Members named to review parish plans

The Catholic men and women who will review, approve and perhaps modify plans to merge, connect or close parishes have been named by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard. They will first meet Sept. 11 and are to present their findings, comments and recommendations by Nov. 21.

Bishop Hubbard will then consult with the Presbyteral Council, which represents priests, and others before making his final decisions in January 2009.

The Pastoral Planning Review Commission has 24 members divided among four groups, each concentrating on a single area: large city parishes, small city parishes, suburban parishes and rural parishes.

Each will review the plans submitted by local planning groups, or LPGs, in their regions. The members include priests, religious, deacons and lay people. Most have parish or diocesan administrative or ministry experience.

Serving God anew

The diocesan pastoral planning process, Called to be Church, was initiated to cope with declining numbers of priests, shifts in parish membership and finances, as well as to pro-actively prepare the Diocese for the present and future. Parishes and dioceses throughout the U.S., and especially the Northeast, have been dealing with the same challenges.

Two years ago, the Albany Diocese's more than 160 parishes were divided into 39 planning groups. There were also separate Polish, Hispanic and campus ministries committees.

In June, these groups turned in their recommendations for the future of their institutions and congregations in areas such as faith formation, evangelization, staffing, Mass schedules, and the reconfiguration of parishes. They were to include concrete plans to implement starting in 2009.

More than 1,000 parish leaders across the Diocese participated. Leaders of each of the Diocese's 17 deaneries, covering all the parishes in a specific area, also turned in reports.

Affirmations

Now all those reports – in binders that spread across eight feet of shelf space – will be reviewed by the commission and its sub-committees in a collegial spirit.

“They are coming in to affirm and walk with them in our journey to continue the vital mission of Jesus in our Diocese,” said Jack Manning, the director of pastoral planning. “They are to assume that the local [groups] were able to do what they were supposed to do.”

The local groups submitted plans for reconfiguration, mission and ministry that emphasized inter-parish collaboration and responsible stewardship of resources that concentrated on the 2009-2015 period.

Commission members have been asked to review these five-year plans to see if these comply with the goals and spirit. None were to maintain the status quo, and the commission has been asked to watch for “avoidance behavior.”

The commission can respond in one of three ways: affirm local plans as these are; affirm with minor reservations with comments or modifications; or affirm with significant reservations with comments and changes. Commission members may meet with local group leaders to discuss plans and concerns.

The large cities sub-committee will be chaired by Rev. Robert Longobucco, administrator of St. Helen’s parish in Schenectady/Niskayuna and sacramental minister at Our Lady of Fatima, Schenectady. Rev. Thomas Hayes, pastor of St. Mary’s parish in Crescent, will chair the small cities group.

The rural committee chair is Ms. Deborah Hart, parish coordinator at St. James, Chatham, and the suburban chair is Sister Constance James, SND, parish life director at St. Vincent de Paul parish in Cobleskill. 

The other members and the geographic areas of the sub-committees follow.

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Large Cities

Albany, Troy and Schenectady, and the Hispanic Committee

* Deacon Moises Gutierrez, assigned to St. Anthony’s, Troy and Samaritan Hospital. 

* Sister Margery Halpin, RSMA, pastoral associate at St. Catherine’s parish in Albany.

* Rev. Randall Patterson, pastor of Our Lady of Victory parish in Troy. 

* Sister Sean Peters, CSJ, Office of Spiritual Life, the College of St. Rose.

* Mr. Richard Zazychi, executive director of Circles of Mercy, and a member of Our Lady of Assumption parish in Rotterdam.

Small Cities

Amsterdam, Cohoes, Glens Falls, Gloversville/Johnstown, Herkimer, Rensselaer/East Greenbush and the Polish Committee.

* Deacon James Bower, a pastoral associate at the linked parishes of Annunciation, Ilion, and Our Lady, Queen of Apostles, Frankfort, in Herkimer County.

* Ms. Kathleen Burgess, St. Vincent’s Parish in Albany, and president of the Albany Diocesan School Board.

* Sister Patricia Conron, a Sister of St. Joseph who serves as director of novices and candidates. 

* Rev. Dominic Isopo, pastor of St. Luke’s parish in Schenectady. 

* Dr. David Mousaw, Glens Falls Cluster Council and a member of Our Lady of the Annunciation parish in Queensbury. 

Rural Areas

Areas within Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Warren and Washington counties, and campus ministries

* Rev. James Clark, pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Hoosick Falls, Rensselaer County. 

* Mr. Brian Haak, Our Lady of Assumption parish in Latham. 

* Dr. Richard Lesser, a member of St. Patrick’s in Ravena.

* Rev. Anthony Ligato, pastor at Holy Family parish in Little Falls and St. Anthony & Joseph parish in Herkimer.

* Ms. Maureen Murray, R.N., a member of St. Mary’s/Our Lady of the Lake parish near Cooperstown.

Suburban areas

Albany County and the Saratoga Region

* Ms. Aba Waynet Hinds, coordinator of ministries for the Black Catholic Apostolate at St. Joan of Arc, Menands.

* Mr. Kevin Harrigan, a parishioner of Our Lady of Assumption in Rotterdam and past chair of the Parish Pastoral Council.

* Rev. Dominic Ingemie, pastor of St. Peter’s parish in Saratoga Springs. 

* Deacon Frank Thomas, a retired physician assigned to Our Lady of Grace parish Ballston Lake. 

* Rev. James Walsh, director of the vocations office who assists at St. Pius in Loudonville.

(09/04/08)