Parishes: Called to be Holy, Fully Engaged, Fully Alive

Parishes in Northeastern Wisconsin are in the process of implementing Bishop David L. Ricken's second pastoral letter: "Parishes: Called to be Holy, Fully Engaged, Fully Alive."

The letter outlines the six pastoral areas the diocese and its 157 parishes will focus on during the next five to seven years. The letter was issued in June 2011.

Six pastoral focus area

• Evangelization
• Youth, Young Adult and Family
• Leadership
• Education
• Eucharist
• Dignity of Human Life

Focus on one or two

Bishop Ricken has called on each parish in the Diocese of Green Bay to focus on one or two of these areas each year as it develops its overall pastoral plan so that all six pastoral focus areas will be implemented over the next five to seven years in each parish.

Bishop Ricken has also directed all diocesan departments to simultaneously develop a diocesan strategic pastoral plan that will assist the parishes in developing their own plans.

"It is my hope that the implementation of these six pastoral focus areas throughout the diocese will bring our parishes not just into more projects and programs, but truly into a deeper living relationship with the person of Jesus Christ and with his body, the church," said Bishop Ricken.

Visioning Process

• Focus Groups: Thirty focus groups of "typical" Catholics from throughout the diocese offered their input. The focus groups represented six specific age groups.
• Parish Discovery and Dreaming Report: Each diocesan parish was invited to solicit input from parishioners or parish leaders. Some parishes surveyed each member; some held parish meetings; some queried the pastoral, finance, and/or education councils.
• Diocesan Leaders: Twenty one leadership groups ranged from diocesan staff, deacons, priests, lay ministers, educators, campus ministry leaders, health care leaders, and other ministerial groups.
• Wisdom Committee: A group of theologians, pastors, and parish directors studied the history and mission of the diocese and then came up with a vision for parish life today based on the definition of "parish" found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

'Dare to dream'

Bishop Ricken said the process has allowed the diocese to "dare to dream about what could be if we become fully engaged, fully alive, as parish communities called to be holy." He also noted that the pastoral letter is not intended to be a "how-to" manual, rather a starting point for parishes to use in building on their own dreams for the future.

"As we build upon the good already being done in and through our parishes, may this great love and grace within our parishes be poured out to all of the communities in Northeastern Wisconsin," said Bishop Ricken.

Special insert

Bishop Ricken's pastoral letter was published as a special insert in The Compass, the official diocesan newspaper. In addition, copies were made available to all parishes and can be viewed by clicking here