Philadelphia, Pa., Dec 15, 2011 / 06:54 am
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has announced the beginning of an archdiocese-wide initiative for parishes to define their identity, mission and goals and to determine if they have the resources to sustain themselves.
The Parish Pastoral Planning Initiative involves 44 Pastoral Planning Areas, each made up of several parishes in the same geographic vicinity. Each area will create a pastoral plan in a “prayerful and participative process,” the archdiocese said.
Outcomes of each area plan may include no change in structure, or they may include parish mergers.
The first 22 planning areas will begin their work now and are expected to finish over the next three years. The remaining areas will likely require another three years to complete their work.