ARCHDIOCESE OF INDIANAPOLIS

The Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Committee was responsible for
prayerfully considering the results of the assessments, surveys and
other research conducted in preparation for pastoral planning. This
was truly a process of prayerful discernment using Sacred Scripture,
the teaching and practice of the Church during the past two millennia,
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and Pope Francis’s recent teaching, especially The Joy of the Gospel, as
guides. The result was a series of Goals and Objectives in the following
areas:
• Prayer and Worship
• Stewardship
• Family and Community
• Evangelization and Catechesis
• Clergy Life and Ministry
These five areas do not encompass all aspects of the Church’s life and
ministry here in central and southern Indiana, but they do provide us
with a broad framework for pastoral planning that can address the key
issues and concerns that we are confronting as we continue to carry out
our mission.
Each of the five areas identified above includes an overarching goal
(what we want to do) and a series of specific objectives (how we plan
to accomplish each goal). These goals and objectives, which have been
approved, have now been given to the appropriate archdiocesan offices
and agencies that will develop detailed plans for implementation,
including accountability (measures for success, persons responsible,
timelines, and budget implications).
For the purposes of this pastoral letter, I would simply like to offer some
brief reflections on the five goals and their importance for carrying out
our mission—yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Prayer and Worship
GOAL 1: Foster a personal encounter with Jesus Christ through a rich and
vibrant liturgical, sacramental and devotional, and personal prayer life.
Objective 1.1 Cultivate a sense of belonging for all God’s people
through liturgical experiences that honor our growing cultural and
ethnic diversity.
Objective 1.2 Offer resources to parishes to encourage the full, active,
and conscious participation of all the faithful in the liturgical life of the
Church.
Objective 1.3 Enrich and complement the faithful’s understanding of
the Gospel, scripture and liturgy through music and song that honors
and celebrates our cultural and ethnic diversity.
Objective 1.4 Foster the spiritual life of God’s people through “popular
piety” devotions.
Action 1.4.1 Identify and design resources as necessary to deepen
the faithful’s understanding and use of Catholic prayers and
devotionals.
Objective 1.5 Promote sacramental preparation as a tool of new
evangelization, as an encounter for candidates, families and sponsors
with the risen Lord.
Stewardship
GOAL 2: Cultivate a culture of stewardship responding to our
Baptismal call through the giving of one’s time, talent and treasure in
the service of God and others.
Objective 2.1 Foster an increased sense of discipleship among the
people by helping them identify the gifts that God has given them,
and how those gifts can be put into service to build up His kingdom
through the Church.
Action 2.1.1 Issue a call to action for a plan to evangelize/catechize
the faithful.
Objective 2.2 Design and implement an archdiocesan-wide system
that connects/coordinates the faithful’s gifts/talents with the needs
of the archdiocese, wider-community, and the parish and invites and
actively engages the faithful into service of others.
Action 2.2.1 Assess communication structures within the
archdiocese and respond with the development of effective models
that utilize a variety of methods and address needs.
Objective 2.3 Conduct a comprehensive assessment or audit of all
capital assets and facilities within the Archdiocese regarding short/
long term maintenance and usability (building on previous audits/
assessments) and develop standardized methods and reports to assess
resources and the pastoral needs throughout the Archdiocese.
Objective 2.4 Continue to utilize the tools and resources gained from
Empowering Pastoral Leaders as a means to build up the leadership
capacity, skills and talents of all.