“Dream of a great Church becoming an even greater Church, a vibrant community being set ablaze with fire and think of the impossible so that it may become possible,” – Bishop John H. Ricard, SSJ, June 16, 2007

Sharing the Vision culminates in Assembly Days, strategic direction for diocese

DIOCESAN MISSION STATEMENT:

Nourished by Word and Sacrament, the people of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee faithfully strive to learn, live and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

FIVE TOP GOALS:

1. Build communication capability. (Communications task force)
2. Outreach to the poor and social justice ministries will be a priority at every parish. (Outreach to the Poor and Social Justice task force)
3. Actively promote a healthy marriage environment that positively influences our culture. (Marriage, Family Life and Respect for Life task force)
4. Form and train catechetical leaders and catechists who communicate effectively the doctrinal, liturgical, moral and spiritual dimensions of the faith. (Evangelization and Catechesis task force)
5. Develop and implement a strategic advancement plan for the diocese. (Stewardship and Development task force)

TWO CRITICAL TASK FORCES: Communications and Stewardship and Development

It took two years and countless hours of collaboration and work to get to the diocesan Assembly Days, but it was worth every minute according to delegates from the 40 parishes represented at the gathering June 15 and 16 at St. Anne Parish in Bellview.

The more than 250 delegates produced a strategic direction for the diocese, after listening to the results from more than 20,000 in-pew surveys conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) of Georgetown University, the parish plans produced in more than 100 days of parish assembly days, the input from 400 participants in diocesan listening sessions and via e-mail, and the draft diocesan mission statement, goals and objectives prepared by 12 task forces and the pastoral planning commission.

“This has been a fantastic experience both for our parish and as a delegate working for the future of the diocese,” said Joan Wallace of St. Jude Parish in Cantonment.

Chris Struck, 18, a member of the diocesan Youth Council and one of the youngest delegates, praised the work done by the pastoral planning commission and the task forces, saying “This has all been very well executed. I’m happy to have been part of it, and am excited by what it promises for the future of our Church.”

The opening prayer set the tone for the sessions which spanned from noon on Friday to noon on Saturday. Delegates carried bricks labeled with the names of parishes, schools and affiliated diocesan organizations in procession and used them to build a structure that embraced a cross on a table at the front of the family life center. The table with its church “building” stood throughout the assembly as a visual reminder of the task at hand.

Bishop John H. Ricard, SSJ, opened the Friday session by articulating for all present his own vision, hopes and dreams for the diocese. Referring to the Sharing the Vision process as a careful and deliberate search of the community of believers for a more perfect union of being of one mind and one heart, the bishop said “It also represents a journey of discovery of a deeper and more meaningful way of being, of being Christian in our increasingly complex, confusing and ever changing world. Today, we begin to become a new people totally engaged in the world, fortified by faith and strengthened by the love we share.”

Bishop Ricard used chapter 4, verses 32-35 of the Acts of the Apostles which recalls the church still glowing in the light of the first Pentecost to continue his description. “The group of believers was one in mind and heart — a magnificent expression of unity and trust, transparency, interdependency and solidarity…. They shared with each other all they had — they helped one another on their journey. This left no place for negativity, criticism, division or cynicism.”

Speaking of the transformation they experienced as witnesses to the resurrection of the Lord, the bishop said, “Then as today, the world needs this witness of the resurrection which is the ultimate symbol of hope, a hope which breaks out of that darkness and smoke of chaos which so characterizes our society and our culture, if not our entire world.

“Dream of a great Church becoming an even greater Church, a vibrant community being set ablaze with fire and think of the impossible so that it may become possible,” he concluded.

The first order of business, after a recap of the process and the data, was to consider the draft diocesan mission statement. Chaired by Msgr. James Flaherty, director of pastoral planning and pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Pensacola, after the presentation, delegates discussed the mission statement at table groups, and then asked any questions needed to clarify meaning or the process used to arrive at the statement. (See box below.) The mission statement was adopted as written, and the delegates proceeded to reviewing the goals and objectives of the 12 task forces.

The task forces were created in response to the themes and issues that arose from the data collection process. Twelve times the delegates repeated the process, listening intently to the presentation of the goals and objectives, discussing how each fit into the diocesan mission and would advance the mission of the Church, asking questions for clarification and finally, prioritizing the goals for each task force. (The final priorities are shown in the box below for each of the task forces.) A rotating group of delegates volunteered to count the paper ballots used for all voting. They were assisted by members of the Pastoral Center staff and youths from a number of parishes.

Throughout the sessions, the Liturgy of the Hours was celebrated. Evening prayer marked the break for dinner, Night Prayer concluded Friday’s meeting, and Morning Prayer began the Saturday session. Delegates and others visited the Eucharistic chapel, which was available for prayer and meditation at all times, and Father Jack Gray, pastor of St. Anne and a member of the pastoral planning commission, celebrated Mass prior to the opening of the Saturday session.

When all the goals had been prioritized within their individual task forces, delegates were challenged to select five goals overall from the list of 48 to be top priorities for the entire diocese.

Msgr. Flaherty told the assembly that “none of the 48 goals will go away. We are pulling five goals to the top of the list to have a clear starting place, a focus and direction for the initial implementation actions. Over the next three to five years, we will work to accomplish all 48, and possibly even more, goals. As these are accomplished, more will arise that are needed to carry out the mission of the Church.”

The delegates’ last selection was to choose two task forces on which to focus for implementation. The Communications and Stewardship and Development task forces were selected, as, in the words of delegate Deborah Marino-Duffy of Our Lady Queen of Peace, “Without those two, none of the other goals can be accomplished.”

In his closing remarks, Bishop Ricard thanked the assembly, saying that he was profoundly grateful for their demonstration of time, talent and treasure to participate in the two-day event. He also said that they had completed the easy portion of the work, even though it had been a daunting process. “Now comes the hard part — the implementation. We will need even more your dedication, your commitment and your imagination to make this a lived reality,” he said.

To that end, a priests’ development council has been formed, which includes priests from parishes across the diocese. Additional details will come forth within the next days and weeks, and will be communicated through a number of channels, the bishop said. Delegates also signed up to assist with implementation of goals in which they were interested.

“There are two prongs to this. You have completed the first in deciding what is important to us. Now we have to generate sufficient resources to make it work,” the bishop said.