The typically quiet months of July and August were instead quite busy in the Diocese of Trenton as parishioners, lay leaders and clergy worked to fully digest and respond to preliminary recommendations that had been made as part of the Diocesan-wide Faith in Our Future initiative. Small group meetings, town hall-style gatherings and official deliberations by the 25 Parish Cohortsunfolded steadily throughout the mid and late-summer weeks.
The results of weeks of work and consultation are set to emerge during the final days of September, as the Cohorts submit their official responses to the Diocese in preparation for the Oct. 18-20 Diocesan Planning Commission retreat. During the retreat, the Commission will review all the input it receives from the Cohorts. In light of the goals and criteria for Faith in Our Future, the Commission will prepare final recommendations and rationale of models and ministries.
The final recommendations will be sent directly to Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., by Oct. 31 for his prayerful review as he consults with the diocesan Curia, Episcopal Council and other consultative bodies at multiple levels before making his final decisions. The Bishop is expected to announce his final decisions in December or January with planning for implementation to follow.
Once the responses are submitted, the work of parish core teams is completed. The next phase of parish-level work will be that of implementation, to begin after the final decisions are announced by the Bishop.
Read the latest MONTHLY UPDATE on Faith in Our Future, and all past updates, HERE.