April 4, 2008

Archdiocese of Indianapolis Strategic Leadership Plan 2008–2011

Mission

We, the Church in central and southern Indiana, called to faith and salvation in Jesus Christ in the Roman Catholic tradition, strive to live the Gospel by:

  • worshiping God in word and sacrament,
  • learning, teaching and sharing our faith,
  • serving human needs.

We commit ourselves to generosity and to the responsible use of our spiritual and material resources.

Values
  • Prayer and spiritual growth
  • Lifelong learning and sharing our faith
  • Parish and family, the individual and community
  • Compassion and respect for human life and all creation
  • Justice and consistent moral standards
  • Pro-active leadership and shared responsibility
  • Vital presence in urban, suburban and rural neighborhoods
  • Stewardship

1. Care of the Poor

Goal Statement

All Catholics in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis will regard service to the poor and the vulnerable as an essential expression of our Catholic faith, and they will find ways to respond to that call to service.

  • Objective 1.1

    • To increase the understanding of our call to serve the poor and the vulnerable.
      • Action Step 1.1.1
        • Develop womb-to-tomb catechetical resources dealing with the Church’s teachings on social justice.
      • Action Step 1.1.2
        • Identify and make available resources for pastors to lead people to understand their call to serve and care for the poor and the vulnerable.

  • Objective 1.2

    • To identify, promote and use our current ministries to serve the poor and the vulnerable.
      • Action Step 1.2.1
        • Create an inventory of local parish and archdiocesan ministries.
      • Action Step 1.2.2
        • Publish the inventory of ministries.
      • Action Step 1.2.3
        • Promote the use of the inventory of ministries to encourage collaboration and ministry involvement.

  • Objective 1.3

    • To strengthen parish social justice ministry.
      • Action Step 1.3.1
        • Make resources available for faith formation in Catholic social teaching.
      • Action Step 1.3.2
        • Establish or strengthen parish committees for social justice ministry.

  • Objective 1.4

    • To identify current unmet needs and future needs of the poor and the vulnerable.
      • Action Step 1.4.1
        • Conduct a needs assessment survey by region.
      • Action Step 1.4.2
        • Prioritize the needs and formulate a strategic response.

2. Faith and Spiritual Formation

Goal Statement

The foundations of Catholic faith and practice will be enhanced through an integrated approach to formation for discipleship.

  • Objective 2.1

    • To strengthen the focus on liturgical spirituality as the foundation for growth in faith.
      • Action Step 2.1.1
        • Prepare strategically with multilevel catechesis for the publication of the new Roman missal.
      • Action Step 2.1.2
        • Devote the agenda of a priests’ convocation to preparations for the publication of the new Roman missal.
      • Action Step 2.1.3
        • Convene a formation conference, or conferences, with parish representatives (e.g., members of parish spiritual life commissions and liturgy committees) to anticipate and prepare for the liturgical changes called for in the new Roman missal.
      • Action Step 2.1.4
        • Increase awareness of the Catholic, sacramental imagination (or analogical imagination or sacramental worldview) through liturgical catechesis.

  • Objective 2.2

    • To celebrate, acknowledge and recognize marriage from a countercultural Catholic perspective.
      • Action Step 2.2.1
        • Publicly and liturgically recognize marriage and renew marriage vows through an archdiocesan-wide celebration of World Marriage Sunday.
      • Action Step 2.2.2
        • Re-examine the quality and content of our catechesis on marriage through the life cycle/curriculum.
      • Action Step 2.2.3
        • Collect oral histories of older married couples for use as “primary source” material for marriage catechesis.
      • Action Step 2.2.4
        • Re-examine/reconsider the methodology of marriage ministry programs (e.g., Pre Cana and Tobit).

  • Objective 2.3

    • To raise awareness of the ministries of charity and hospitality as opportunities for evangelization.
      • Action Step 2.3.1
        • Train parish secretaries so that their “first contact” can be an evangelizing moment.
      • Action Step 2.3.2
        • Train ministers of hospitality (i.e., greeters, ushers) so that their “first contact” can be an evangelizing moment.
      • Action Step 2.3.3
        • Develop creative marketing strategies for parishes as an intentional effort to evangelize (e.g., realtors, newspapers, funeral homes) diverse populations.

  • Objective 2.4

    • To enhance the role of the domestic Church—the family—as a primary source of catechetical formation and as an essential component of ecclesial communion and parochial life.
      • Action Step 2.4.1
        • Develop standards for adult faith formation based on the implementation of the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults.
      • Action Step 2.4.2
        • Re-examine parish structures and meeting schedules in an effort to make them more “family-friendly,” if necessary.
      • Action Step 2.4.3
        • Address the issue of retaining newly initiated Catholics following the completion of the formal processes of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
      • Action Step 2.4.4
        • Empower parents to be the primary catechists in the home by developing formation opportunities that examine the role of family rituals and by integrating simple home practices as teachable moments (e.g., displaying symbols of faith, praying before meals, observing liturgical seasons, etc.).

3. Catholic Schools

Goal Statement

We will continue to strive to solidify the future of Catholic schools.

  • Objective 3.1

    • To ensure that our schools reflect a Catholic culture.
      • Action Step 3.1.1
        • Promote priestly and religious vocations.
      • Action Step 3.1.2
        • Study and implement the most recent statement of the U.S. bishops on the support of Catholic schools.
      • Action Step 3.1.3
        • Strike a balance between devotional practices and catechetical and doctrinal components of religious education.
      • Action Step 3.1.4
        • Establish the priority of religion class in each school.
      • Action Step 3.1.5
        • Integrate the teaching and interpretation of religion into all subjects in each school.

