CAMDEN (September 15, 2006) — In a letter and brochure mailed this month to all 130,000 registered households in the Diocese of Camden, Most Reverend Joseph Galante, D.D., J.C.D., reported on the results of the Speak Up sessions he held with parishioners and other groups in the diocese. In all, the Bishop from March 2005-June 2006 held 138 Speak Up sessions, visiting with every parish and other groups in the six southern counties of New Jersey.
He said he undertook this process of consultation in order to meet face to face with the people of the diocese and to obtain direct input on what the people believe should be the future planning priorities for the Church. Over the fifteen month period, more than 8,000 participants had the opportunity to respond to the question, “Looking to the future, what are the three most important areas about which the Church of South Jersey should be concerned?”
Many concerns on a range of issues surfaced at the sessions, but the letter and brochure note that six key pastoral priorities were cited most often by Speak Up participants: Lifelong Faith Formation, Priestly Vocations, Lay Ministry, Youth & Young Adults, Liturgy, and Compassionate Outreach. The report includes brief descriptions of each priority area, including actual comments from Speak Up participants (to view the brochure and letter, see www.464edee1fa.nxcli.io).
This fall, a second consultation will begin, as parishioners will be asked to offer concrete suggestions on how to best implement the planning priorities identified through the Speak Up sessions. These will be consolidated and presented to the Bishop at a Diocesan Assembly to be held on December 9 at St. Mary Assumption Hall in Williamstown. In the meantime, Bishop Galante will meet with parishioners again in October and November to discuss the theology of pastoral planning and to emphasize key themes from the Second Vatican Council’s Lumen Gentium.
That document noted the equality of the baptized and the role of the laity in assuming responsibility for the work and mission of the Church. The consultations with the people are a prelude to a two-year process of pastoral planning for the diocese that will begin in 2007.