Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the purpose of this new Strategic Task Force for Parish and School Planning?
It’s purpose is to listen, study, evaluate, discuss, and only then propose, how the Archdiocese can best serve the spiritual and community life of its people and the faith and educational development needs of its children now and in the future. The planning process will focus on both parishes and schools, seeking to build a sustainable way of organizing to effectively do the mission of the Church.
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2. Why now? What’s motivating this planning process?
Awareness of changes in the Archdiocesan wide community and their impact on today and more importantly, tomorrow. These changes or trends include a whole host of factors – shifting demographics, the emergence of new ethnic and socio-economic groups in the Archdiocese, the outlook for the number of clergy, the financial viability of parishes and schools in the different quadrants of our local church.
What’s driving or motivating this process is the need to be cognizant of all these trends and, more importantly, to determine how to deal with them. The Archdiocese is simply adapting to new conditions so that the message of Christ may be more effectively carried to the twelve counties that make up the Archdiocese.
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3. Are there going to be specific common guidelines for the work of this undertaking?
Yes. Archbishop Nienstedt has developed and disseminated to the Task force seven principles he wants them to follow. They are:
  • Full sacramental ministry must be available to every Catholic in each geographic area of the archdiocese. In other word, every Catholic will have a home parish and will know where to go for spiritual assistance.
  • Qualified pastoral leaders (i.e. clergy, religious and lay) will be assigned to each of those geographic areas.
  • Special concern must be given to the poor, the marginalized or the immigrant.
  • Every parish must be involved, to one degree or another, in the planning process. We will not permit discussions to fall along the lines of “the haves” and the “have nots.”
  • Every parish will be expected to evaluate its spiritual sacramental, communal, financial and faith formation resources. Adjustments will be made with other parishes in that particular deanery based on the evaluation.
  • Catholic schools cannot be left out of the plan. The situation with our schools is complex and diverse. But we want to continue our support for them to the best of our ability.
  • The discussions surrounding this planning be should be characterized by mutual respect, patience, honesty and an ability to listen to all points of view. The main thrust of the planning is about collaboration and cooperation, not about closing, though the latter may happen in some cases.
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4. But isn’t this whole process primarily to produce a publicly acceptable way for the Archdiocese to justify the closing or merger of a number of parishes and schools?
No. This is a very serious and intensive examination of where we are now, what challenges and opportunities we face and how we can best respond. It may be necessary to reconfigure some parishes or schools to help them better serve our Catholic faithful and families. It is also true that the task force is approaching this important assignment with no preconceived notions about any particular parishes or schools.
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5. How long will it take?
The current Task Force work is going to come to fruition in about 18 months after that there is the implementation of what ever plan is approved by the Archbishop.
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6. How was the Task Force chosen? What criteria were used?
Archbishop Nienstedt asked the Presbyteral Council of Priests and other advisers for recommendations. Then he selected both religious and experienced lay leaders with specific expertise from this list of candidates.
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7. I notice that there are a majority of priests on the task force. Why and what will that mean to the opportunity for input from lay folks in the parishes?
Input from lay people is a major and valued component of this process and that input will not be diminished by who serves on the task force. Please know there are many opportunities and venues for the non-ordained to have their thinking and ideas heard.
The members of the task force, including the many priests, were chosen in part because of their varied and considerable ministerial experiences in this archdiocese, including with lay people in numerous, different settings. They also bring considerable knowledge and a breadth and scope of understanding about the current reality of the Archdiocese, as well as the ability to learn more, all of which is important especially as options for action are shaped and eventual recommendations are made to the Archbishop.
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8. What are those opportunities for input and two way communications going to consist of?
There’s going to be a wide variety. Some of these opportunities include meetings in the parishes, newsletters that will include both progress reports and a section for you to be heard, as well as through the Catholic Spirit. A link on our Archdiocesan web site will also solicit your comments, ideas and, yes, complaints or concerns on an ongoing basis. There will be a dedicated phone number at the Archdiocese for you to call with questions, ideas and inputs. The first phase of the process could quite accurately be named “Voices” in that it is the time to get to know and appreciate the current realities within the Archdiocese and to have the voices of the Archdiocese heard.
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9. How will the poor and marginalized of our communities and our parishes be a factor in this planning process?
Archbishop Nienstedt had already put our service to the poor and the marginalized as one of the guiding principles for this planning effort. In doing so he is emphasizing this basic Catholic value and teaching of Christ. The Archdiocese, through its parishes, Catholic Charities and various affiliations is already one of the most prominent providers of services to the poor and the marginalized. The planning effort includes asking how this part of the mission can be enhanced.
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10. Will there be parishes closed or combined?
There are no preconceived outcomes to this process. The consultation within the process is an honest process. A basic question is: What is the best way for this local Church (the Archdiocese as a whole) to organize itself to fulfill the mission given by Christ to His Church? The answer to this question is what this planning process seeks. The outcomes will, of course, accurately reflect the reality in which the Archdiocese currently finds itself. Again, closing parishes or schools is not the central question, but in some cases clustering, merging, closing or even opening new parishes and schools could be the best solution.
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11. What will be the criteria for closing a parish or for that matter, a school?
There is no generic answer to this as there is a wide variety of conditions and circumstances among the parishes and schools of the Archdiocese. The answer must be mission driven, informed by high quality data and analysis, and be derived by prayerful discerned
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12. Will the materials distributed by the Planning Task Force be translated into other languages for our Hispanic and other ethnic Catholics?
Yes.
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