COLLEEN O. SATHRE

Is the diocesan road map making a difference?

It has been a little over a year since “Witness to Jesus: Diocesan Road Map for Pastoral, Program, and Facility Needs 2008-2013” was published. Less time has passed since all task forces got under way and parishes and diocesan offices have had time to work on implementing this plan. But it is not too early to ask ourselves — Is the Road Map making a difference in the life of our diocese?

I won’t hold off my answer to the end of this article, but share with you up front that my reply to this question is YES! There is no doubt that, given my responsibility as chair of the Implementation Commission, it could be expected that I would have this view.

So how do we know if we are making progress on a strategic plan? A good first step is to review the purpose of the plan. For the diocesan plan — Where did we want our Road Map to take us? What is our mission? We have only to turn to Bishop Silva’s guidance to the commission—“ours is a received mission.” His statement at the beginning of the Road Map spells this out.

“We are on a journey to accomplish a mission. What is our mission? To give WITNESS TO JESUS! We, who encounter the risen Lord Jesus himself in the Eucharist, are sent out by him, in the power of his Spirit, to give flesh and bone to the Eternal Word of God, the God who is love. We are members of his Body—his hands, his feet, his mouth, his heart. We proclaim him when we gather to worship. We praise him when we reach out to the poor and the needy. We express our love for him when yearning to know more about him and his wonderful way in faith formation. We courageously follow him when we take up the crosses that come with living in the truth. What route is God calling us to take at this time to accomplish this mission?” (Bishop Larry Silva)

Given this mission, one quickly realizes that the challenge of assessing the progress of the Road Map is daunting. Challenging or not, we must try. So how might we track our Road Map progress? We can think about it from the perspective of those served by the plan. Like the larger society, we can assume that our diocese wants results, accomplishments. We want winning scores, good grades, politicians who deliver, and so on. We don’t always get the results we want (investments that make money — sigh), but we still want to see progress. One way to track progress for any plan is to count and list. We count or list the number of things/events, etc., that represent progress toward our mission/goals.

As we pondered how to fulfill the Implementation Commission’s responsibility to report progress, we knew we could count some things and make lists of other accomplishments. But listening to task force chair reports and stories from the parishes, we realized that a numbers approach would not be enough. It would not capture the richness of our journey so far.

In the next Herald issue you can read the commission’s year-one report to the bishop. The first thing you will notice is that it is long, but don’t give up on us. The length is due primarily to 12 stories told by members of our diocese. These stories from all islands and diverse parishes share accomplishments related to the six recommendations of the Road Map. Would some of these stories and activities have taken place even without the Road Map? Yes. The Holy Spirit was with us long before the Road Map existed. Are there other accomplishments and stories that our report does not share? Absolutely. Would we like to hear other stories? Yes. All of these stories, those already known and those yet to be shared, show a vibrant and dynamic people of faith on a journey together, with purpose and direction — with a Road Map in hand.

I hope you enjoy and are inspired by the stories in our report. You can be the judge about whether or not the Road Map is making a difference. You’re invited to send me or any commission member your story about how the Road Map has made a difference in your parish. I will do my best to share additional stories in Herald articles over the course of the next year. Let our witness to Jesus journey continue.