Strategic Pastoral Plan
- Letter from Bishop Gregory Aymond
- Mission Statement of the Diocese of Austin
- Current realities which mandate planning
- Plan components
- Priest availability and vocations
- Parish religious education, formation and evangelization
- Social concerns ministries
- Family life ministries
- Pro-life activities
- Black Catholics
- Hispanic ministry
- Catholic schools
- Stewardship
- Diocesan staff
- Facilities
- First steps
- Ongoing activities
- Gratitude
- A prayer
Strategic Pastoral Plan of the Austin Diocese
Black Catholics
Planning Objectives
- Racism must be eliminated in the diocese. African Americans especially have been and continue to experience racism in some churches within the diocese. The diocese supports efforts to eradicate racism so that we can positively experience the fruit of our cultural diversity.
- Many parishes in the diocese have recently arrived parishioners from Africa and the Caribbean Islands. The diocese will interact with selected dioceses in Africa to establish a partnership where possible.
- HIV/AIDS continues to be a major concern in all communities, and especially in the African American community due to the disproportionate percentage of African Americans that continue to be affected. The diocese supports prayer and educational efforts to eliminate this disease.
- Youth and young adults are an integral component of the Catholic Church and their gifts must be cherished and warmly received by the diocese.
Within one year, a meeting among the bishop, members of the Racism and Social Justice workshop and the Office of Black Catholics will discuss racism in the diocese. Within three years, a forum/meeting will be held which would include parishes in the diocese to begin interacting and sharing on the issues of racism, capital punishment, unemployment, immigration issues and homelessness. This effort must then within five years reach beyond to other faith communities.
Within one year, the Office of Black Catholics will work with the diocesan Mission Council to identify potential Nigerian dioceses to be visited to identify needs. "A Call to Solidarity with Africa" will be distributed to various parishes in the diocese. Within three years, a partnership with a specific Nigerian diocese and the Diocese of Austin will be established. In the next five years, efforts will be made to advocate before the U.S. Congress for debt relief for several African countries.
An immediate priority will be to provide educational opportunities for parish staffs, schools, parishioners and the local community with emphasis on parenting education and HIV/AIDS awareness for youth. Within three years, the Office will develop diocesan-wide HIV/AIDS days of prayer, order flyers that deal with AIDS to be given to parishioners for posting, and encourage parishioners and the community at large to avail themselves to Interfaith Care Alliance’s training on AIDS. Ongoing efforts will be made to provide opportunities for dialogue between African American Catholics and African Catholics by adopting an African family who resides in Africa and/or the United States to provide support.
The Office of Black Catholics will commit to visiting at least one of the predominantly African American parishes in the diocese. The diocese intends to host Unity Explosion in 2005 (which includes a youth tract) and prepare for the National Black Catholic Congress to be held in 2007 (which also has a youth tract). Within five years, a diocesan youth leadership conference will be offered.