during 2009-2010 by one of the Pastors. The group will then
take over the responsibility of recruiting a catechizing Inquirers, Catechumens
and Candidates from the four parishes in the future. The RCIA Rites, however,
will continue to be celebrated in the respective parishes.
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The Evangelization Team will begin immediately
evaluating all parish programs aimed at evangelization. It will encourage and
assist current programs already collaborating among the parishes. It will
recommend other programs which can be combined and/or begun in order to promote
the goals and aims of the Cluster Plan.
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Because we view Evangelization as a major
priority, the Team will be asked to study an explore the need and/or
feasibility of hiring a Cluster Evangelization Minister to coordinate all
evangelization programs in the Cluster. The Team will be asked to make a
proposal to the four Pastors and the respective Pastoral/Finance Councils by
the summer of 2010.
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The Pastors and Principals from Assumption, St.
Basil and St. Michael have been meeting on a regular basis for a few years
prior to the Bishop’s letter of May 2007.
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St. Matthias is willing to join in the ongoing
discussions of this group.
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This group has indicated a willingness to spend
the time between now and the summer fall of 2010 working with the diocesan
Education Office doing an in-depth study of the current schools and their
sustainability in the future.
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This group will formulate any necessary future
plans, in consultation with the diocese, after the study is complete.
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The Pastors and the Cluster Leadership Committee
will spend the 2008-2009 school year evaluating the current religious education
programs we offer for public school children.
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Following the study the DREs of the four parish
will make recommendations to the Pastors and appropriate parish commissions in
the Fall of 2010, based on their findings and the directives of the Diocese, as
to how best provide for the religious education of public school children (e.g.
each parish run their own programs, combine programs, etc)
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This group has already been formed and has been
functioning for several months. They are actively working on implementing the
aims mentioned in the above Cluster Plan.
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This group will be formed immediately.
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It will be the liaison for the Cluster to each
of the Cluster Parishes.
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It will provide material for parish bulletins
(“Cluster Corner”) and newsletters
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Plan a Kick-Off Cluster picnic for the summer of
2009. Provide for other social events for the people of the Cluster.
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Bring the awareness of Cluster plans and
progress to the parishes and wider community through media releases.
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Once the Plan has been approved by the Bishop,
provide a brochure for the members of the Cluster parishes describing what the
Cluster is about and what it is doing.
Four
the two years before the formation of the Cluster Teams, the Pastors of the
four parishes of our Cluster met several times a year in a collaborative
manner. Realizing the realities of fewer priests to minister, they began by
strongly endorsing a new adult educational program for the area called ACE;
decided that instead of each parish holding Advent Penance Services and other
collaborative initiatives.
At
the formation of the Cluster Team, each Pastor presented the Bishop’s letter of
May 2007 to their people at Sunday Liturgies. A column was designed for each
parish’s bulletin called “Cluster Corner” which is designed to keep the people
of the parishes up to date on the work of the Cluster Team.
In
February of 2008, the four Pastors “exchanged pulpits” to introduce themselves
to the other parishes and assure the people that we were not closing or merging
our parishes. Rather we were developing a Pastoral Plan which would strengthen
the collaboration of our parishioners.
Finally
in August of 2008, the draft of the Cluster Plan was approved by the Team and
made available to the four parishes in hard copy and on each respective
website. On
Having
prayerfully reflected and discussed the issues presented to us by the diocese,
we, the Pastors, Parochial Vicar, Staffs and people of Assumption, St. Basil,
St. Matthias and St. Michael parishes respectfully submit this Cluster Plan to
our Bishop.