Core team Update #29

Reach

“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it.”  

-Luke 15: 4

Evangelization is not new; rather, we are being asked to bring a new vigor to it and to use new approaches.  We are called to reach out to all who live within our parish territories; rich or poor, old or young, those who come to church and those who do not.

Saint Pope John Paul II wrote:

“It is not a matter of inventing a ‘new program.’  The program already exists:  it is the plan found in the Gospel and in the living Tradition….  Ultimately, it has its center in Christ himself, who is to be known, loved and imitated, so that in him we may live the life of the Trinity, and with him transform history until its fulfillment in the heavenly Jerusalem.  This is a program which …takes account of time and culture for the sake of true dialogue and effective communication…it must be translated into pastoral initiatives adapted to the circumstances of each community.”  — Novo Millennio Ineunte, #29

Please keep this mission in mind as your Cohort discusses and responds to the preliminary  recommendations.  Carefully consider what new and bold pastoral initiatives will be needed to carry the Good News beyond the Catholics currently attending Mass to the unique set of people your parishes have been sent to evangelize.

Dear Core Team Members:

Cohort core teams are beginning to meet in July and August to discuss the Preliminary Recommendations the Diocesan Planning Commission has made about their cohort and formulate a Response.

The Preliminary Recommendations for each of the cohorts have been posted on the diocesan web site:  http://www.dioceseoftrenton.org/faithinourfuture/

Last week, we sent sample agendas for four cohort core team meetings for Steps 4 and 5 of the Faith in Our Future process.  If you did not receive these, please contact Sherrie Sporek at[email protected].

Cohort Response forms will be submitted to the Planning Commission by October 1.

Some reminders:

• This week, parish cohort team chairs and secretaries should have received the customized Cohort Response forms for their cohort. Please use this customized form when preparing your draft response due September 20^th and your final response due October 1^st.
• We want to keep emphasizing that the Preliminary Recommendations are, in fact, preliminary. The Diocesan Planning Commission will meet on retreat in October to consider the cohort responses and send its Final Recommendations directly to Bishop O’Connell. It is the Bishop who will make the final decisions after consulting with appropriate bodies.
• If there are any changes to the roster of your parish core team, please share the changes (additions and deletions) with Sherrie Sporek at [email protected].
• It is very important that you continue to update your fellow parishioners on a regular basis about the work of your cohort. We are attaching an excerpt of a letter to the parish at large that Father Daniel Kirk, parish administrator of St. Charles Borromeo in Burlington county, published in his bulletin and parish Facebook page. It is very positive and a great example of explaining the preliminary recommendations. Excerpt from Fr. Dan Kirk
• Facilitators have been assigned to assist each of the 25 cohorts. These skilled and experienced men and women are available as needed to facilitate cohort core team meetings, parish town hall meetings, etc. at no cost to the parishes.

Please let us know what questions you have about your work and the whole Faith in Our Futureplanning process and we will answer them in future updates. Thank you once again for contributing your time and energy to this important project.

FAQ—Frequently Asked Questions about Faith in Our Future

How long are the members of the parish and cohort core teams expected to serve? 

The work of the current core teams ends with submission of their cohort response to the preliminary recommendations due by October 1^st.  At that time, pastors/administrators will be asked to appoint four people to join him and serve on parish and cohort implementation teams to start work after Bishop O’Connell has announced his decisions.  Typically, the majority of the people want to continue for at least the first year of implementation because they will say things like, “our work is only half done.”  However, people are free to say that they do not wish to continue and pastors/administrators are free to invite one or more new members to the team.

What are the requirements for being on a parish and cohort implementation team?

Implementation team members must be committed to carrying out Bishop’s decisions regarding Faith in Our Future, must be able to participate in the implementation training sessions and must be willing to work together with parish and implementation colleagues to develop realistic action plans for both the model and ministry decisions of Bishop O’Connell.

FAITH IN OUR FUTURE STAFF & COUNTY CONSULTANTS

Diocesan Office Staff

Msgr. Leonard Troiano, [email protected] 1-609-403-7159

Sherrie Sporek, [email protected] 1-609-403-7193

FAX: 1-609-406-7413

MAILING ADDRESS:

Faith in Our Future, Diocese of Trenton

701 Lawrenceville Road

Trenton, NJ 08648

The Reid Group Consultants

Burlington & Ocean Counties Consultant

Tom Reid, [email protected], 1-206-947-2990

Monmouth County Consultant

John Reid, [email protected], 1-206-947-1055

Mercer County & Bi-Lingual Consultant

Cleo Molina, [email protected], 1-206-383-2536