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PART III – FOCUSING ON OUR PRIORITIES FOR MISSION AND MINISTRY

"For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work." – Philippians 2:13

Naming Our Pastoral Priorities

As stated earlier, each historical moment in the life of the Church is unique and presents its own challenges to the faithful of that time. As such, pastoral priorities for the Church must evolve in order to meet the pastoral needs of the people entrusted to her. After extensive consultation^[10], the Diocese of Trenton has established a set of priorities to help carry out the local mission of proclaiming the Gospel and making God's care and compassion visible to all the people within the diocese.

The seven pastoral priorities for mission and ministry in the Diocese of Trenton are:

Sunday Mass
Living as Disciples
Growing in Faith
Leadership
Charity and Justice
Youth and Young Adults
Ethnic Diversity

The Goals and Objectives for Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Trenton

These seven pastoral priorities must receive the best of our energy and resources. To that end, the Diocesan Pastoral Plan names goals and objectives to guide our work. These goals and objectives must lead to practical results, and help us to improve ministry. The actions we undertake in response must serve the mission and help us to become more effective stewards of all that God has placed in our care.

Each member of the diocese, from the Bishop to each lay person, has a role and a purpose in carrying out God's plan and building up the Body of Christ. Similarly, every diocesan office, agency, and every parish or church organization within the diocese has a role and a purpose as well. It is the task of each person and group to identify their gifts and apply them to the diocesan objectives.

No diocesan plan is complete in itself. The diocesan plan sets goals and objectives, but does not identify strategies to be taken by each entity. This plan relies upon pastors and the faithful of the parishes, diocesan offices and agencies to implement the plan at their level and in their areas of responsibility. Each parish, diocesan office and agency will outline the strategies it will pursue in support of our shared goals.

Pastoral Priority: Sunday Mass

"The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the fount from which all the Church's power flows." – Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 10

"The Church earnestly desires that all the faithful be led to that full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations called for by the very nature of liturgy. Such participation...is their right and duty by reason of their baptism...This aim is to be considered before all else." – Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 14

Goal – Increase Full, Conscious, and Active Participation in Sunday Mass

Objectives

To evaluate evangelization efforts across the diocese and in each parish, and to provide training and resources to improve effectiveness
To enhance teaching about and build the practice of prayer and liturgy in our Catholic schools, religious education programs, adult faith formation efforts, and all forms of sacramental preparation
To provide resources for the ongoing liturgical formation of the assembly
To implement a diocesan-wide media strategy for inviting people to gather each week for the celebration of the Eucharist
To cultivate attitudes and practices of inclusivity and hospitality toward all
To improve the skills of clergy, parish liturgy committees and liturgical ministers for preparing and celebrating the liturgy in ways which facilitate an encounter with Christ in the Eucharistic elements, in the Word, in the priest-celebrant and in the assembly when it sings and prays
To strengthen the ability of clergy to preach effectively and in ways that are relevant to their parish communities
To make explicit the connection between Eucharist and mission

Pastoral Priority: Living As Disciples

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." -- Matthew 28:19

"The ways of holiness are many, according to the vocation of each individual....The time has come to re-propose wholeheartedly to everyone this high standard of ordinary Christian living: the whole life of the Christian community and of Christian families must lead in this direction. It is also clear however that the paths to holiness are personal and call for a genuine 'training in holiness', adapted to people's needs." – Pope John Paul II, At the Beginning of the New Millennium, Novo Millennio Ineunte, 31.

Goal – Equip Each Catholic to Live as a Disciple of Jesus Christ in his/her Daily Life

Objectives

To affirm and challenge disciples to connect their faith with all the aspects of their lives in the home, the marketplace, and the wider community
To provide resources and ministry which strengthen families as the "domestic church" of the home
To work to fully include all people with disabilities or special needs as vital members of the parish community
To stimulate greater participation in the life of the parish community and in the mission of the Church
To adopt an integrated approach to the stewardship of time, talent and treasure
To promote spiritual direction, retreat programs, and participation in faith-sharing communities as avenues of spiritual growth
To undertake specific outreach to inactive Catholics
To strengthen the willingness and ability of Catholics to evangelize – to share their faith in Jesus Christ

Pastoral Priority: Growing in Faith

The gospel image of the vine and the branches reveals to us another fundamental aspect of the lay faithful's life and mission: the call to growth and a continual process of maturation, of always bearing much fruit." – John Paul II, On the Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World, Christifideles Laici, 57

"Mature persons actively care for future generations. Christian maturity requires that all of us, lay and ordained, provide the best catechesis possible for children and youth....A major challenge for the third millennium is to bring our Catholic tradition to life in the hearts, minds, and spirits of new generations."—U.S. Bishops, Called and Gifted for the Third Millennium

Goal – Nurture Growth in Faith from Childhood through Every Stage of Life

Objectives

To develop cordial and welcoming patterns of relating to people that reflect the Gospel message we proclaim
To equip and support parents in their role as the primary educators of their children in faith
To implement the current Catechetical Plan of the Diocese of Trenton with its emphasis on:
- Placing adult faith formation at the center of our catechetical efforts
- Having professionally formed and competent Parish Catechetical Leaders
- Working toward a majority of each parish's catechists holding full diocesan Catechist Certification
- Developing within parishes the resources and qualified personnel to respond to persons with special needs and their families
- Having systematic and comprehensive adolescent catechesis at the parish level
- Developing long-range catechetical plans for schools and parishes
- Evaluating and updating catechetical ministry on a continual basis
- Having the catechumenal model inspire all catechesis
To implement the Strategic Plan for Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Trenton in order that our schools be strong in their Catholic identity, academically competitive and financially viable
To improve the coordination of efforts among ministries engaged in faith formation
To develop the proficiency of those who teach and preach to utilize the experiences of life as "teachable moments"
To ensure that faith formation of adults in the diocese meets the unique needs of adult learners
To make choices about the life and action of the parish community that give witness to what we believe

Pastoral Priority: Leadership

"Also the function of guiding the community as shepherd, the proper function of the parish priest, stems from his unique relation to Christ the Head and Shepherd. It is a function having a sacramental character. It is not entrusted to the priest by the community, but, through the Bishop, it comes to him from the Lord. To reaffirm this clearly and exercise this function with humble authority is an indispensable service to truth and to ecclesial communion. The collaboration of others, who have not received this sacramental configuration to Christ, is hoped for and often necessary." – Congregation for the Clergy, The Priest, Pastor and Leader of the Parish Community, 5.

