Pastoral Plan
Shaping the Future of the Paulist Center — Our Community Planning Process
In September, we held community meetings to vision and look at where and who we want to be in the future. This includes reading the signs of the times in the United States Catholic Church and praying about how we can intentionally respond. At community meetings in September 2025, we shared the following materials.
- Presentation Slides from Sept 28, 2025 Community Meeting
- Synthesis from August Community Zoom Meetings
- Paulist Center Mass Attendance and Religious Education Data
- Pre and Post COVID Impact on Downtown Boston
So far in 2025 we have completed the following steps:
May 2025
- Identified pastoral planning committee
- Met with Bishop O’Connell, Archdiocese of Boston
June 2025
- Gathered and reviewed Paulist Center reports, demographics, and data
- Gathered and reviewed City of Boston demographics and data
August 2025
- Zoom community meetings inviting participants to reflect on Who is present? Who is missing? Who are we called to serve?
September 2025
- Two meetings with community leaders (one evening of reflection and one discussion of core values)
- First in-person all community meeting, identifying needs and priorities
2025 Paulist Center Pastoral Planning Process
Phase 1: Preparing for the Process
Who is involved and how long will it take?
Fr. Rick has appointed a Pastoral Planning Committee, primarily drawn from the Pastoral Council. The Committee will guide a 6–9 month planning process. The goal is to publish a 3-year Pastoral Plan outlining priorities, SMART goals for implementation, and a framework for ongoing review.
What is the difference between a strategic plan and a pastoral plan?
While similar in structure, a pastoral plan emphasizes a spiritual approach rooted in listening, discernment, and prayer. It seeks to engage the community in a reflective and participatory process.
Phase 2: Understanding Our Current Reality
How has the Paulist Center community and ministry changed in the last 10 years?
- Staff reviewed roles, responsibilities, and current needs.
- The Committee analyzed analytics and ministry reports since the 2015 Pastoral Plan.
- Recommendations from the 2024 Paulist Visitation Report and Paulist Fathers’ pastoral priorities were reviewed.
How has the city of Boston and community needs changed?
- Recent demographic data from Boston and pastoral priorities from the Archdiocese were considered.
The Committee hosted two community Zoom meetings in August.
Phase 3: Reviewing Mission and Vision
How are our operations and ministry aligned with our core values?
- Ministry leaders participated in an evening reflection and a second Zoom meeting to review the Mission Statement and Core Values.
- Feedback was also collected through a Google Form survey.
Two September Zoom meetings were held for community leaders.
Phase 4: Establishing Strategic Priorities and Goals
Key questions:
- What is working well? What are areas of growth?
- What is most important for the Paulist Center over the next 1–3 years?
The Committee will host two in-person community meetings on September 28 and October 26.
Phase 5: Developing an Action Plan
Key questions:
- Are our budget and staffing aligned with our goals and priorities?
- Who is responsible for each part of the plan?
Phase 6: Communicating and Implementing
Key questions:
- How can we share the Paulist Center’s vision with greater Boston?
- How will we ensure the plan is implemented and does not remain on the shelf?
Phase 7: Evaluating and Adapting
Key questions:
- How often will staff and committees review the plan?
- How will we measure the effectiveness of the plan?
- What ongoing feedback do we need from the community?