St. Margaret of Antioch Parish 2018-2020 Pastoral Plan

16 Pages·2017·33.16 MB·English

S T . M A R G A R E T O F
A N T I O C H P A R I S H
P A S T O R A L P L A N
2018-2020
Table of Contents
Letter from the Pastor
Mission Statement
Parish Goals at a Glance
Parish Goals
Objectives
Major Activities to Pursue the Objectives
Appendices
Timeline of Goals and Objectives
Acknowledgements
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ST. MARGARET OF ANTIOCH PARISH PASTORAL PLAN 2018-2020
Letter from the Pastor
Dear Parishioners,
Planning is an important part of any successful endeavor.  Time invested in planning reaps great
rewards; it helps us to discern the right goals and the best ways to accomplish those goals.
Recognizing the value of good planning, the Pastoral Council undertook to develop a three-year
pastoral plan for 2018-2020.  In the Fall of 2016 we had a parish assembly to gather thoughts on parish
life from our parishioners.  Under the auspices of the Catholic Leadership Institute, in the winter of 2017
we conducted a survey of the parishioners regarding our parish; parish leaders then attended a meeting
to receive guidance from the Institute on the results of that survey.  During  meetings throughout 2017
our Parish Council discussed the input we had received and discerned goals for our Parish to guide us
for the next three years.  At all times we relied upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit in helping us in this
process of discernment.
I am happy to say that the fruit of this process is contained here in the plan that slowly came together.  It
is a valuable resource that serves as a blueprint for guiding our pastoral decisions and the use of our
Parish resources over the next three years.  I am hopeful that the ultimate fruit of this plan will be a
Parish that grows in its love for Christ and His Church and becomes an ever brighter beacon of His
loving presence in our community and our world.
Developing a plan is important, but it doesn’t stop here.  The plan needs to be implemented and
constantly evaluated.  This plan is a guide not only for parish leaders but for all of us.  Our working
together to put it into practice will be the means by which the good spiritual fruit it promises will be
realized.
I am grateful to all who played a role in developing this plan, in particular the members of the Pastoral
Council.  Together with the Finance Council, these groups will begin implementing this plan with careful
consideration of budgetary and facilities needs.  In a special way, I would like to thank Robert
Cermignano, our Coordinator of Parish Services, who was instrumental in bringing our thoughts
together and setting them forth in this plan.  
St. Margaret of Antioch Parish has a good and wonderful history.  I am confident this plan will help us to
build on that foundation and further the Kingdom of God within and among us.
May God bless you always. 
Sincerely in Our Lord,
Monsignor Paul V. Dougherty, Pastor
ST. MARGARET OF ANTIOCH PARISH PASTORAL PLAN 2018-2020
Mission Statement
We the people of St. Margaret parish, Narberth, baptized into the life of Christ and his
Church, commit ourselves to:
Worship joyfully and participate in the full spiritual and sacramental life of the
Church, especially through the weekly celebration of the Eucharist.
Learn and Teach the message of Jesus Christ to people of all ages and educate
one another about our faith based on the Scripture, the Catechism of the
Catholic Church, and the ongoing Tradition of the Church.
Evangelize one another and then others with the saving message of Jesus
Christ so that we can know Him, commit our lives to Him, and make Him known
to others.
Serve others by using our talents and gifts of faith to promote the dignity of
life, work for economic and social justice for all--especially the poor and most
needy--and to speak out against all forms of prejudice and oppression.
Grow our community by living our faith in the mercy of Jesus Christ with
whomever we encounter, by fostering a loving, forgiving, friendly and
welcoming milieu and by praying for the faithful departed whose faith has
sustained and transmitted to us the faith we now enjoy.
Communicate within the parish and wider community using the most effective
methods of modern social media.
We pray to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with the intercession of Mary our Mother and
our patroness, St. Margaret of Antioch, to guide us as we move forward in our mission.
ST. MARGARET OF ANTIOCH PARISH PASTORAL PLAN 2018-2020
Parish Goals at a Glance
Worship & Spirituality
Increase Sunday Mass attendance from 650 to 750 persons and enhance 
the Sunday liturgical experience of parishioners.
Education
Maintain enrollment of and continue to provide financial support to St.
Margaret School and utilize the school as a means to help families live their
Catholic faith and evangelize others. 
Deepen the involvement of both parish school and PREP families in the
spiritual formation of their children and in the life of the parish.  
Establish groups to help youth and young adults learn about and participate
more fully in their faith.
Facilitate adult education through small group formation and presentations
about Catholicism.
Evangelization
Promote evangelization efforts and outreach to spread and respond to the
Gospel message.
Service
Organize current service projects and parish ministries and establish new
avenues through which the parish can serve those in need in both the parish
community and beyond. 
Community Life
Develop and form a Community Life team to plan, prepare for, and promote
all Hospitality initiatives.
ST. MARGARET OF ANTIOCH PARISH PASTORAL PLAN 2018-2020
Worship & Spirituality
Goal: Increase Sunday Mass attendance from 650 to 750 persons and enhance the Sunday
liturgical experience of parishioners.
Objective: Build a Liturgy Committee to regularly meet, plan, and prepare all liturgical
celebrations. 
Identify five liturgical ministry leaders and parishioners who are
knowledgeable of and instrumental to planning and implementing a
dynamic and engaging Catholic liturgy.
Meet bimonthly as a committee to discuss all past and upcoming liturgical
celebrations.
Objective: Institute more regular opportunities for participation in the Sunday liturgy.
Host monthly class Masses among students from both St. Margaret
School and St. Margaret Parish PREP during the academic calendar year. 
Create two new opportunities through which parishioners can serve in
the Sunday liturgical experience.  
