PLANNING
2018 Cohort (“Phase 1A”) Pastorates
Western Vicariate
Divine Mercy
St. Alphonsus Rodrigues
Eastern Vicariate
St. Joseph (Odenton)
Our Lady of the Fields
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Edgewater)/Our Lady of Sorrows
Urban Vicariate
St. Ignatius (Baltimore)
St. Vincent de Paul
Experience of the 2018 Cohort Pastorates
Building off of the experience with the Pilot Pastorates and lessons learned, the 2018 Cohort Pastorates have had a somewhat different experience. As with the Pilot Pastorates though, each 2018 Cohort Pastorate is moving at its own pace, uncovering what missionary discipleship means to them, demands of them, and inspires them to do.
Their engagement so far has included:
- Participating in a workshop entitled “Finding Your Sacred Purpose,” a foundational element designed to use stories to draw out the unique, God-given contribution each pastorate makes to its community
- Quarterly gatherings of the pastor cohort, including a reception with Archbishop Lori, a day focused on the biblical foundations casting a vision, and a day focused on building strong teams for the mission
- The formation of local Pastorate Planning Teams who are or will soon be engaging in an intentional planning process oriented around the six Core Mission Priorities and a compelling vision for missionary discipleship
What is Being Done Differently as a Result of the Lessons Learned
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For 2018 and later cohorts:
- Cohort gatherings focused on mission and vision
- Separate coaching sessions on specific topics of interest
- “Finding Your Sacred Purpose” workshop to set the context
- Retreat for Pastors focused on visioning and leading with a vision
- Defined and concise planning process oriented around the Core Mission Priorities
- Guided discernment on priorities and implementation of plan
- Dedicated Archdiocesan facilitator
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For pastorates not yet activated:
- Offering opportunities to continue formation on missionary discipleship and the Core Mission Priorities in order to lay a good foundation for pastorate planning
- Responding to requests for consultation and facilitation with individual pastorates on ways to respond to A Light Brightly Visible and prepare for pastorate planning
- Beginning to work with multi-parish pastorates on ways to build relationships, find common ground, and lay the foundation for pastorate planning
“Divine Mercy Parish is part of the Phase IA Cohort. I have found the process to be very helpful in working with our Pastoral Planning Team! Our Team was very pleased with both the Sacred Purpose Workshop and our Archdiocesan facilitator’s workshop with us. I have found the Pastor Cohort Gatherings to be both helpful in content and supportive for each of us as we continue the process in each of our pastorates. For me it has been a wonderful experience to have all of us sharing our experiences, our frustrations, our concerns, and our joys as we invite and encourage our parishioners to become Missionary Disciples.”