Into the Deep enters Phase 2
“Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the peak of Pisgah which faces Jericho, and the LORD showed him all the land . . . The LORD then said to him, This is the land about which I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not cross over.” (Dt. 34:1, 4)
This scene from the Book of Deuteronomy is striking — Moses was able to see the Promised Land from the heights of Mount Nebo, yet he was not able to enter.
This may seem to echo where our diocese currently stands with our Into the Deep Strategic Plan. Phase 1, which ran from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, has come and gone.
This phase was designed to “Assess & Unify” the situation in the pastorates by looking at the various strengths and weaknesses present and by working on uniting efforts and resources to prepare for merging the parishes.
While much work has been done in those regards, the diocese has just begun the process of merging parishes as we enter into Phase 2 of Into the Deep.
Staggered merger process
It is reasonable to ask why we have not yet entered into the “Promised Land” of having all of our pastorates merged into new parishes.
There are a number of reasons why it was not feasible to merge all of the pastorates at one time on July 1 of this year.
One of the main reasons is the limited number of diocesan and parish staff needed to make the mergers happen with all of the intricacies involved.
There are many legal issues that need to be addressed carefully.
Additionally, some pastorates have unique situations concerning multiple schools or building/facility needs that must be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Finally, some pastorates require splitting current parishes for the new pastorate configuration.
Thus, these mergers have additional requirements that need specialized attention.
Therefore, even though the pastorates are by and large ready to merge, the process will take place over time on a staggered basis to allow for all the complexities to be handled with care and attention.
In addition to Epiphany of the Lord Parish, the diocese will have a second pastorate merged soon. As our “pilot parishes”, we can hone our processes so that future mergers can go as smoothly as possible.
Our diocesan team will work closely with priests and staff in each pastorate to accomplish all of the needed tasks to merge. While we want to move through the pastorate mergers quickly, our main concern is to respect the requirements of the process and do the mergers well.
Phase 2 — ‘Vision & Leadership’
Even though the merger process will take longer than initially expected, that does not mean that Phase 2 is only a time of waiting.
In fact, many of the steps taken in Phase 1 can be deepened and expanded during this phase even while the pastorates are preparing for the merger to take place.
Now that the pastorates have had a chance during Phase 1 to assess programs and unify staff and processes in many ways, it will be important for everyone to take that knowledge and create a vision for the future of what the new parish culture should be like.
First and foremost, Into the Deep is meant to help foster the Church’s mission to “Go Make Disciples”.
Thus, pastorates are invited during this phase to look at hiring a director of evangelization if they have not already done so during Phase 1.
This director can help to start or renew Go Make Disciples teams and efforts at the parish/pastorate level.
This striving for making and forming disciples is also meant to flow into faith formation efforts where pastorates are invited to either consider or bolster efforts at family catechesis where possible.
The formation of small groups is also encouraged during Phase 2 to help people commit to the Church’s ultimate mission of following Christ in the holiness of life.
There are also many administrative goals during Phase 2.
Concerning human resources, pastorates are encouraged to carry out employee reviews and clarify job descriptions and handbooks to create clarity for staff members.
Schools are tasked with ongoing enrollment, marketing, tuition, and budgeting discussions, especially in pastorates where there are multiple schools.
Finally, training for various ministers, catechists, or safe environment programs should be carried out during this phase.
All of these efforts are meant to carry forward a vision for our parishes as centers of spiritual life and evangelization so that we might all come to experience the promises of the Lord for His people.