"We began this process with an announcement in September 2009 at the annual priests' convocation," said Marlene Mulford, chancellor and director of pastoral planning for the Springfield diocese. "It's been a long but rewarding period, and we are proud that it has come to the bishop this spring, pretty much on schedule."

Mulford said that there have been diocesan pastoral plans in the past — and there will be again. In fact, she said, pastoral planning should be addressed every five years or so to account for priest availability and fluctuating demographics.

Some past pastoral plans have been implemented only partially; some were never implemented to any significant degree, she said.

"The best part of this new pastoral plan is that it is will be implemented gradually. It has been designed to be a guideline for Bishop Paprocki and the Priests' Personnel Board for making assignments in the coming years," Mulford said.

Mulford said the most important component of the plan is that it has been parish-based and that all 131 of the parishes in the diocese participated. Parishes were divided into regions, with a priest convener and a lay facilitator leading each region's pastors and two representatives from each parish in the process.

After a months-long planning phase, each regional group submitted a proposal for consideration, which was evaluated by the Diocesan Planning Commission and forwarded to the Presbyteral Council and Bishop Paprocki for approval.

Members of the Diocesan Planning Commission are: Msgr. Carl Kemme, vicar general/moderator of the curia; Father Tom Donovan, pastor of St. Aloysius Parish in Springfield; Deacon Allison Laabs of Christ the King Parish, Springfield; and Vicki Compton, director of the diocesan Office for the Missions.

Final results of the plan were sent to parishes in mid-May and are expected to be shared with parishioners during the coming weeks.

Parishes in each region are either already in or will be asked to form pastoral units, Mulford said. This ministry model groups multiple parishes under the direction of a priest, with lay leadership coming forward to help in the day-to-day operation of the parish and its ministries.

"Lay people especially have played an important role in the creation of this plan," Mulford said. "Part of the plan's main focus is bringing forth more lay leadership. And we've seen this happen. The Holy Spirit is in motion, asking lay people to come forth and they are answering the call — alleluia!"

For purposes of planning, 71 diocesan priests were presumed to be available for active ministry in the diocese in the next five-year period.

"We did not count priests from religious communities in our estimates," Mulford said. Although a number of religious priests serve in the diocese, there can be no guarantee that religious communities would be able to maintain current staffing levels. "However, we remain grateful for their presence and ministry," she said.

The plan calls for every parish, in one way or another, to have a pastor assigned to it or a parish life coordinator with a priest moderator. While priests should not have to say more than four weekend Sunday Masses, the plan addresses the need to keep weekend Mass available wherever possible.

When there is a decrease in the number of priests in the area, professional ministers should be hired to provide services. Planning should also take into account the need for recruitment, formation and affirmation and support for priests, deacons, religious, professional lay ministers and parish volunteer ministers.

The plan also had to address the need for priests in ministries outside the parish, such as college and university campuses and prisons.

The presence of deacons in parishes has become more common since the diocese's first class of permanent deacons was ordained in 2007. Mulford said assignments of deacons to parishes requesting them will be based on availability.

Basic to all planning, Mulford said, is the need for constant assessment of parish viability.

"What is a parish? What makes a viable parish?" she said. "A parish is a place where the sacraments take place, where there is catechesis, where people support one another, where there is financial stability. A parish is much more than a Sunday or weekend Mass."

For more information about the 2010 Parish Pastoral Plan, contact Mulford at the Catholic Pastoral Center at (217) 698-8500 or e-mail .