Archdiocesan Pastoral Council & the Pastoral Plan

Our Archdiocesan Pastoral Council meets every second month to provide advice to the Archbishop on current matters in the Archdiocese. The APC is an important body for the diocese as it provides a strong voice for the lay people at the level of diocesan administration.

Here are some of the APC members, in the front from left to right: Loretta Heidinger, Estevan; Sr. ReAnne Letourneau, Religious Women; Sr. Bernice Daratha, Vocations Coordinator; Guy Blondeau, Qu'Appelle; in the back from left to right: Merve Polzen, Yorkton/Melville; Arnold Petracek, Esterhazy; Gordon Stopanski, Chairperson, Regina; and Leo Pingert, Weyburn. Also present but not in the picture were Amy Bott, Youth; and Jeo Maierhoffer, Regina East/West.

At this meeting the Diocesan Pastoral Council reviewed the recently released Pastoral Plan which is the product of the Vision Quest process that has been going on in the Archdiocese since 2001. This Pastoral Plan entitled: "The Implementation of the Vision: Faith Alive in a dynamic Church" will be made available to the faithful of the Archdiocese over the next week or so.



At that time, the Council of Priests asked whether the Archdiocese had a pastoral plan to deal with the challenges presently facing our church in ministering to our people in the southern part of Saskatchewan. For our diocese is one of large areas and long travel times.

The Vision Quest Committee has done efficient work and gatherings have been held with Pastors and Parish Ministers, with Archdiocesan Staff, with Deanery Pastoral Councils and Parish Pastoral councils. The result of these consultations have given us a list of priorities that we will now begin to address through this Pastoral Plan.

Together we will set out on developing programs and activities which will address Education, Evangelization, Lay Enablement and Liturgy. This will take place in a decentralized structure focusing on the nine Deaneries which make up the Archdiocese.

It will be a challenging undertaking in which there is the hope that our diocesan church will be renewed and strengthened in its faith and that all our people will be able to take up the mission of the Church with more commitment and energy in each of our parish communities.

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