Diocesan staff from the Pastoral Center, Catholic Cemeteries, Good Counsel Camp and Spirit FM gathered on November 13, 2024, to dive into the plan, its purpose, and how it impacts each of the roles within the diocese.

The Pastoral Plan is the result of three years of listening to thousands of parishioners, clergy, and ministry leaders, and to the Holy Spirit, through Synod sessions and other gatherings that focused on uniting us in our vision and direction for the next five years.

“As your bishop, I have always believed that you - God’s people - have a right to know where our Church is going and where our diocese is going,” said Bishop Gregory Parkes during the staff meeting. “I think it can be rightly said that this plan has come from the ground up because it’s the fruit of what we have heard from thousands of people throughout our diocese.”

The plan goes into effect January 2025 and continues through December 2029.  In order for diocesan staff members to be able to accompany parishes, schools, and other entities throughout the plan’s implementation, the staff realizes they must understand all aspects of the plan. During their gathering, staff members joined small groups to discuss a particular goal. Afterwards, a delegate from each group provided a summary of the goal to the larger group, highlighting the action steps, measurable outcomes, and the role of various ministries. The Pastoral Plan has 12 goals, three priorities, and one foundation: value God above all else.

The foundational goal permeates throughout the rest of the plan. It is also the goal that applies to everyone -- the People of God within the Diocese of Saint Petersburg.  It states, “As secular influences seek to draw us away from our faith, we will challenge each other to value God above all else as reflected through our policies, practices, activities, and decision making.”  The goal calls us to: Place God first in our lives and in our decisions; ensure, a as a community of believers, our policies, practices, and activities will reflect God’s will for His people and His Church, and will serve as pathways to lead people into a deeper relationship with Him; and value God’s gift of life from conception to natural death by honoring this gift and advocating for those who have no voice or whose voice has been silenced. 

“Imagine how transformed our five counties would become if we all made God and the things of God a priority,” declared Bishop Parkes.

Many staff realized that while each goal has primary offices or ministries associated with it, the impact reaches much further as everyone collaborates to support the vision.

“Each of our ministries, whatever we do, focuses on supporting people. The reality is that we are working with people who are on the front lines doing ministry at their parishes and in their communities,” said Brendan de Padua, Associate Director of Young Adult Ministry. “We have the opportunity to receive feedback from them – to meet their needs and go from there.”

Bishop Parkes concluded by encouraging and challenging the diocesan staff to help bring this plan to fruition.

“I ask that you support the plan yourself, that you be heralds of it to others in your interactions and in your daily ministry, and don’t be afraid. This is a road map. What we need to do is bring it to life because otherwise it’s just words on paper.” As a result, the staff made a personal commitment to assist to make the vision/plan a lived reality.

Bishop Parkes has also shared posts and reels on his social media about the Pastoral Plan. You can follow him and view these at www.facebook.com/bishopparkes. To view the plan and find resources to share, visit www.CallToConversion.org.