What are the issues and forces that drive the pastoral planning process?
There are many forces driving this process, including the continued decline in the number of active diocesan priests available to serve our nearly 200 parishes and faith communities. The Center for Applied Research for the Apostolate (CARA), based at Georgetown University, projects that the number of active diocesan priests available to serve the faithful will diminish from the current level of nearly 140 to 62 by the year 2025 – a decline of 60%. Other factors that drive the process are changing demographic and economic conditions, and a shift in population from rural and urban areas that have weakened the vitality and financial stability of area parishes. 3. What does it mean to be a vital parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester?In some ways, it is impossible to answer this question fully and completely. The diversity of our diocese and its faith communities makes a simple answer unrealistic and deceptive. Yet, there are some common elements that are indications of life. Fi