Ensure that all liturgical ministries (Readers of the Word, Extraordinary
Ministers of Holy Communion, Ushers, and Altar Servers) have both a
sufficient number of members and training to fully support the ministry. 
Objective: Measure Sunday Mass attendance. 
Measure and chart weekly Mass attendance for all Saturday vigil and
Sunday Masses.
Compare weekly Mass attendance of all measured and charted Masses.
ST. MARGARET OF ANTIOCH PARISH PASTORAL PLAN 2018-2020
Education
Goal: Maintain enrollment of and continue to provide financial support to St. Margaret
School and utilize the school as a means to help families live their Catholic faith and
evangelize others.
Objective: Continue to support school tuition and maintenance costs to ensure school
can meet the academic, personal, and spiritual needs of all students and school families.
Continue to assess school's expected operating costs annually and report to
Parish  Finance Council.
Continue to collaborate with Parish Finance Council to reserve and distribute
the necessary portion of parish funding for the school. 
Seek additional sources of revenue to assist with school operational costs. 
Goal: Deepen the involvement of both parish school and PREP families in the spiritual
formation of their children and in the life of the parish.  
Objective: Evaluate various parish PREP models and determine which PREP model best
fosters the entire Catholic family of our parish. 
Form a committee among the Director of Religious Education, PREP
teachers, and parents of PREP students to discuss the various PREP models
available.
Promote PREP models to current PREP families and assess interest for each
model.
Decide which PREP model best serves and meets the needs of the PREP
community at St. Margaret Parish.
ST. MARGARET OF ANTIOCH PARISH PASTORAL PLAN 2018-2020
Education
Goal: Establish groups to help youth and young adults learn about and participate more fully
in their faith. 
Objective: Develop a group of young adult parishioners and visitors (ages 22-35) and
meet regularly to pray, share the Gospel, share their Catholic journeys, and accompany
one another to deeper and more personal relationships with Jesus Christ.
Identify and connect a small group of 5-8 young adult parishioners.
Coordinate a weekly spiritual and social opportunity to gather as a small
group outside of the church for faith-sharing and community building. 
Distribute a weekly electronic newsletter for young adults that provides
spiritual formation and a schedule of young adult Catholic events
throughout the Archdiocese.
Objective: Gather youth parishioners (grades 9-12) and meet regularly to pray, share the
Gospel, share their Catholic journeys, and accompany one another to deeper and more
personal relationships with Jesus Christ.
Invite 8th-11th grade students of St. Margaret Parish for an initial meeting to discuss
and survey their desires for a youth group.
Assemble youth weekly for Mass, small-group faith sharing, service, or a social event.  
Teach young adult parishioners to faithfully and confidently lead small groups of
youth to pray and accompany one another on their Catholic journeys.
Goal: Facilitate adult education through small group formation and presentations about Catholicism. 
Objective: Host meetings of an Adult Faith Formation committee to discuss, plan, and
prepare current and new opportunities for adult parishioners to share and grow their
knowledge of the Catholic faith and their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Distinguish five to seven adult parishioners to serve as members of an Adult
Faith Formation committee.
Arrange and meet monthly as a committee to plan and schedule adult faith
formation opportunities and review past programs.
Institute two new adult faith formation opportunities at St. Margaret Parish. 
Objective: Form adult parishioners to lead both formal and informal faith-sharing communities.
Formally train three adult parishioners to lead small faith-sharing groups of adults.
Meet or communicate monthly with adult parishioners in training to review and assess
their progress toward formation as small group leaders.
ST. MARGARET OF ANTIOCH PARISH PASTORAL PLAN 2018-2020
Evangelization
Goal: Promote evangelization efforts and outreach to spread and respond to the Gospel
message.
Objective: Craft a newsletter to increase awareness of parish life and Catholic teachings
three times a year.
Research current newsletter formats offered by John Patrick Publishing
Company and assess which best advocates the life and ministry of St.
Margaret Parish.
Draft, design, and review initial newsletter.  
Print and mail initial newsletter to all registered parish families. 
Objective: Extend personal invitations to the wider parish community to explore St.
Margaret Parish and Catholicism.
Invite all members of parish families to one community event.
Launch Evangelization Sunday, an annual initiative dedicated to reaching out to
the entire community of Narberth, both Catholics and non-Catholics, and invite
the borough of Narberth to attend. 
Objective: Utilize parish social media profiles and website and improve email database
to more fully invite and connect with all registered parishioners and visitors of St.
Margaret Parish.
Continue to regularly update parish social media profiles and parish website.
Promote social media profiles to wider parish community and invite them to
follow.
Contact registered parishioners for whom no email address is listed and request
updated contact information with email address if available. 
ST. MARGARET OF ANTIOCH PARISH PASTORAL PLAN 2018-2020
Service
Goal: Organize current service projects and parish ministries and establish new avenues
through which the parish can serve those in need in both the parish community and beyond. 
Objective: Increase advertisement and promotion of all current service projects and
parish ministries available to parishioners within the parish bulletin, parish website,
email blasts, social media, and newsletter.
Create new “Service” section of parish website and bulletin to both promote
all current service projects and parish ministries and recruit parishioners.
Implement one new service initiative annually for parishioners and visitors
to serve people who are marginalized, socially or economically
disenfranchised, and/or disabled either in mind or body. 
Objective: Be attentive to current and new potential service opportunities in St.
Margaret Parish, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and wider communities in which
parishioners of all ages can participate.
Review all service opportunities currently available through the Archdiocese
of Philadelphia, various not-for-profit organizations, and Catholic schools. 
Publicize all service opportunities on parish website and in parish bulletin
weekly.  
ST. MARGARET OF ANTIOCH PARISH PASTORAL PLAN 2018-2020