Initiatives/Disciples in Mission        

Strengthening of Ministries

Conclusions

September, 1996

In his Pentecost Pastoral Letter of June, 1990, Most Reverend Donald E. Pelotte, S.S.S., Bishop of Gallup, asked for support and prayers as he spoke of his responsibility to manage, “the household of God, the Church.”  “Scripture also,” he stated, “calls all Christians to be good managers of the resources with which they are blessed - human, financial and environmental - in order to be instruments for proclaiming the Gospel and for carrying out the mission and ministry of Jesus.”

To fulfill these responsibilities, the Bishop indicated that the Diocese of Gallup would engage in a strategic planning process which would help develop short and long-term goals in order to begin to strengthen and renew ministry in the Diocese.  “Planning will allow us to shape the future rather than be shaped by it,” he said.

From this beginning, a Strategic Planning Committee was formed.  In 1993, after meetings with the clergy, religious and laity of the Diocese, six goals were identified that would permit us to “Strengthen One Another.”

In January, 1994, the next phase of the planning process began with the Planning Committee and Strengthening of Ministries team working together to involve all parishes of the Diocese in the Strengthening of Ministries (“SOM”) process.  Each parish appointed a task force that would attend SOM deanery meetings an relay information back to the parishes.  The SOM deanery meetings focused on parish life, future leadership of parishes and how ministries could be strengthened by sharing resources.

The Strengthening of Ministries process focused on five goals.  The work done at the SOM deanery task force meetings accomplished these goals and resulted in a plan for the Diocese as it enters into the new millennium.  These goals will continue to be reached as this plan is implemented.

Based on work of the deanery task forces, the Planning Committee recommends that the following strategies and policies by implemented in the Diocese of Gallup to strengthen all ministries and to set priorities and new directions for the local Church.  These recommendations, strategies and policies are now presented to the Diocesan Councils and the Bishop for ratification and implementation.

Recommendations, Strategies, & Policies

I.    Goal:

To sufficiently involve the presbyterate, religious and laity in the SOM process so they can comfortably and confidently support the plan and decisions which will follow from the process.

Recommendation: (IR1)

The changing needs of the Church, with its new ministries and variety of ways of being a parish, need to be understood by all. 

Parishioners, especially parish pastoral councils and other leaders, need to study and understand the new models of ministry.  It is recommended that all Pastoral Teams and Parish Councils enhance their readiness for the transitions that will occur in the Diocese and prepare for ministry in the new millennium.

Strategy: (IS1)

Each Pastoral Team and Parish Council put in place a parish public relations initiative and a parish education program that will prepare all parish members for ministry in the new millennium.

Policy: (IP1)

The program “Parish Communities in Transition”, or a similar program that addresses the implications of new models of ministry on parish life, will be used in every parish/mission.

II Goal:

To provide for the people of the Diocese of Gallup an experience of Church which will deepen their sense of membership in their local Church and which will prompt the building of relationships with neighboring parishes.

Recommendation: (IIR1)

A. Each deanery’s recommendations for sharing resources is endorsed.  These diocesan recommendations reflect the needs identified by the deaneries for education and communication.

Strategy: (IIS1) The recommendations specific to the deaneries need to be developed and implemented.

The action plans will be developed within the structure each deanery has designed to continue the SOM process. 

The dean, with the DPC representative, is charged with inaugurating this effort.

Policy: (IIP1)

A time-line for action plans to implement the recommendations in each deanery for sharing resources is to be submitted to the Diocesan Director and to the DPC by May 1.

Recommendation: (IIR2)

B.The deanery level plans recommended by each deanery to continue the SOM process are endorsed.  The diversity of the recommended structures is valued

Strategy: (IIS2)

Each deanery is to develop their own structure while incorporating the following parameters:

These structures will serve as deanery pastoral councils.

For the importance of continuity, each structure will have a method to determine representatives from each parish and other Catholic agencies within the deanery.

The structure will include at least pastors, laity, religious and deacons from each parish.  Other representatives are strongly encouraged.

Each deanery pastoral council will identify a chairperson.

The DPC representative and the dean are to take an active role in these meetings and are responsible for reporting to the DPC the concerns and issues identified by each deanery.

Deanery pastoral council meetings will be held at least three times a year.

Facilitation for these meetings will be through the Diocesan Director.

The designated chairperson of each deanery pastoral council is to invite the Bishop to attend one meeting annually.

Policy: (IIP2)

Each deanery will develop a deanery-level structure.  This diverse and representative structure is the identified authority within each deanery to determine needs within the deanery and to make deanery level recommendations to the Bishop and the DPC.

The responsibility of the deanery pastoral council is three-fold:

to respond to diocesan concerns (continue regional assembly agenda);

to respond to deanery concerns (continue SOM process); and 

to discern new DPC representatives at the deanery pastoral council meetings, as needed.

The consultative role of the DPC will reflect the input of the deanery pastoral councils.

The needs and recommendations identified at deanery pastoral council meetings will provide the DPC and the Bishop with broad grassroots input.  The role of the DPC representative is expanded and now includes:

getting feed-back from their deanery on matters determined by the DPC; and

bringing issues identified in their deaneries to the DPC.

Recommendation: (IIR3)

C.    It is recommended that the Presbyteral Council review the recommendations of deaneries that parishes in Keams Canyon, Navajo, Holbrook, and Kayenta be re-assigned to different deaneries based on commonalities. 

The Presbyteral Council will act on the recommendations to determine if parishes located on the border of other dioceses are being served most effectively based on the resources available in the Gallup diocese.

III.    Goal:

To gather reliable-demographic data about the diocese which will serve as a foundation for on-going pastoral planning.

