A Pastoral Letter from Bishop Bernard J. Harrington
June 2005
To All the Faithful of the Diocese of Winona, greetings and God's
blessings.
A Plan for Parish Alignment
Five years ago, July 1, 2000, I promulgated the "Cluster
Plan for Parish Alignment for Pastoral Ministry in the Diocese of
Winona". The Plan, developed over a number of years with grassroots
involvement of people from all vocations and from all 119 parishes,
aligned our parishes into 51 clusters to be served by 56 priests.
The Plan recognized that in the years to come, there would be fewer
priests available for pastoral ministry. The Plan called for a strengthening
of pastoral ministry through the sharing of resources and the greater
involvement of lay people, and eventually permanent deacons,
serving in ministry. Over the past years, as priests retired, were
transferred or died, the Plan has been implemented until, at our
present moment, we have 115 parishes in 55 clusters being served
by 58 priests and three parish directors with the help of eight
permanent deacons and numerous lay ministers. In August, we will
ordain our first class of permanent deacons, 10 deacons who will
join the eight permanent deacons now serving in the diocese.
Assessment Study
As we approach the full implementation of our Plan, some fundamental
questions present themselves. How has the Plan served us to date?
Given the changes of the past five years, is the Plan, as it is,
still appropriate for us as we address the challenges of ministry
in this local church? To help answer these questions, last year
I engaged the Metanoia Group, based at St. Mary's University, Winona,
to do an assessment of our Plan. The assessment project included
gathering input from a number of sources including meetings with
deanery parish leadership, deanery council members, the Diocesan
Pastoral Council, the Bishop's Council, the Presbyteral Council
and the Diocesan Curia. Information was collected from a survey
of all priests and from a survey sent to a random sample of 4,230
households in the diocese. Information regarding the number of priests,
current and projected, was analyzed. We analyzed demographic data
and data regarding the size and vitality of our parishes. Questions
about the effectiveness and value of the current Plan were thoroughly
discussed and evaluated. Having considered the Assessment Study's
findings, conclusions and recommendations, I write to you today
with a two-fold purpose: one, to reaffirm my commitment to the July
1, 2000 "Cluster Plan for Parish Alignment for Pastoral Ministry
in the Diocese of Winona;" and two, to give further direction for
the Plan's implementation.
Reaffirm Commitment
Is the Plan still appropriate for us as we address the challenges
of ministry in this local church? The Assessment Study gives solid
and clear indication that the answer to this question is "yes!"
Information gathered from all of our deaneries says that the Plan
is working as intended. There is general agreement that the clusters,
as formed, are appropriate and workable. A number of the conclusions
of the Study support this. There are and there will be sufficient
priests to serve as the Plan describes (Conclusion #1). We are blessed
to have additional resources to help in ministry, i.e. senior priests,
permanent deacons and lay ministers (Conclusions #2 and #10). "Both
priests and laity accept the clustering approach to pastoral structure,
and agree that the plan, taken as a whole, is working as intended"
(Conclusion #5). In its first recommendation, the Assessment Study
noted that both laity and clergy believe that the Plan takes us
in the right direction, which is that we cluster parishes rather
than close them. Therefore, in accord with the first recommendation
of the Assessment Study, I am happy today to strongly reaffirm my
commitment to implementing the current Pastoral Plan in its entirety.
Additional Direction
In promulgating the Plan on July 1, 2000, I wrote: "As clusters
are formed, the faith life will continue to be strong and to grow
a gifts are shared and people work together." This hope has been
wonderfully realized in many of the clusters that have been formed.
When parishes of a cluster work together and operate as one, when
duplication of services and programs is eliminated, when personnel
and resources are shared, then the life of the cluster is truly
strong and grows. Yet, in some of our clusters, this goal has not
been realized. In these clusters, the parishes still see themselves
as three separate, unconnected parishes between which the pastor
is continually on the run. Therefore, as additional direction for
our clusters, I ask now that each of the parishes of our clusters
do all that they can to operate as one cluster.
To this end, I direct (1) that each cluster hire a cluster administrator
and/or at least one parish worker. A cluster administrator's job
is to work with the pastor/parish director to oversee the administration
of all the parishes in the cluster. This will help the cluster run
as a cluster and free the pastor/parish director for other ministerial
responsibilities. A parish worker's task is to join with the pastor/parish
director in addressing the pastoral needs of the faithful.
I also direct (2) that each cluster have one cluster bookkeeper
and one bookkeeping system which encompasses all the parishes of
the cluster. LOGOS is to be used to handle the bookkeeping of the
cluster or, in some instances, another accounting system may be
used if it has been approved by the Office of Finance, Diocese of
Winona.
