SALT LAKE CITY — In 2018, a little more than a year after coming to Utah, Bishop Oscar A. Solis presented the Pastoral Plan of the Diocese of Salt Lake City.
Preparation for the Pastoral Plan began in 2014 under Bishop Solis’ predecessor, when the Most Rev. John C. Wester, ninth Bishop of Salt Lake City, convened the steering committee. Listening groups at parishes throughout the diocese gave input about the goals and priorities parishioners wanted the diocese to set. The process was interrupted by the episcopal transition, but Bishop Solis made the Pastoral Plan one of his priorities, and it was promulgated on Sept. 15, 2018.
The Pastoral Plan set five goals: faith formation, vocations, stewardship, Eucharist and Catholic identity, and dignity of the human person.
“Our new Diocesan Pastoral Plan clearly outlines our goals for the next five years,” Bishop Solis wrote in his letter introducing the plan.
However, within two years of the Pastoral Plan’s introduction, the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted the normal flow of everyday living, including parish life.
During the pandemic, “it was decided that implementation [of the Pastoral Plan] would be put on hold,” said Dominican Fr. Wayne Cavalier of the Congar Institute for Ministry Development, which facilitated the pastoral planning process.
Fr. Cavalier has been a member of the Pastoral Plan steering committee since the beginning. He made his remarks at a Dec. 6 meeting of diocesan leaders.
Although the pandemic was disruptive, during that time “we also experienced the constructive: initiatives of the Eucharistic Revival and of synodality that Pope Francis called for. We have also seen significant changes in our culture and the political landscape,” he said.
These have “introduced new realities that must be taken into consideration at the same time we recognize that the priorities that we previously identified continue to be important to the Church in Utah,” Fr. Cavalier said.
Now Bishop Solis is calling for the diocese “to address, re-examine and reflect on the present situation and to find new pathways in proclaiming the Gospel in light of our Diocesan Pastoral Plan.”
Leaders throughout the diocese have met with key members of the presbyterate, deacons and other ministers, and laity to discern how to move forward with the Pastoral Plan. On Dec. 6, the bishop heard summary reports from these leaders during a teleconference.
The goal of the meeting was “to continue to discern together, as leaders of the Church in Utah, where we stand regarding those original priorities and how the experience of the last three years or so have impacted us as we move forward together on our pilgrim way,” the bishop said.
Those giving reports were Fr. David Bittmenn, pastor of St. George Parish, who gave a report from the deaneries that focused on parish life and ministry; Fr. John Evans, who gave a summary of the diocesan synod report; Deacon Scott Dodge, who gave a report on the diaconate; Dr. Julie Boerio-Goates, who gave a report on the English-speaking lay ecclesial ministers as well as the Diocesan Pastoral Council, of which she is past president; María Cruz Gray, director of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, who gave a report on the Spanish-speaking lay ecclesial ministers, known as Emaús; Mark Longe, superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools, who gave a report about the schools; and Kevin Cummings, a St. Rose of Lima parishioner, who gave a report on faith formation and directors of religious education.
Each of those giving reports noted challenges facing implementation of the Pastoral Plan. For example, Fr. Bittmenn said it is difficult for some parishes to find qualified religious education teachers. He also noted that the existing priority of stewardship “is just about money,” and doesn’t address the gifts of time and talent.
Fr. Evans pointed out that the topics that consistently arose during the synod listening sessions that were held in the diocese were welcoming, catechesis and formation, and youth. “And by far, it wasn’t even a close race, welcoming rose to the top very quickly and was just about universally identified in just about every listening session,” he said.
The deacons have undertaken training to improve preaching, which parishioners have asked for, Deacon Dodge said. They also are “very interested in ways that we can help and meet needs that currently aren’t being met” in the diocese, he said.
Lay ecclesial ministers believe the original priorities of the Pastoral Plan are still relevant, but there are other key points that have arisen from the synod and the Eucharistic Revival, especially human dignity and the importance of the Eucharist, Boerio-Goates said.
The Spanish-speaking lay ecclesial ministers feel that more opportunities for youth should be offered, Gray said, adding that they think the Eucharist is key to the faith.
Summarizing a 36-page report from the 16 Utah Catholic schools, Longe said they are making more efforts to increase opportunities for the students to participate in events centered on the faith, and that faith formation opportunities for school personnel have been increased.
Participation in sacramental preparation classes for youth has increased, but not in other classes, Cummings said. In addition, adult education has improved throughout the diocese, he said. However, religious education instructors asked that training for catechists be made more accessible, possibly online, he said. They also asked that the annual Pastoral Congress return to an in-person format, because it is more energizing to gather together.
Attending the meeting were the directors of diocesan offices and groups at different parishes. They were asked to consider the needs of their pastoral landscape and the needs of the larger diocese as they discussed the Pastoral Plan and whether its priorities, goals and objectives should be adjusted. They were asked to submit a report of their discussion by Jan. 6.
After those reports are received, a representative group of leaders will integrate the comments “into a draft update of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan for the next five years,” Fr. Cavalier said.
At the end of the evening, Bishop Solis thanked those participating and said, “I hope and pray that the dialogue we held tonight provides us the opportunity to learn and discern on the life and ministries in our faith communities throughout the diocese.”
Stay Connected With Us