February 22, 2026 - "Pastoral Goals (continued)"

More recently Bishop Juan Esposito, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, wrote to the priests of the Archdiocese of Washington that Cardinal McElroy has assigned a Pastoral Goals Task Force to seek further input from priests and their communities.  The intent of the survey is to collect ideas and existing resources, programs, and initiatives that may be in our community or ideas that should be implemented locally or across the Archdiocese of Washington.  I am asking our Parish Pastoral Council to assist me in answering this survey on behalf of our parish.  

 

To help us with this task, I am going to list the survey questions and invite you to respond to the questions of the survey so that we can collect ideas and existing resources, programs, and initiatives that may be in our community or ideas that should be implemented locally or across the Archdiocese of Washington.  Last week I listed the first three goals and three questions we need to answer for each of the first three goals.  This week I’ll list the other three goals and the questions we need to answer for them: 

 

Goal #4: Reversing young people from leaving the Church: Reversing the avalanche of young people leaving the Church. 

1. Ideas, programs or resources that are useful in accomplishing the goal of reversing the trend of young people leaving the Church which could be implemented at the parish level?

2. Ideas, programs or resources that are useful in accomplishing the goal of reversing the trend of young people leaving the Church which could be implemented at the archdiocesan level?

3. Any strong feelings about what does not work?

 

Goal #5: Marriage and Family Life: Celebrating and evangelizing marriage and family life

1. Ideas, programs or resources that are useful in accomplishing the goal of celebrating and evangelizing marriage and family life which could be implemented at the parish level.

2. Ideas, programs or resources that are useful in accomplishing the goal of celebrating and evangelizing marriage and family life which could be implemented at the archdiocesan level.

3. Any strong feelings about what does not work?

 

Goal #6:  Care for the vulnerable: Care for the vulnerable: migrants, unborn, poor and marginalized.

1. Ideas, programs or resources that are useful in accomplishing the goal of caring for the poor and vulnerable which could be implemented at the parish level?

2. Ideas, programs or resources that are useful in accomplishing the goal of caring for the poor and vulnerable which could be implemented at the archdiocesan level?

3. Any strong feelings about what does not work?

 

I look forward to receiving everyone’s input ([email protected]).  You can respond to  one or two questions or all of them.  Your input is valuable to me and the parish. Thank you!

 

Until next week,

Fr. John