I further direct (3) that each cluster develop lay ministers and
sponsor those in the cluster interested in our Institute for Lay
Ministry Program. Sharing resources, sharing a common vision, joining
together in solid programs, particularly those implementing our
Alive in the Spirit vision and initiatives, is all part of being
one cluster.
The Assessment Study clearly raised the concern from both priests
and laity that pastors spend excessive time on management and administrative
activities. The hiring of a cluster administrator and/or a parish
worker will certainly help with this. In addition, (4) I invite
the priests, individually or through the Presbyteral Council, to
voice their needs for more training. If a priest, or the priests
as a whole, want more training in management and administration,
workshops and learning opportunities will be made available. The
Curia officers stand ready to assist pastors in their management
and administrative responsibilities. We cannot have our priests
suffering burnout. Therefore, I reiterate what I said in my promulgation
letter of July 1, 2000, i.e. that there (5) not be more than four
regularly scheduled weekend Masses in a cluster."
Cluster Realignment/Parish Closings
Two conclusions of the Assessment Study indicated that for
some, both laity and priests, parts of the Plan are troublesome.
The Assessment Study showed some believe that not all of our parishes
are truly viable. In addition, some felt that, in a few instances,
parishes were not clustered in the most advantageous way. Our goal
is that all of our parishes and all of our clusters of parishes
be strong, vibrant faith communities.
By way of further direction, (6) I invite pastors/parish directors
to talk to their respective dean if they truly believe that a parish
in their cluster is not viable. I would ask that, before the discussion
with the dean is held, the pastor/parish director first discuss
the matter with the particular parishes' leadership. While I am
willing to review with a dean and pastor/parish director their thoughts
about the non-viability of a particular parish, I will, however,
continue to consider closing a parish only after the parish leadership
and the faithful of the parish have been involved in the discussion.
(7) I am also willing to look at the question of whether a particular
cluster should be reformed. However, any discussion about changing
a cluster arrangement must include the dean, the pastor/parish director
of the cluster in question, the pastor/parish director of the surrounding
clusters and representation of lay leadership from all of the parishes
involved. This is so because changes in one cluster almost surely
will affect contiguous clusters.
Hispanic Ministry
The final recommendation of our Assessment Study addressed
Hispanic ministry in our diocese. Clearly, our Hispanic Catholic
population is growing and will continue to do so. In our Study,
only 27 percent of the priests agreed that Hispanic Catholics in
the Diocese of Winona receive adequate ministerial services in our
parishes; only 36 percent of the laity polled agreed. For some months
now, a blue ribbon committee, comprised of priests and laity from
across the diocese, has been studying how we might best serve our
Hispanic faithful. Our Assessment Study's final recommendation is
that we should continue our study of Hispanic ministry and implement
the committee's recommendations. I thank the committee for its work
and look forward to receiving its vision statement for Hispanic
ministry in the diocese, along with all its recommendations.
Noting the discussions of the committee to date and our Assessment
Study's findings, (8) I am directing Father Michael Hoeppner, Vicar
General and Moderator of the Curia, to establish in our Curia an
Office of Hispanic Ministry. The director of this Office will serve
on our Curia, direct our diocesan efforts at meeting the challenge
of our growing Hispanic population, and work with parishes as they
train Hispanic leadership and welcome their Hispanic faithful into
the mainstream of parish life. As God's family, we continue to reach
out to people of all cultural backgrounds and invite them to join
with us as God's church here. Together we will continue to be enriched
by the gifts of all.
Conclusion
The eight directives, as I have outlined them above, will
help facilitate realizing our goal for the Pastoral Plan set forth
in July of 2000: Again, that goal is: "As clusters are formed, the
faith life will continue to be strong and to grow as gifts are shared
and people work together." Yet, aligning our parishes into clusters
is not an end in itself. Let all of us, therefore, while renewing
our commitment to our Plan, renew our commitment to be who we are
called to be, disciples of Jesus Christ who bring the Good News
of salvation in Jesus Christ to all people. In this local church,
our renewed commitment, in the words of our Pastoral Letter Alive
in the Spirit, is a renewed commitment "to evangelization, adult
faith formation, RCIA and stewardship" which, we understand, requires
"thinking, acting, and praying systemically" or, perhaps better,
communally. Alive in the Spirit, let us work together, meeting well
the challenges and opportunities our Good Lord gives us in this,
our day. May our hearts be aflame with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
God bless you all.
Most Rev. Bernard J. Harrington
Bishop of Winona
June 2005
|
