Drawing inspiration from Psalm 119, the Planning Team from St. Ann Hagerstown reflected on their confidence and reliance on the light of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct their efforts to fulfill their mission of being a “Welcoming Catholic Community that loves God, Forms Disciples, Serves Others and Changes Lives.”  The Team stressed the primacy of prayer for holiness and for mission as they developed this plan.  They also clearly outlined key measures for their initiatives which will lead to accountability as they work on them. The involvement of the lay faithful in the development and implementation of this plan truly made this strategic process a group effort.  The plan is well articulated and beautifully laid out which will encourage their parishioners to join the efforts to transform this parish and the surrounding community in Hagerstown.

Click here to view St. Ann’s plan.

 

 

 

The Planning team at St. Joseph, Odenton were part of the 2018 cohort of parishes.  They completed their plan just prior to the pandemic and have now updated and released their new evangelization-based plan.  The plan builds on the four well-established pillars of the parish; To Build, To Believe, To belong and to Bear Witness.  The Plan leverages the diversity of the St. Joseph community with a focus on celebrating diverse liturgies and feast days and identifying different groups in the community that are not being served by the parish to engage them.  They have already begun to shift their faith formation model away from a classroom model to engaging family catechesis.  They also hope to engage their parishioners in outreach that will connect their faith with service.

Click here to view St. Joseph Odenton’s plan.

 

 

 

For the past two years, a group of about 15 parishioners and parish staff have been meeting to discuss specific ways that their “Partnership in Mission” building blocks of Vibrant Liturgy and Sacraments, Membership, Spiritual Maturity, Ministry, and Mission can be put into action at St. John the Evangelist parish in Long Green Valley.  Their plan hinges on inviting their parishioners to:

• Commit to Vibrant Liturgy and the sacraments
• Commit to Membership
• Commit to Spiritual Maturity
• Commit to Ministry
• Commit to Mission

They are calling their parishioners to consider how God might be calling them to make this plan a reality and help them to achieve their vision.  Click here to read the executive summary and the plan.

 

 

 

St. Leo Pastorate Plan

St. Leo, located in Little Italy in Baltimore, began their planning efforts in July of 2019.  Their planning team focused on engaging their current parishioners and reaching out to those in the community and those attracted to the Italian heritage of the parish.  They believed that the plan should focus on enhanced communication.  To this end, they have hired a Communications director as a member of their small staff.  They also want to build up strengths-based ministry, where people’s gifts are discerned as part of their call to different ministries in the parish.  They also hope to build small faith-sharing groups, leveraging the groups that have been forming online during the pandemic and offering other gatherings in person. Click here to read the plan!

 

 

Divine Mercy Pastorate Plan

Divine Mercy began their evangelization-based planning process in 2018 under the leadership of their Director of Mission, Margie Meyers.  The plan kept at the forefront the vision of missionary transformation that guides their strategies and implementation.  Lay leadership was heavily involved and this plan is truly the work and inspiration of the people and the Holy Spirit. Some key areas of focus are:

• Strengthening the liturgies at all four of their worship sites
• Increasing their outreach to young adults (both in the community and at Frostburg)
• Forming and strengthening volunteers
• Developing their small faith sharing groups

You can read the plan here, and if you would like more information about their plan and process, please contact Margie Meyers or Fr. Ed Hendricks.

 

The 2020 Pastorate Cohort is underway! Six pastorates have begun the work of studying and reflecting upon the challenges and opportunities for disciple-making that God has laid before them. Despite still being in the midst of a pandemic, these pastorates have recognized the unique opportunity that the current situation has given us to prepare now to “bounce forward, not bounce back” once the pandemic recedes. By strategically considering how God is calling us to shine the light of Christ in dark days as well as brighter ones, these pastorates bear witness to the great hope we have in Jesus and the promise that his Spirit is with us always, guiding our steps along the path of missionary discipleship.

 

The 2020 Pastorate Cohort includes:

• St. Peter (Oakland) (Fr. Tom Gills, pastor)
• St. Ann (Hagerstown) (Msgr. Bruce Jarboe, pastor)
• St. John (Westminster) (Fr. Mark Bialek, pastor)
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Ellicott City) (Fr. Mike Triplett, pastor)
• St. Agnes – St. William of York (Catonsville) (Fr. Isaac Makovo, pastor)
• St. Ursula (Parkville) (Fr. Jason Worley, pastor)