Our hope for this phase of leadership formation is that our priests and other parish and school leadership will grow in their understanding of and zeal for the work of evangelization, embracing this as the primary mission of the parish: to preach the Gospel with courage and confidence, with fidelity to the teachings of Christ and his Church, with Spirit-inspired creativity, with generosity and self-sacrifice, being continually transformed and renewed in heart and mind (cf. Rom 12:2).

For our priests in particular, our hope is that they would dedicate themselves with new energy to the formation of their parish and school staff and other parish leadership; that they would know their staff and leadership personally, and each person’s progress on the path of Christian discipleship; that they would work to create a sense of community among their staff and parish leadership, helping them to rediscover the gifts and calling of their baptism and confirmation. Above all, we hope that all our priests and deacons will be re-invigorated and renewed in their prioritization of the interior life through their daily routine of holy Mass, holy hour, and praying the breviary. For the more our clergy are filled with the indwelling love of Jesus Christ, the more they will be able to communicate his love to their parishes and beyond. 

For the lay leadership in our parishes and schools, our hope is that all would become ever more ardent to deepen their prayer lives and to participate frequently and devoutly in the sacraments of the Church; that they would not only cultivate their own interior lives, but become more enthusiastic promotors of growth in the interior life for others; that they would become ever more aware of their own gifts and callings so as to enter more whole-heartedly into the work of their own apostolates; that they would be authentic witnesses to Jesus Christ, living joyfully in accord with the teaching of the Church; that they would be active seekers of life-long spiritual growth and conversion; and finally, that they would take co-responsibility with their pastors for making the work of evangelization the primary mission of the parish.

May our priests and lay leaders in parishes and schools strive always to serve as good models for the broader parish and school community, and indeed for the world, of authentic Christian living: of prayer and holiness, of fidelity to Christ and evangelistic zeal for the salvation of souls.

Our hope for this phase of renewed focus on the pursuit of holiness is that all those who consider themselves practicing Catholics would strive ever more ardently and intentionally to make continual progress in holiness by growing in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

For our priests in particular, our hope is that they would both preach about the importance of daily prayer and teach others how to pray with renewed vigor and ardor, especially preaching and teaching about how to pray with Scripture; that they would both teach about and model in their own lives a commitment to daily prayer and asceticism; and that they would promote and make available frequent use of the sacrament of confession.

For all those who consider themselves practicing Catholics, our hope is that they would grow in reverence and devotion for the holy Mass; that they would attend Mass faithfully on all Sundays and holy days of obligation, and even more often when possible; that they would honor the Lord’s day by intentionally living Sunday as a day of rest, avoiding all unnecessary work, housework, yardwork, shopping, or other mundane activities, in order to dedicate the whole day to God, family, and community in the joy of the Resurrection; that they would commit to praying at least 15 minutes per day, especially with Scripture; that they would make voluntary practices of self-denial a regular part of their daily lives in order to be conformed more perfectly to our crucified Lord and Savior; that they make frequent use of the sacrament of confession; and that they would see themselves as spiritual mentors for others, especially parents for their own children.

Growing ever closer to the Lord in prayer, we hope to experience the transformation of our daily lives, with a greater sense of joy in the Lord, a greater sense of peace in our hearts and homes, and greater confidence in making decisions guided by divine providence.

Our hope for this phase is for parish priests and their staff and other parish and school leadership to prayerfully invest in working together to design an individual evangelization plan that is bold, ambitious, and adapted to the concrete needs and possibilities of their unique communities. We hope that such plans will be clearly focused around joyfully proclaiming the basic Gospel message; that all parish activities will be incorporated into the overarching mission of evangelization; that parish plans will encompass outreach to fallen away Catholics and non-Catholics as well as the formation of faithful Catholics, motivating and equipping them to share the Gospel confidently and courageously; that these plans will reflect the importance of the interior life; the central role of the sacraments and growth in knowledge of and appreciation for Sacred Scripture; the universal appeal of truth, goodness, and beauty, especially in the sacred liturgy; the witness of good works, especially the works of mercy; the central role of the family; an effective use of new media and technology; and a fresh perspective on the parish as a missionary society, not waiting to serve only the people who come to the parish, but looking beyond the parish for people to serve.

Our hope for this phase, which is intended to last indefinitely, is that local parish evangelization plans would be implemented not merely as another parish program but as a way of life for the parish in fulfilling its primary mission for the salvation of souls, with faith, enthusiasm, generosity, and sacrificial love.

For all practicing Catholics, we hope that they will feel equipped and confident to actively reach out to fallen away Catholics and non-Catholics to share the love of Jesus with them and to invite them into personal relationship with him; that they would live as intentional disciples of Jesus Christ and make disciples of others; that they would go to Mass every Sunday, pray at least 15 minutes every day, go to confession at least once a month, and contribute to the life of the parish by their stewardship of time, talent, and treasure. If all practicing Catholics did these few things faithfully, the whole world would be profoundly transformed.

We also hope to see an increase in numbers of people attending Mass and going to confession; an increase in marriages and baptisms celebrated in our parishes; an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life coming from our parishes; an increase in enrollment in our Catholic schools and parish religious formation programs; and an increase in adults entering the Church every Easter through RCIA.