- Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- 5-Year Mission & Vision Plan
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is constantly changing. Our demographics as well as our congregation and parish staff have in the past and will in the future be subjected to changes. As a Catholic faith community, we have an obligation to properly prepare for and embrace those changes which we know are inevitable. The 2006 Parish Reorganization Plan, introduced by Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly, involved a number of parish mergers as well as the clustering of many other parishes. Unfortunately many Catholic communities were caught off guard and ill-prepared to adequately respond to the changes associated with this master plan.
We understand that in order for any parish to be truly effective change must not only be accepted but properly prepared for. Therefore, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is taking those steps which are deemed necessary to formulate and execute a long range mission plan.
As with any plan, it is understood that this is a fluid document and will be subject to adjustments as we set sail for the next 5 years. Further, it is important to note that we are planning only for those goals that we as a parish faith community feel are attainable. The members of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church have a history of working together for common goals that will benefit not only the church itself, but will also benefit the community of the South end of Louisville. We are after all, a faith community and must continue to work as a community to minister to the needs of all of God’s children.
To successfully complete our mission, we have carefully examined those goals which we feel are realistic, attainable and necessary. Although these goals are not in any particular order, it must be pointed out that we know that in order for us to experience true growth, that we must act to shore up our existing membership immediately.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s Attainable Goals:
Ø In 2008, address the loss of membership in recent years.
Ø Sustain the maintenance of facilities.
Ø Investigate the development of new fund raisers.
Ø Re-evaluation of existing committees.
Ø Strengthen the bond between those parishioners with children attending school and those that do not have children in attendance.
CONCLUSION
According to former Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly, “an organization’s
mission is found in an external need or reality for which the organization
exists to meet or promote.” Our Lady of Mount Carmel exists to proclaim the
good news and to transform our world according to Gospel values. As a community
of faith bound together by our faith in Jesus Christ, the most important
consideration in planning is our mission to proclaim the good news of Jesus
Christ. Because Catholics are rooted and live out their faith in parishes, the
vitality of our particular faith community is essential to realizing this
mission.
To ensure fidelity to mission, the following questions need to be
addressed: What are the needs of the both the Catholic and broader communities?
What is needed in order to preserve and strengthen Catholic presence and
pastoral care in all areas of Our Lady of Mount Carmel? How can we continue to
support our sister parishes with whom we are now and may become clustered or
associated with in the future to support one another in our efforts to become
vital centers of worship and Christian community?
The Catholic faith community at Our Lady of Mount Carmel will continue to prepare for the future while simultaneously proclaiming the good news of our Lord and savior and ministering to the needs of those within our parish community as well as the needs of those outside of it. Our 5-year goals must be met with dedication and devotion. In addition to the goals as stated above, we are also in the process of streamlining and closely monitoring all committees and activities within our parish. Additional committees will be added as required. We know for instance that there is an immediate need for a “cluster committee” and the need for committees from all clustered parishes to work more harmoniously as we plan for the future. Further, we have designated committees and have allotted time for periodic reports so that we may dramatically improve our communications between committees as well as our clustered sister parishes. As with our goals, this too is a fluid document and continues to be a work in progress but the calendar for reports and activities is as follows:
| JANUARY: | Stewardship report & joint parish discussion on stewardship committees. |
| FEBRUARY: | Social concern & justice report. |
| MARCH: | School Board report |
| APRIL: | |
| MAY: | Finance Committee report. |
| JUNE: | End of fiscal year. |
| JULY: | Administration Committee report. |
| AUGUST: | Pastoral Care report. |
| SEPTEMBER | Worship Committee report. |
| OCTOBER | Formation Committee report. |
| NOVEMBER | |
| DECEMBER |
:
:
:
We are attempting to add much more structure to our committees and the committee process as we look ahead in our planning. Further, as stated above, we are adding some additional committees and will be working diligently to coordinate and communicate between all working committees. Budget, Social Concerns, Formation, Worship, Pastoral Care, Administration and School are just a few examples of those committees that form the foundation of the Catholic faith community at Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Please pray that the religious and lay leaders of our parish continue to work for the betterment of our parish, our sister parishes as well as our continuing mission of ministry to the South end of Louisville.
Thank you for your attention and may God bless you, your family and loved ones now and in the years to come.