  • Objective 3.2

    • To increase enrollment in Catholic schools.
      • Action Step 3.2.1
        • Instill in parents the importance of Catholic education.
      • Action Step 3.2.2
        • Promote the benefits and value of Catholic education, especially through success stories.
      • Action Step 3.2.3
        • Monitor demographics constantly.
      • Action Step 3.2.4
        • Implement a marketing plan.
      • Action Step 3.2.5
        • Implement an affordability plan.
      • Action Step 3.2.6
        • Help pastors become primary agents in the promotion of Catholic schools.
      • Action Step 3.2.7
        • Develop a financial plan built on the principles of Christian stewardship.
      • Action Step 3.2.8
        • Build collaboration among parishes and schools.

  • Objective 3.3

    • To obtain and to retain high quality, effective administrators and teachers.
      • Action Step 3.3.1
        • Require professional development and formation, especially in the area of religion.
      • Action Step 3.3.2
        • Develop a system of frequent and consistent recognition of staff.
      • Action Step 3.3.3
        • Enhance the compensation packages for teachers and administrators.
      • Action Step 3.3.4
        • Work to enable teachers to fully embrace the mission and ministry of Catholic education.
      • Action Step 3.3.5
        • Form educational leaders spiritually, instructionally and administratively.

4. Ministry Staffing

Goal Statement

We will foster a culture that encourages, nurtures and supports ordained and religious ministries and lay professional ministries in the Church.

  • Objective 4.1

    • To cherish our priests by promoting their spiritual, physical, social and emotional well-being.
      • Action Step 4.1.1
        • Encourage the archbishop to continue affirming priesthood, its blessings and challenges, in his weekly newspaper column.
      • Action Step 4.1.2
        • Develop rituals to celebrate the positive aspects of priesthood.
      • Action Step 4.1.3
        • Identify opportunities for recreation, exercise, etc., at no cost or at minimal cost to priests.
      • Action Step 4.1.4
        • Provide opportunities for fraternal gatherings of priests—prayer days, dinners, etc.
      • Action Step 4.1.5
        • Review and revise, if necessary, personnel policies (and find other institutional adaptations) to lessen the stress on priests.

  • Objective 4.2

    • To nurture and affirm professional ecclesial lay ministers.
      • Action Step 4.2.1
        • Improve educational opportunities for existing and potential ecclesial lay ministers.
      • Action Step 4.2.2
        • Promote spiritual direction for ecclesial lay ministers.
      • Action Step 4.2.3
        • Ensure funding for continuing education, retreats and time off for ecclesial lay ministers.

  • Objective 4.3

    • To promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
      • Action Step 4.3.1
        • Establish a presence in social networking sites like Facebook.
      • Action Step 4.3.2
        • Create a strategy for promoting conversations about vocations among parishioners, e.g., encour-aging vocation committees at parishes and schools and developing guidelines and resources to help them operate effectively.

  • Objective 4.4

    • To invite qualified Catholics to consider service to the Church in ecclesial lay ministry.
      • Action Step 4.4.1
        • Promote ecclesial lay ministry during career days at schools and at youth ministry programs.
      • Action Step 4.4.2
        • Provide online resources about careers in ecclesial lay ministry.
      • Action Step 4.4.3
        • Promote people and resources to help people discern a call to ecclesial lay ministry.

5. Stewardship and Governance

Goal Statement

We will increase and sustain the engagement of Catholics and community partners through heightened performance, accountability, and transparency of parishes, schools and agencies.

  • Objective 5.1

    • To identify expectations and measure performance for providing ministries through parishes, schools and agencies.
      • Action Step 5.1.1
        • Conduct an archdiocesan-wide baseline assessment of ministries at all parishes, schools and agencies, and incorporate current planning efforts for Terre Haute, Indianapolis schools, Catholic Charities agencies and downtown Indianapolis parishes.
      • Action Step 5.1.2
        • Develop and communicate performance expectations and measures of vitality for parish, school and agency ministries.
      • Action Step 5.1.3
        • Develop a plan to improve and measure the vitality and sustainability of parishes, schools and agencies, and to develop appropriate action steps when expectations (developed in 5.1.2) are not attained.
      • Action Step 5.1.4
        • Identify and implement an appropriate organizational civil legal structure to support the canonical structure of the Church and assist in the provision of ministries.
      • Action Step 5.1.5
        • Ensure that facility planning supports the vision and strategic plan of each parish, school and agency.
      • Action Step 5.1.6
        • Ensure that endowment planning supports the vision and strategic plan of each parish, school and agency.

  • Objective 5.2

    • To improve the effectiveness of leadership groups (boards, councils and administrations) through orientation, communication and transparency.
      • Action Step 5.2.1
        • Expand leadership orientation and training opportunities for parish, school and agency governance bodies and administrative employees.
      • Action Step 5.2.2
        • Develop and implement organizational communication and technology best practices to enhance archdiocesan-wide communication.
      • Action Step 5.2.3
        • Develop and implement processes to improve accountability and transparency to constituents for ministry performance and decisions made by parish, school and agency leadership.

  • Objective 5.3

    • Improve archdiocesan agency service to parishes and schools.
      • Action Step 5.3.1
        • Conduct a detailed Catholic Center and agency performance and service evaluation (in concert with action step 5.1.1).
      • Action Step 5.3.2
        • Review and, where needed, update the mission statement guiding each agency’s service to parishes and schools.
      • Action Step 5.3.3
        • Allocate agency resources according to the prioritization of agency services. †

 

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