As you know the Burlington Diocese has asked every parish to write a three year plan. Consequently, St. Augustine Parish is engaged in strategic planning. The parish has submitted a summary of the plan based on the three priorities identified at the recent diocesan synod: Evangelization, Building Vibrant Parishes, and Communication.
Now it is time to flesh out the summary and create a detailed plan for the future of our parish, describing how we intend to reach the ambitious goals laid out in the summary. A copy of the Parish Plan Summary can be found on the parish web site. If you do not have access to the internet, you can contact me at 802-522-2376, and I will give you a hard copy.
The next step in writing a complete plan is to gather information from parish committees and other groups and individual parishioners. Please read the plan summary, especially the goals for each priority, and think about what you would like to see happen at St. Augustine Parish that would help achieve those goals. Feel free to include any other thoughts you would like the planning team to consider. You can send your comments to me at jgainza@vtlink.net – write “Parish Plan” in the subject line - or, if you do not use e-mail, please drop off or mail your comments to the rectory.
This is your parish, your thoughts about how to make it better and more responsive to your needs are important.
We want to emphasize that the parish and indeed the entire diocese are undergoing great changes and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The decline in church attendance and membership, the reduction of financial resources, the loss of young Catholics after Confirmation, the reality of declining numbers of clergy and the subsequent overload of pastoral responsibilities of those that remain, and the growing need for Christian witness in a secular society, all point to the need for every parish and every active parish member to think about what is most important to be done, and plan for the most efficient use of our human, financial and material resources. A good strategic plan can help accomplish that.
Of course, we must also pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit as we seek to fulfill the commission given to us by Jesus Christ: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit (Matt 28:19).
May we all be willing to share this mission of Evangelization!
Thank you, Joseph Gainza 802-522-2376 jgainza@vtlink.net