Catholic Diocese of Austin
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Strategic Pastoral Plan of the Austin Diocese

First Steps

This plan sets our major directions for the next 25 years. Just as a sailboat never travels in a straight line to reach its goal but readjusts its direction to account for wind and waves, so the Strategic Pastoral Plan for the Catholic Church in Central Texas will develop and be adjusted in order to reach our goals. The effort required in renewing and refining the goals, adjusting the systems and doing the hard work of moving forward will be ongoing.

Activities for the next five years include:

Priest Availability and Vocations

  1. Hold a clergy convocation to outline and define elements of pastoral care.
  2. Determine which elements of pastoral care can be delegated, and to whom.
  3. Set up and implement the required continuing formation programs for priests.
  4. Set up and implement the required formation programs for deacons.
  5. Set up and implement a program to add business administrators to parishes.
  6. Set up and implement a training program for business administrators.
  7. Appoint a director of Human Resources.
  8. Appoint a Vicar for Priests.
  9. Appoint a full time director of the Permanent Diaconate.
  10. Continue initiatives to invite priests from recent immigrants’ countries of origin to serve in the diocese.
  11. Develop and implement a process to prepare foreign-born priests to adapt to the culture, language and customs of the diocese.
  12. Prepare and implement an initiative to inform the diocesan Catholic community of the reasons for change and expected elements of change with regard to priestly roles.
  13. Appoint a priest to work full-time as the director of Vocations.
  14. Appoint several priests to assist the director of Vocations in identifying and implementing priorities.
  15. Prepare a realistic assessment of present and future availability of priests over the next 25 years.
  16. Define and implement a proactive plan to increase vocations over the next 25 years using initiatives such as discernment houses, personal contact and networking.
  17. Develop and implement a plan to increase the retention rate of diocesan seminarians through frequent personal contact and mentoring.
  18. Prepare and implement an initiative to bring seminarians from Hispanic countries into our seminaries.
  19. Define and implement a plan to meet the present and future needs for permanent deacons.
  20. Work with religious communities in promoting vocations for women and men and invite them to serve in our diocese.

Parish Religious Education, Formation and Evangelization

  1. Plan and implement a diocesan-wide program to raise our Catholic adult community awareness of their baptismal and eucharistic spirituality.
  2. Create a diocesan commission on adult faith formation to plan and implement training for parish leadership on the primacy of adult faith formation in the church.
  3. Prepare and provide training to parish leadership on the opportunities for parish spiritual renewal via quality retreats, enlivened liturgies and prayer opportunities.
  4. Plan and implement a diocesan program to initiate quality Catholic Bible study for adults in all parishes.
  5. Develop and implement an adult formation program on the church’s teachings regarding the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, reconciliation and Eucharist.
  6. Develop and implement a diocesan-wide program in family catechesis for children, youth and parents.
  7. Plan and implement a diocesan program to identify and train qualified spiritual directors.
  8. In cooperation with St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, initiate a distance learning program to make available a master’s of arts degree in theology.
  9. Develop and implement a plan to encourage and foster parish renewal programs and the development of small faith communities in all parishes.
  10. Implement a plan for the mission council to provide continued mission awareness throughout the diocese.

Social Concerns

  1. Improve advocacy awareness and church-based response to social conditions.
    • Provide information to all parishes on the social teachings of the church and their relationship to current social conditions.
    • Include the diocese’s advocacy agenda in the advocacy efforts of all parishes and social concerns groups and those of the Texas Catholic Conference.
    • Provide training on the implementation of the social teachings of the church and the role of social justice in their ministries to directors of religious education, liturgists, catechists, deacons and other ministers.
  2. Provide the professional programs and services, coordination and education needed to augment the diocesan social concerns agenda through Catholic Charities of Central Texas.
    • Make Parish Social Ministries, Immigrant Concerns and Catholic Family Counseling available throughout the diocese.
    • Provide resource directories to parishes to assist them in accessing services.
    • Investigate an initial housing program and additional programs/services based on assessed need.
    • Establish a volunteer program, which will respond to the needs of multiple ministries.
  3. Collaborate with programs to holistically help individuals and groups.
    • List resources and programs available anywhere in the diocese in the United Way’s 211 Information and Referral system, making it accessible through deanery level directories as well as on the Internet.
    • Through Catholic Charities, develop programs responsive to broad needs and accessible throughout the diocese, including PSM support, immigrant concerns, family counseling and housing.
  4. Geographic and multicultural influence on programs and access to services.
    • Develop social concerns advisory cabinets in six of the 10 deaneries, four of them in deaneries outside of the Austin area.
    • Assess social concerns issues, current and emerging needs within each deanery area.
  5. Stewardship
    • Provide training to parish social ministries representatives in assisting parishioners to identify their gifts and encourage their use within the church.
    • Implement stewardship programs in parishes (see Stewardship section of Strategic Plan)

Family Life

  1. Create a Family Life Advisory Board.
  2. Identify and implement a diocesan-wide marriage-preparation process in both English and Spanish.
  3. Identify and train parish teams for marriage preparation.
  4. Cooperate with Catholic Charities in designing and implementing a diocesan-wide, regional Family Counseling Center.
  5. Cooperate with the Catechetical Office in the promotion of family catechesis initiatives.
  6. Provide training in various areas of family life, i.e., conflict resolution, stress management, parenting skills, bereavement, etc.

