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
Family Life Ministries
Planning Objectives
- Design and implement a plan to address and support all issues relating to family life. This may include adding ministries or combining current ministries to respond effectively to changing needs and the development of resources.
- Include a systematic integration of programs and services, which will address family issues in a holistic manner. The Second Vatican Council called the family the “domestic church” and stated that all pastoral activity is connected to the family. The Catechism of the Catholic Church stresses the primary importance of the family as “centers of living, radiant faith” (No. 1655). All are part of a family as husband, wife, parent, and child; married, widowed, single.
The family, unlike any other institution, is greatly affected by the challenges of the contemporary world. We read daily about the issues that families face on multiple fronts. Many families struggle to raise their children in the Catholic faith only to find stumbling blocks presented by educational systems, the media and peer pressure. The United States’ divorce rate remains high. Couples are choosing cohabitation over marriage. Stress tears at marital and family bonds. Too many children live in poverty. Single parent families face additional burdens. Sometimes the world seems to be alien or even hostile to faith.
The Catholic Church stands firm in its dedication to the needs of the family, the domestic church. In the document, “Familiaris Consortio,” Pope John Paul II states, “knowing that marriage and the family constitute one of the most precious of human values, the church wishes to speak and offer her help to those who are already aware of the value of marriage and the family and seek to live it faithfully, to those who are uncertain and anxious and searching for the truth, and to those who are unjustly impeded from living freely their family lives” (No. 1).
The Diocese of Austin continues to serve the domestic church through a variety of programs. We see the greatest need at this time to be marriage preparation; continued education and support for married couples; support for parents in educating their children in the faith; programs that help deal with conflict and stress; access to Catholic counseling; networking with parishes and other agencies; and providing parishes and ministers access to resources. These services must be sensitive to the multicultural mosaic of our diocese.