Today many dioceses are embarking on or have completed diocesan wide pastoral planning efforts, often focused on reorganizing parishes because of the diminishing number of priests and/or other demographic and financial changes. At first blush, it might look like successful parish restructuring is good social science practice. While that may be true, it is much more than that. It is Catholic spirituality in action.

There are five key theological concepts that can influence diocesan pastoral planning:

Creation and Incarnation
Teilhard de Chardin’s statement, “By reason of creation and even more the incarnation, nothing is profane for those who know how to see,” applies to parish restructuring. It is a sacred process where the Spirit is engaging the community in helping to design its future. It is the deep respect for the dignity of the human person which is rooted in God’s creating humanity in the divine likeness that sets a planning process grounded in spirituality apart.

The empowerment given by the local bishop; the way the planning process is structured; the dialogue which happens; the accountability embodied in the methodology; and the prayer resources assembled are all based on the belief that all are made to the image and likeness of God and all have a share in the future of the Catholic community.

Trinity—God in Relationship
The mystery of the Trinity is significant to pastoral planning because it is the relationship within the Triune God that calls us to be in relationship with God and one another. Just as the persons of the Trinity share their life in relationship to each other, so we are shareholders in the life of God through the “body of Christ.”
As shareholders in the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ, we need to be involved in planning on how the mission and ministry will be carried out in the local Church. Planning provides a stellar opportunity for the whole body of Christ to work together.

Life-Death-Resurrection of Jesus Christ
At Baptism we are initiated into the life, death and resurrection of Christ. The poignancy of the life-death-resurrection mystery is felt in parish restructuring when people have to share a pastor, when church buildings close and communities are asked to merge and form something new. In the planning process, not to identify the “endings-wilderness-new beginnings” with the life-death-resurrection of Christ is to miss a wonderful, strong and effective way to assist people to develop a sense of direction, purpose and meaning as shareholders in the mission and ministry of the Risen Christ.

The Eucharist and Sacramentality
At Eucharist those who share in the life of Christ gather to hear the Word proclaimed—a Word that is living as it is proclaimed—a Word that fosters the conviction that when God speaks, something happens. Sacramentality refers to the belief that all reality is potentially a reflection of the presence of God and an instrument of God’s saving activity.

How does all this relate to planning? Planning in Catholic Communities is always done in the context of prayer. Rooted in scripture and faith-sharing, the gathered community situates itself in the presence of God and prays for guidance of the Spirit. As people plan and prepare for change, sharing the stories of the past, connecting them to the Scriptures and using the rituals of the Church can be part of any meeting. Prayer and ritual sharing prepares people for greater appreciation of the Eucharist and empowers the shareholders of the mission and ministry of Christ to discern the will of God for them in the future.

Stewardship and the Common Good
In many ways, this principle encompasses the heart of parish reorganization. Good stewardship of resources and promoting the common good are Catholic values which support pastoral planning.

When first encountered in a planning process, working for the common good may seem to conflict with parochial loyalties—”the way we do things here.” But one of the challenges in pastoral planning is moving away from such parochialism and toward what is good for all. The theological tool for achieving the common good is conversation. Kristin Heyer, Professor of Christian Ethics at Loyola Marymount, suggests using the lens of the common good, along with conversation to move from “I want…” to “what would be good for the community to which we belong.”

By incorporating “best practices” from the social sciences and rigorously integrating theological principles and spiritual practices, the challenges facing the Church related to restructuring parishes can be turned into transformative moments for both the hierarchy and the faithful. Along the journey we find many opportunities to grow in appreciation of who we are called to be as Church in the 21st Century in the United States.

Maureen Gallagher, Senior Consultant
The Reid Group