Pro-life Activities

General

  1. Obtain office space at the new pastoral center facility
  2. Hire administrative assistant and supportive staff
  3. Generate funds to provide financial resources to the Office of Pro-Life Activities
  4. Initiate a process of gifts discernment for volunteers to ensure proper placement in a variety of ministries

Public Information and Education

  1. Evangelize the Catholic Community so that all embrace the Gospel of Life
  2. Interact with diocesan leaders, parish leaders and Catholic organizations to ensure their ongoing formation in life issues
  3. Greater concentration will be given on outreach to members of the Hispanic Community
  4. Collaborate with those involved in Campus Ministry to bring the Church teaching on life issues to college students
  5. Work with the Diocesan Youth Director to develop and implement programs and activities that instill greater respect for human life.

Pastoral Care

  1. Expand the availability of free pregnancy tests by opening Gabriel Project Life Centers in other parts of the diocese
  2. Enlist parishes without Gabriel Projects to initiate the program and maintain those in existence
  3. Set up a program to nurture and support the many volunteers who are involved in the activities of the Pro-Life Office
  4. Promote Project Rachel using parish bulletins, brochures, billboards, and radio spots
  5. Establish support programs at the parish level for providing care to families and ill members
  6. Develop an outreach to victims, family members and those on death row

Public Policy

  1. Establish a legislative advisory committee to the Bishop following the USCCB Pastoral Plan as implemented by the State Pro-Life/Respect Life Directors
  2. Organize and activate the grass roots to be proactive in the shaping of public policy on the state and national level.
  3. Encourage all Catholics to be faithful to their baptismal call by participating in our civic responsibilities

Prayer and Worship

  1. Provide retreats and days of reflection for parish Pro-Life coordinators and committee members and all volunteers
  2. Utilize the Church’s liturgical year with its seasons and feast days to provide opportunities for prayer, worship and activities with a focus on the Gospel of Life
  3. Expand the Respect Life Masses and spiritual activities on the diocesan level but in different areas of the diocese
  4. Encourage and foster personal spiritual formation as a basis for all activities

Black Catholics

  1. Request a meeting with the Bishop, members of the Racism and Social Justice workshop and the Office of Black Catholics to discuss racism in the Diocese.
  2. Work with the diocesan Mission Council to identify potential Nigerian dioceses to be visited to identify needs.  Distribute A Call to Solidarity with Africa  to various parishes in the diocese.
  3. Provide educational opportunities for parish staffs, schools, parishioners and the local community with emphasis on parenting education and HIV/AIDS awareness for youth.
  4. Commit to visiting at least one of the predominantly African American Churches in the Diocese. 

Hispanic Ministry

  1. Appoint a diocesan task force to recommend a vision and plan to meet the needs of all ethnic groups, especially Hispanic Catholics, within the diocese.
    • Prepare a vision and plan and report action recommendations to the bishop.
    • Review and approve the vision and plan.
    • Assign a task leader to oversee and coordinate plan implementation.
  2. Transform the diocese so that all diocesan ministries welcome Hispanics.
  3. Evangelize Hispanics in Spanish and English in rural and urban areas effectively.
  4. Assist Hispanic Catholics to grow as followers of Christ and members of his church.
  5. Inspire commitment and action for peace and social justice through the church’s social teachings.
  6. Empower and enable effective leadership and ministerial formation to the Hispanic laity and all the ordained.
  7. Evaluate existing ministerial structures for meeting the needs of Hispanic ministry.

Catholic Schools

  1. Appoint a diocesan Catholic School Commission.
  2. Appoint a diocesan director of Development.
  3. Develop and implement a Catholic School Master Plan.
  4. Prepare a Catholic School Master Plan implementation schedule with emphasis on the interval 2003 to 2008.
  5. Evaluate teacher salaries and benefits in order to ensure just wages.
  6. Develop a plan to attract, retain and develop qualified Catholic school administrators and faculty.
  7. Begin implementing the administrators and faculty development plan.
  8. Develop a plan to increase the numbers of low-income students in Catholic schools.
  9. Begin implementing the low-income student plan.

Stewardship

  1. Prepare and deliver education on the true meaning of stewardship to the clergy, religious and lay leadership of all parishes.
  2. Assist and support the clergy and lay leadership in implementing stewardship in all parishes.
  3. Prepare and deliver programs to raise the awareness of parishioners in all parishes as to their responsibilities to participate actively in the life of the church.

Diocesan Staff

  1. With the assistance of an experienced facilitator, initiate an evaluation of each staff department and its personnel and programs and recommend appropriate actions to the bishop.
  2. Review the action recommendations from the clergy convocation.
  3. Assign specific staff members to implement the actions.
  4. Develop a 10-year facilities plan consistent with the results of the above actions and within the constraints of diocesan resources.
  5. Employ a director of development for the diocese.
  6. Contract a consultant to evaluate staff salaries and benefits in order to ensure just wages.

Facilities Planning

  1. Appoint a diocesan director of Facilities Planning.
  2. Develop diocesan norms to guide the selection of new parish locations and decisions regarding when to expand parishes.
  3. Create a database of information critical to making facilities decisions.
  4. Develop diocesan norms to guide land transactions and property management.
  5. Prepare and publish a diocesan facilities manual containing all important norms, design standards, guidelines and contract protocol for general use within the diocese.
  6. Prepare and implement a diocesan archiving plan for facilities construction documents.
  7. Prepare a comprehensive long-range plan for diocesan facilities. Prepare a diocesan guide for the preventive maintenance of facilities and set up appropriate preventive maintenance assistance programs for parishes.