"As sharers in the role of Christ as priest, prophet, and king, the laity have their work cut out for them in the life and activity of the Church. Their activity is so necessary within the Church communities that without it the apostolate of the pastors is often unable to achieve its full effectiveness." – Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, 10.

Goal – Ensure Quality Pastoral Leadership for Parishes

Objectives

To engage all members of the diocese in inviting, praying for, and supporting those who are discerning a call to the priesthood
To build up the practice of fraternal care and support among priests
To direct the ongoing formation of parochial vicars in order to prepare them to serve as pastors in the future
To initiate training and support for priests, deacons and parish staff persons serving in multiple-parish and merged parish situations
To facilitate a shared approach to the continuing education/formation of priests, deacons, religious, and lay ecclesial ministers
To explore cooperative arrangements among parishes and among priests in the areas of ministries, staff, and shared use of facilities and other resources
To assemble and support collaborative pastoral teams in parishes
To encourage the hiring and training of competent Parish Business Administrators in parishes
To make Lay Ecclesial Ministry formation more accessible and share the expertise of lay ecclesial ministers throughout the diocese, especially in underserved populations
To establish and form a Parish Pastoral Council in every parish of the diocese by November 2010 to engage in visioning and pastoral planning

Pastoral Priority: Charity and Justice

"In our message Everyday Christianity: To Hunger and Thirst for Justice, we emphasized that social justice and the common good are daily built up or torn down by the decisions and choices that we all make in every facet of our lives." - U.S. Bishops, In All Things Charity: A Pastoral Challenge for the New Millennium

"The Christian view is that human beings are to be valued for what they are, not for what they have." - U.S. Bishops, In All Things Charity: A Pastoral Challenge for the New Millennium

Goal – Act with Charity and Promote Social Justice in our Society and in our World

Objectives

To integrate the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, which all have the life and dignity of the human person at their foundation, in diocesan processes of ministerial formation
To raise awareness among all Catholics about the social mission of the Church and develop a sense of shared responsibility
To speak out consistently and explicitly about the dignity of the human person and protect life from the moment of conception to natural death
To organize for effective legislative advocacy within the diocese
To collaborate more effectively with Catholic, ecumenical, interfaith and secular partners in pursuit of the common good
To consider all temporal decisions through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching
To make appropriate and timely responses to needs in the global community

Pastoral Priority: Youth and Young Adults

"The comprehensive approach is not a single program or recipe for ministry. Rather, it provides a way for integrating ministry with adolescents and their families into the total life and mission of the Church, recognizing that the whole community is responsible for this ministry."—U.S. Bishops, Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry, Part 3

"We join the Holy Father in affirming the essential dignity of young adult men and women—those in their late teens, twenties, and thirties—as 'sons and daughters of the light.' Yet, many young adults tell us that they face increasingly complex and difficult times and that they need the help of the Catholic Christian community to be this light." – U.S. Bishops, Sons and Daughters of the Light: A Pastoral Plan for Ministry with Young Adults, Introduction

Goal – Engage Youth (13-18 yrs) and Young Adults (19-35 yrs) More Deeply in a Relationship with Jesus Christ and the Catholic Community

Objectives

To form leaders and provide resources for comprehensive youth ministry at the parish level
To initiate efforts for leadership development of youth and young adults
To form youth and young adults in discernment in order to help them seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in vocational and career choices
To focus increased attention and resources on ministry to and with young adults at the diocesan, county or deanery, and parish levels
To invest in and broaden the use of media, technology; and strengthen our web presence
To encourage collaboration between college campus ministers
To strengthen the Catholic identity of our high schools by supporting the interface between campus ministry, religion departments, and the entire school community
To promote enrollment in Catholic high schools and colleges

Pastoral Priority: Ethnic Diversity

"You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt."—Leviticus 19:34

"The Church of the twenty-first century will be, as it has always been, a Church of many cultures, languages and traditions, yet simultaneously one, as God is one—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—unity in diversity."—USCCB, Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, 56

Goal – Minister Effectively within Ethnically-Diverse Parish Communities

Objectives

To challenge the Catholic community to confront prejudices, intolerance, and misconceptions through prayer, preaching, catechesis and communications
To consistently include those to be served in identifying the needs of the community and the ways to meet those needs
To increase the ability of diocesan offices, agencies and individual parishes to minister to the growing Spanish-speaking population
To actively foster vocations to the priesthood arising from within ethnic communities
To identify, develop and equip bi-lingual leaders at the parish and diocesan level
To expand outreach services to new immigrant populations and monitor the growth of those populations within the diocese
To begin a practical dialogue between parishes about the "best practices" of ministering among a variety of ethnic communities in a single parish

¹⁰ See earlier section entitled "The Practice of Consultation in the Church" for a description of this consultation.
¹¹ National Association of Church Personnel Administrators, Parish Job Description Manual, p. 14, description contributed by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee