The proposed plan was developed by a committee of the Priests’ Council and reviewed by the entire Priests’ Council and Diocesan Pastoral Council, which is comprised of lay leaders from across the diocese. This plan requires the shared sacrifice of everyone: priests, deacons, religious, and laity. No specific decisions have been made beyond the regional approach and the implementation of Church law that priests should celebrate no more than three regularly scheduled weekend Masses (Saturday Vigil and Sunday). Obviously this will require some change in Mass schedules, which will be discussed among the regions and deaneries.
Consultation among the clergy and the laity as well as the formulation of specific recommendations will take time. Priests have met in deanery and regional groups to discuss the plan and provide feedback to the diocese. Pastors have met with their Parish Pastoral Councils and Finance Councils to discuss the plan and provide feedback from the laity to the diocese. The diocese will give regular updates on the pastoral planning process through the Exponent, the diocesan website (www.doy.org), and through parish bulletin announcements and bulletin inserts.

Vision for Pastoral Regions
A regional approach to parish administration and ministry has several advantages. It allows for more fraternity and support among the priests within the region. It helps foster a greater sense of belonging to the church beyond the parish in each of our parishioners. Regional Mass schedules can help create more vibrant Eucharistic celebrations. Of the 234 Masses that are currently celebrated each weekend throughout our diocese, the church building is less than half full in 77 percent of them. Looking regionally at Mass schedules helps to lessen some of the burden on our priests, while at the same time increasing the number of people present singing, praying, and participating in liturgical ministries. Through sharing of staff, parishes in a region can devote more personnel to areas of pastoral ministry that tend to be underserved, such as youth and youth adult ministry, adult faith formation, family ministry, and evangelization. In addition, parishes within each region can collaborate on initiatives for vocations awareness, evangelization, pro-life activities, service and community outreach, retreats, mission trips, and other events each parish is unable to do on their own.