All Things New Update

Come to a Town Hall Meeting to Share Your Input and Learn More The All Things New (ATN) Planning Committee has been meeting regularly to discuss our needs as an ACC and to review the comments and ideas that have come forward from over 100 of our ACC members. Our next step is to invite any and all interested parishioners to one or more of the scheduled Town Hall Meetings. You may have already received an invitation in the mail. The Town Halls are:

Tuesday, August 19 at St. Francis Xavier, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Thursday, August 21 at Annunciation, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, August 26 at St. Stephen, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Thursday, August 28 at Sacred Heart, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

No decisions will be made at these meetings. Rather, the Planning Committee will recap the Why, What, When, Who, and How of the process and then have time for questions, concerns, ideas, and comments.

As a gesture of charity toward those in need, you are invited to bring a non-perishable item for the Catholic Charities Food Shelf or a free will off ering for flood relief when you come to a Town Hall meeting.

Each ACC will face its own unique opportunities and challenges. Our Town Halls will focus on the elements relevant to our One in Christ ACC.

We want to communicate clearly that in reviewing the Design Parameters and our situation, our Planning Committee has determined that we will not be proposing a plan that includes closing a church, being served by less than two priests, or establishes one central office.

Why? will highlight a f ew reasons the Diocese is doing the planning, including f ewer priests, declining participation in parish lif e, and financial pressures.

What? will review the Guiding Principles, what we want to assure that we maintain, foster, and grow for our future as an ACC in accord with the mission Jesus gives the Church.

When? will briefly outline the process: we have until December 31 to submit a Pastoral Plan for diocesan review, time to revise it if necessary, and then begin implementation – likely in various phases – starting on July 1, 2026.

Who? reminds that we are seeking to hear the Holy Spirit together to guide us, and that ultimately it is the Bishop of the Diocese who approves each plan in consultation with advisors he designates.

How? will discuss the Design Parameters, that is, the framework and conditions that each plan must incorporate.

The content of each of these meetings will be the same, so you can choose any site that fits your schedule. You do not need to go the Town Hall in your own parish. You may attend one or more to hear one another’s input. Light refreshments will be served.

As the Planning Committee continues its work and incorporates f eedback from the Town Halls and other input, we plan to have a second series of meetings later in the Fall to review a draft of our proposed plan.

Please keep the work of the Committee in your prayers. These are your peers – they include trustees, staff members, Finance and Pastoral Council members, and generous volunteers like yourselves – who have off ered their time and love for their parishes and the larger Church. We need your input, your support, and your hope during this Jubilee Year.