Ever since 12 January 2017 with the announcement with the latest Ministry 2025 PROPOSED plan, which has changed from the 25 February 2016 announcement, there continues to be much confusion and miscommunication regarding Ministry 2025 for Carroll County.  There have also been many good questions raised.  And there have been many attempts have been made to clarify rumors that are flying around.  Yet, there still remains much confusion that makes it difficult to understand the timeline of Ministry 2025 for Carroll County.
 
The timeline for Ministry 2025 in Carroll County includes:
 
1.      No parish in the proposed Carroll County cluster will be going to oratory status in the near future and not at the same pace as the rest of the diocese. The oratories that may exist in Carroll County will not go into effect when the rest of the Diocese does.
2.      Parishes that had been proposed to go to Oratory status will continue as a normal parish and continue to have Masses on the weekend until the local cluster proposal is created LOCALLY and approved by the Bishop.
3.      The proposal of 12 January 2017 is for Carroll County to become one parish with eight [8] worship sites.  Eight [8] worship sites have been identified by the January 12 ^th proposal, but this can be adjusted through the local pastoral plan process to begin in August 2017.  The one parish/eight [8] worship site model IS NOT set in stone.
4.      The local planning process will involve forming a council with representatives from the parishes in Carroll County [the Carroll County Pastoral Planning Council] which will take the proposed plan of 12 January 2017 and mold it into a plan to be presented to the Bishop for his consideration.  This planning process will not begin until AUGUST 2017.
5.      Carroll County IS NOT on the same timeline as the rest of the diocese.  We will approach Ministry 2025 with a new team of five [5] priests led by Fr. Kevin Richter as pastor of St. Lawrence and Holy Spirit Parishes in Carroll; St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Glidden; St. Joseph Parish in Dedham; Sacred Heart Parish in Templeton; St. John the Baptist Parish in Arcadia; St. Bernard Parish in Breda; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Mt. Carmel; Holy Family Parish in Lidderdale; St. Augustine Parish in Halbur, Holy Angels Parish in Roselle, St. Mary Parish in Willey and Annunciation Parish in Coon Rapids and will be assisted by four priests [parochial vicars/associate pastors] Fr. Mark Stoll, Fr. Brian Feller, Fr. John Gerald, and Fr. Shinoj Jose [who will move to the county from Milford].
6.      The current priests of the county have as a task to figure out a Mass schedule for the new team of five [5] priests with Masses at ALL OF THE CURRENT PARISHES that may become either worship sites or go to oratory status once the Bishop approves the plan proposed by the Carroll County Pastoral Planning Council, whatever it ends up being, with the process that will not begin until the new priestly team is in place and the local planning committee [the Carroll County Pastoral Planning Council] is formed.  The oratories that may exist in Carroll County will not go into effect when the rest of the diocese does.
7.      After the local committee [the Carroll County Pastoral Planning Council] formulates a pastoral strategic plan for the parishes of Carroll County, whatever it may be, it will be sent to the Bishop for his approval.  The process of forming the local committee [the Carroll County Pastoral Planning Council] will not begin, once more, until August.
8.      The proposed plan of 12 January 2017 could change according to what the local committee [the Carroll County Pastoral Planning Council] presents to the Bishop and if he approves it.
9.      The priest personnel of the County will change on June 27:
·         Fr. Andrew Hoffman will be retiring
·         Fr. Steve Brodersen will be retiring
·         Fr. Tim Johnson will become the new pastor at St. Joseph’s in Milford.
·         Fr. Craig Collison will become the pastor of the three [3] parishes in Pocahontas County, Resurrection of Our Lord in Pocahontas, St. Margaret in Rolf, and Sacred Heart in Laurens.
·         Fr. Kevin Richter becomes the pastor of most of the parishes in Carroll County [with the exception Sacred Heart in Manning (and St. Ann in Vail which is in Crawford County as for now, St. Ann in Vail will remain with the Denison Cluster.
10.  As of this time:
a.      the current priests in these parishes met in April with the team of five [5] priests and determined it is best to keep the current weekend Mass times for the parishes for the foreseeable future
b.      where the priests will live has not yet been formally determined but it has been proposed that with five [5] available parish houses in the county, one priest will be at each house.
c.       The team of five [5] priests will meet in the near future to discuss weekday Mass times and how the administration the parishes will be done including meetings of parish councils, bill paying, etc.
11.  After June 27 when Fr. Kevin Richter becomes pastor of the above named parishes with the help of four [4] priests, the process of pastoral planning for our parishes will begin with the formation of the Carroll County Pastoral Planning Council later in the summer and this process will take a significant length of time to accomplish.
12.  Parishioners will have an important and very significant role in the local process.  If you are asked to serve, please prayerfully give it your highest consideration.
13.  Remember, Diocesan officials DO NOT expect Carroll County to be on the same timeline as the rest of the diocese, as the other twenty-three [23] counties which are currently in the planning process that they will implement around 1 July 2017.
14.  The most important thing we can all do is pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit to enlighten us all as we continue to move forward and worship together as brothers and sisters in the Lord.
 
5/23/17