This summer marks the third anniversary of our Into the Deep restructuring of the Diocese of Madison.

As I reflect on the opportunities and challenges we have embraced in these busy years, I am grateful to God and all of you for the spiritual growth and missionary dynamism occurring within our parishes and people.

The data reveals a marked increase in the numbers of people entering the Church, as well as an uptick in Baptisms and Mass attendance.

Anecdotally, our priests also report they are offering more opportunities for Confession and are seeing more traffic in the confessional, and many report they are busier with weddings this summer than they can recall in recent years.

All of this points to the movement of the Holy Spirit; the leadership and service of our priests, deacons, and laity; and the generous response of our people to Jesus’ invitation to set out into the deep with Him.

We need to remember that the whole point of all this structural change within the diocese is to align our resources with the mission of the Church, which is to go and make disciples.

Merging parishes, changing accounting procedures, and unifying staff will only be effective if we keep our mission to live and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the center of our hearts and actions.

The sequence of Go Make Disciples, initiated in 2020, followed by Into the Deep in 2023, reflects the priority of this vision.

Results in the parishes

I met recently with every pastor and his team to see how Go Make Disciples, our evangelizing initiative begun in 2020, is flourishing on the local level. I was greatly encouraged by those conversations.

The increased number of people seeking to enter the Church has triggered the need to amplify and deepen the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), the parish-based process of formation for those preparing to become Catholic.

Family-based catechesis has been evolving to accommodate merged parish structures and is helping draw parents into the religious formation of their children.

Small groups are active and formative for many parishioners.

Many people are discerning their own gifts and personal apostolate.

Parishes continue to prioritize the Four Holy Habits: Daily Prayer,  Sunday Mass, Monthly Confession and Weekly Penance.

Hispanic ministry is rapidly expanding and deepening.

Into the Deep has also uncovered administrative malfunctions and financial fragility in some of our parishes.

Knowing about and understanding the nature of such challenges has enabled a partnership of diocesan and parish leadership to find and implement solutions for these difficulties.

I highly commend our priests, deacons, parish lay leadership, and diocesan employees for your steady commitment, hard work, and strategic ingenuity in making our parish mergers fruitful and successful, even in the midst of these challenges and problems.

What are we being asked to do?

Into the Deep is not just about changing the scale of diocesan operations.

This restructuring is a golden opportunity to prayerfully and thoughtfully discern what the Lord is asking of us in this present time of both opportunity and challenge.

Of course, the mission of the Church will always remain the same: proclaim the Gospel and make disciples.

On the other hand, the priorities and methods within that perennial mission can change.

Over the course of the last three years, we have focused on six objectives to guide our efforts and energies. I enumerate them here to emphasize their importance.

Follow Jesus: Deepen personal relationships with Christ as missionary disciples

Reclaim Sunday: Make the Sunday Eucharist the center of the week, rediscovering the Sabbath with family and friends.

Evangelize Others: Joyfully share the Catholic faith and the reason for our hope with those around us.

Engage Youth: Enable young people to become fully committed to Christ and the Church.

Equip Leaders: Call forth and train new leaders to share their gifts and talents with the Church.

Serve Neighbors: Witness the love of Christ by serving the material and spiritual needs of the community.

This evangelizing and strategic vision is the work of many years.

When I ponder Go Make Disciples and Into the Deep, I think of the next 10 to 20 years, not just the next six months or two years.

We are laying the foundation for the Church to flourish in the ensuing generations after we are gone.

With our cooperation, God is reversing the decline of religious practice in our diocese and leading us to a deeper experience of His salvation and mercy.

As we anticipate continued demographic changes ahead, we are well on our way to building a solid missionary and strategic base to ensure the vitality of our beloved diocese.

Our future is one of great hope and promise, and for your leadership and fidelity in this remarkable task, I offer gratitude and praise to God and to you!