1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

Parish Planning and
Viability Study
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How to Implement the Process in Your Parish
INTRODUCTION:
Foundations for
understanding parish:
Reflecting on the nature
of Church and parish
What is the Church?
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The People of God, formed and sustained by the plan of
the Father and the missions of the Son and Spirit. The
Church is about participating in Trinitarian
communion.
Living as Church:
The Eucharist gives us the
pattern after which we are to
live out Trinitarian communion:
“This is my Body, given for you; This is my
Blood, poured out for you. Do this in
memory of me…”
The parish:
expression of the Church, living
communion concretely
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The fullness of the Church – that is, Trinitarian communion in
time – resides in every local Church under apostolic authority.
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Trinitarian communion is expressed through the concrete
living and evangelizing of the parish community, nourished by
the Eucharist in communion with the bishop.
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The parish as Eucharistic community knows how to bring the
message of communion and salvation by witnessing this love
concretely in the historical situations of life.
Bearing this in mind…
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How well is my parish fulfilling the Church’s
mission?
What is the best way for my parish to become a
stronger Eucharistic community in the mission of
evangelization and communion?
Understanding parish planning
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Yields a contingency plan
3-prong approach: 1) serving needs of Archdiocese in assigning the
priests she has, 2) building up parishes without resident priests, and
3) planning for the needs of priests and recognizing not all priests are
available to be pastors.
Religious communities are highly prized
Ethnic parishes continue current model with availability of priests
Planning with parishioners while change is not imminent is better than
when change becomes imperative
No timeline set for implementation
This is not a pretext for closure/consolidation. The tool is meant to help
parishes improve and strengthen, and determine structures by which
they can sustain a healthy Eucharistic community.
Parish Life Coordinator participates in pastoral care in the absence of a
resident priest pastor and answers to the local dean who is canonical
pastor.
Two groups,
Two implementations
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Group/Implementation #1: Parish Planning
Team
Group/Implementation #2: Parish assembly or
representation
Group/Implementation #1
Parish Planning Team
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Together as a group, PPT completes steps one
through five of the parish planning process. This
can be accomplished in one meeting (estimated 35 hours).
Group/Implementation #2
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The PPT gathers either a parish assembly (all
interested parishioners) or a parish representation
(cross section and reps from all facets).
PPT shares the APP with Group #2 and explains
the responses of the PPT (control group).
Group #2 is given opportunity to discuss and
build consensus.
Answers may be refined or revised based on
feedback.
Explaining the importance
of the process
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Understanding the
challenge of parish planning
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Presenting parish data
and sacramental figures,
projections of decline of
priests
Explaining what is a
contingency plan
STEP ONE
Two components:
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Assessing parochial viability
STEP TWO
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Parish Vitality Factor (how
alive is the parish)
Parish Stability Factor
(presence of sufficient
membership, resources,
finances, facilities, and
leadership to sustain the
parish)
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STEP TWO:
Parish
viability
rating scale
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7 = OUTSTANDING, the parish’s efforts are of
the highest possible quality
6 = VERY GOOD, no significant improvement
or development is required
5 = GOOD, little significant improvement or
development is required
4 = SATISFACTORY, parish is in accord with the
teachings of the Church, conforms to guidelines
of the Archdiocese, and meets the needs and
expectations of the parishioners (most
responses may fall in this category for a viable
parish)
3 = FAIR, parish does not measure up to the
standard of other parishes in the Archdiocese or
Deanery. Definite improvement is needed
2 = POOR, significant improvement or
development is required.
1 = UNACCEPTABLE, very significant
improvement or development is required.
1 = UNKNOWN, receives a rating of
UNACCEPTABLE
Five categories: Faith,
Worship, Service,
Evangelization, and
Administration
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Completing the parish
profile
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Read the Focus question
Rate the indicators 1-7
Tally the points for each
Focus Question, divide by
number of questions to get
average, and report on
Summary Page
STEP TWO
Report total average for each
Focus Question
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Reporting on Summary
Sheet
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Total the points reported and
divide by total number of
sections to get average = Parish
Vitality Factor.
Indicate Rating Score for the
indicators that relate to Parish
Stability, total numbers and
divide for average = Parish
Stability Factor.
Add the PVF and the PSF
together to determine the
PARISH VIABILITY RTING
STEP TWO
Send Summary Sheet to Office
of Continuing Formation by
November 1st 2015
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Prioritizing Parochial Assets
and Deficits
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List 10 best assets (parish is most
succeeding) and worst deficits
(parish is challenged to improve)
Prioritize one to ten
Assess the relative weight of
each, one to five (five is greatest,
three is moderate, one is of some
importance)
STEP THREE
Respond to Questionnaire:
Questions for Determining Future
Parish Structures
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Matching the Criteria
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Review Criteria for Determining
Structures of Parish Organization
Compare responses to
Questionnaire to the Criteria,
note correlations between
answers and criteria, discuss
and build consensus
STEP FOUR
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Closure: diminished attendance, insufficient finances, limited facilities, , no affordable
admin, geographic proximity, little desire to maintain parochial structure.
Consolidation: small attendance, limited organizations and activities, limited
parishioner involvement, geographic proximity to other parishes, priests are available
to serve the site
Twinning: insufficient available priest-pastors, close to anther parish with like identity,
parochial independence, financial stability, demands are limited enough for one priest
to serve both as pastor, well developed lay leadership.
Clustering: limited active parishioners, several parishes together could provide better
activities and services, willing to work collaboratively, shared personnel would
provide more competent staff, more effective utilization of finances would strengthen
parish
Priest pastor: availability of priest pastor, parish depends on a priest, limited lay
leadership, talents of priest can be matched to parish
PLC: limited availability of priest pastors, parishioners are prepared to accept a nonpriest leader, parish has developed lay leadership, parish has sufficient resources to
support PLC, priests are otherwise available to cover sacramental needs
Ethnic or cultural community: ethnic population predominates, need for ethnic center,
would make better use of facilities
STEP FOUR:
Criteria for determining structures of
parish organization
STEP FIVE
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Determining a Contingency Plan
for Parish Organization
Study and discuss the seven
models of possible parish
organization, asking the questions
that follow each model.
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Discussing Contingency
Plan and Reporting on the
Process
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Prioritize the models from most
likely to least likely
Complete Final Report
Send Final Report to the
Office of Continuing Formation
by November 1st 2015
STEP FIVE
STEP FIVE: Instructions for
Completing the Report on
Parish Planning
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Describe the Process
Report numeric score and the overall parish viability rating
Enumerate the ten assets and deficits in order of one-ten and
assessed with numeric weight of one –five.
Prioritize top three possible configurations for future parish
staffing according to two questions:
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If your parish had one full time priest, which among the
alternatives would best provide for the spiritual and pastoral
needs of the parish, explain selections one-three
If your parish were to have no fulltime priest, how would the
spiritual and pastoral needs of the parish be met, explain
selections one-three.
Email completed
Summary Sheet and
Final Report to:
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Office of Continuing Formation of Priests:
johnobrien@archstl.org
or post to:
Fr. John O’Brien
20 Archbishop May Drive
St. Louis, MO 63119
ONGOING PROCESS to
strengthen parish
communities
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Process of parish planning is not definitive
Process may develop with feedback from parishes
Set to be repeated periodically, at least every three
years
Process is catalyst for parish development