Strategy: (IIIS1)

The demographic data collected during the SOM process is to be given to each deanery pastoral council.  This data will provide the councils with necessary information to develop plans which reflect the unique needs and concerns of all parishes/missions within the respective deanery.

IV Goal

To prompt pastors and other parish leaders to develop strategies to empower parish members to share in the various responsibilities of administering a  parish/mission.

Recommendation:    Education and Collaboration: (IVR1)

A.     The SOM/Planning Committee recognizes that the implementation of different leadership roles will seriously impact the clergy, religious and deacons of the diocese.  It is recommended that the Presbyteral Council, the Sister’s Council, the Deacon’s Council, and the Diocesan Pastoral Council develop and implement orientation programs and continuing education programs to educate those new to the diocese or new to a deanery. Strategy: (IVS1)

The orientation programs shall include the following:’ the six goals of the diocese:

education about the SOM process and the deanery recommendations; understanding and education regarding the characteristics and skills needed for the new leadership models roles that are being implemented in the diocese;

Diocesan Sacramental Guidelines;

The Conciliation Process;

Parish Council Guidelines;

Diocesan Financial Guidelines;

Sexual Abuse Policy;

diocesan structures and programs;

brief history of the diocese;

initiatives of the diocese that are in place;

Native American and non-native American training programs; and

Synodal Decrees of 1983, as appropriate.

Recommendations: (IVR2)

B.   All Diocesan Councils shall develop programs that address training in collaborative and collegial leadership.  These programs to include training and education in the following: Collaboration Develop workshops about styles of leadership, teamwork skills, and how to incorporate ideas/directions of Vatican II and Scripture.

Have deanery-level education and support groups for the many ministries.

Provide good training of our leaders so they can, in turn, develop and encourage lay leadership.

Open-mindedness

Current leaders must lead the laity into accepting leadership; laity need to take ownership.

Provide education to facilitate increased involvement on all levels.

Encourage, train, and empower laity to take on expanded roles.

Openness to lay leadership and ministry through proper preparation, willingness of all to follow and encourage new models of ministry, and

a willingness to accept and work with temporary confusion and struggle.

Faith

Develop a deeper prayer and spiritual life in parishes.

Design paraliturgies in lieu of priestly ministry.

Use training and delegation so that centers of worship and faith communities will remain open and vital.

Educate towards an attitude change that embraces a “servant model” of  leadership.

Listen and understand diversity, that we/they = us.

Recommendation: (IVR3)

C.  In order to educate and prepare the laity for new roles in leadership and ministry, we recommend that the Diocese establish a Pastoral Lay Ministry Program.

Strategy:    Education: Pastoral Lay Ministry Program (IVS3)

A Pastoral Lay Ministry Program will be designed and implemented within one year.  It will have the following components:  leadership training, spirituality, theology, pastoral ministry and practical training (e.g. training for liturgy in absence of a priest.)

In developing this overall education program, the methods and format used by the Builders of the New Earth program and the recommendations made by the SOM Deanery Task Forces, in particular Cibola, need to be considered and possibly incorporated.  The initiatives of the deacon faculty that presently being discussed to revise the Deacon Program will be broadened to include pastoral lay ministry training within deanery centers.

Discernment will take place at local parish level to identify and call potential candidates to ministry and leadership in local and diocesan Church.

V.Goal: To provide for the people of the diocese a strategy and policies for addressing the decline in the number of priests in the diocese.

Recommendation: (VR1)

The diocese had been creative in developing and implementing different leadership models.

These models need to be recognized and further defined to strengthen future leadership.

The direction of the deanery SOM task forces is endorsed.  There is a need to adhere to the spirit and life of the recommendations not to the letter.  The deanery recommendations need to be studied to determine their congruence with Canon Law.

Strategy: (VS1)

It is recommended that an ad hoc committee be created to review deanery leadership recommendations and develop definitions and role expectations for the various leadership models that the deaneries have agreed to work toward.  Using resource materials already gathered, the ad hoc committee will establish criteria to be used consistently throughout the diocese.  Before proceeding further, the diocese will develop a common language for alternate leadership roles and help define these roles in language, title, and responsibility.

Miscellaneous Recommendations:  

A. Diocesan Director of Pastoral Life (AR1) The Planning Committee recommends that a position such as a Diocesan Director be established at the Diocesan level.  This position will have a two-fold focus:  theory  and action.  This position would have the following responsibilities: head a committee on alternative models of leadership; over-see and facilitate the implementation of chosen models; work with others to define these roles; create procedures for implementing leadership changes in a parish; over-see the development and implementation of the lay ministry education program and insure that the initiatives to identify and call potential leaders in ministry are followed; over-see that every parish program of education is in place to insure that parish leaders and the grassroots are aware of the implications of new models of ministry; and facilitate deanery pastoral council meetings.

B. A Procedure for Initiating Changes in the Leadership Model of a Parish (BR1) The Planning Committee recommends that a procedure be developed for addressing the   needs of a parish, the deanery, and the diocese when a pastor can no longer be assigned to a parish.  This procedure shall have the following components:   Dialogue initiated between the parish leaders and the chancery;   A liaison is appointed by the Bishop to work with the parish; Parish evaluates their needs, studying the parish life from three perspectives: structural (e.g. lay ministry, or pastor or staff), functional (e.g. evangelization, worship, or service to the poor), and supportive criteria (e.g. financial condition or facilities); Parishioners present the results of their study and potential leadership model to deanery pastoral council;  Deanery pastoral council meeting held to evaluate the most effective use of  available resources; and The deanery pastoral council presents recommendation to the Bishop.