Presbyteral Council recommends DPC document

The Diocesan Pastoral Council met Nov. 3-4 to consider the document that will carry the pastoral planning proposals for the diocese.
The document is based on the council’s work, study and discussion, as well as input from the regional listening sessions. The listening sessions were held throughout the diocese in February and March of this year.
The reviewed draft included the recommendations from the council’s focused work groups, which studied particular areas identified as themes heard throughout the diocese.
After much discussion and with some changes that reflected the DPC’s thinking, the council recommended that the draft be placed on the agenda of the Presbyteral Council and College of Consultors meetings as amended, according to Sister Rita McGinnis, SCL, director of pastoral planning for the diocese.
The DPC was also charged with the task of revising the diocesan mission statement, which was last published in 1983.
The newly revised mission statement also moved forward to the Presbyteral Council.
On Nov. 9, the draft of the pastoral planning document and the mission statement were both presented to the Presbyteral Council and College of Consultors for their recommendation to Bishop George Leo Thomas for his approval and promulgation. With discussion and a few modifications, the pastoral planning document and mission statement were both recommended for Bishop Thomas’ approval.
The final document requires final editing and printing design; a formal communications plan will be proposed to get the document back to those who were a part of its creation, from the parish preparation sessions to the regional listening sessions.
“It has been a mighty effort of our entire diocese,” said Sister McGinnis, “and there is a strong consensus that there needs to be good communication about the document and the steps that will be taken to bring hopes closer to reality. The work of our Diocesan Pastoral Council has been a real gift to our diocese; they have taken their commission very seriously and have worked hard to make recommendations that will address the most pressing needs surfaced in these next five years.”
The working timeline suggests that the document may be produced around mid-January.

Published in The Montana Catholic, Vol. 22, No 11, November 17, 2006.