As a part of the HT Diocesan Strategic Plan, each parish has been asked by the Bishop to prepare a 5-year plan. This plan (developed by each parish priest and an implementation team prayerfully chosen by the priest himself) in its simplest form seeks to help each parishioner have a clear vision of the parish's direction and aim in these following four areas;
1) Sunday Worship & Major life moments, 2) Outreach, 3) Youth formation, 4) Adult formation...

Sundays & Major Life moments...

• Prayer and identification of 2 parishioners called to represent the Holy Family Parish to participate in the Diocesan Missionary Discipleship training, held once a month for six months at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. 

• Prayer and discernment of needs to be implemented over the course of the 5-year plan.

• Focus on encouraging the already existing and very active Hospitality committee. Prayer and identification of needs to help this ministry flourish.

• Beginning and encouraging "Holy Family 2nd Sundays" with monthly refreshments and quarterly meals.

• Foyer renovation: more inviting & welcoming.

• Establishment of Choir with nuns to play on 3rd and 4th Sundays. Practice 3rd and 4th Saturday nights.

• Establishment and training of an initial group of altar servers.

Outreach...

• Prayer and identification of 2 parishioners called to represent the Holy Family Parish to participate in the Diocesan Missionary Discipleship training, held once a month for six months at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. 

• Focus this year is only on the Home-bound

• Communication of the parish vision for Homebound visits (as requested by Fr. Antonio to be done on Sundays after Mass in small groups with friars and nuns).

• Homilies and altar calls indicating our need for Eucharistic Ministers to the homebound. As people are shy to collaborate in such a way, the plan is to ask parishioners to help drive the friars and nuns to the home-bound so they can give communion.  All we ask for are drivers. The aim and hope is to find at least 10 drivers to visit only 2-3 houses once a month. If the driver then enjoys the ministry, visits may be made more frequently according to availability. The friars and nuns will disciple the driver through the discussions in the cars and through the ministry to the home-bound.

• Plan our fundraiser/community event to be held the day before our boat blessing.

Youth formation... 
Our greatest "labor pains" by far this year has been in attempting to shift our youth formation through the new (though ancient) focus of "Making missionary disciples"... It is true to say that we are moving forward:

• Communication of the Diocesan strategic plan's vision to formators, parents, and children.

• Prayer and identification of 2 parishioners called to represent the Holy Family Parish to participate in the Diocesan Missionary Discipleship training, held once a month for six months at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. 

• Aim towards having all classes of all youth on Sundays. With prayer, discussion and discernment we have moved 9-11 grades to the Sunday (before Mass) while the younger grades remain on the Monday, operating out of existing structures, until the 2020 school year.

• Attempts to make the classes less "school-exam" style and more "relational" have been made by furnishing the 8-11th grade rooms with couches and bean-bags (thanks to a benefactor's generosity) to allow the children to claim "ownership" over a "space" they can call their own.

• Mrs. Georgiana's K-1 class is using a new program "Pflaum Gospel Weeklies" as a trial for all classes up to 8th grade next year.

• Prayer and discernment over future "mentors", and examining ways of equipping them with the formation necessary to lead our children in faith.

Adult formation...

• Prayer and identification of 2 parishioners called to represent the Holy Family Parish to participate in the Diocesan Missionary Discipleship training, held once a month for six months at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. 

• Prayer and identification of 4 initial "small group" leaders 

• Prayer and identification of 4 initial "small group" hosts to accompany the leaders.

• Training and (trial run) experience of prayer and reflection with the 4 group leaders and 4 hosts together through regular prayer/formation meetings.

Sundays & Major Life moments...

• Iron out schedule of Altar servers, numbers and formation.

• Continued focus on building choir and musicians through practice on 3rd and 4th Saturday nights.

Outreach...

• Iron out Sunday homebound visits; review effectiveness of Sunday visits with a team of 10 drivers.

• Prepare and complete a fundraiser / community event the day before the boat blessing.

• Explore other needs for the poor along Bayou Grand Caillou.

Youth formation... 

• All youth ministry has moved to Sunday mornings with the focus on the Sunday Eucharist.

• The new curriculum for all grades focuses on the Sunday readings (while also addressing Sacramental formation).

• Continued Mentor formation of the Bishop's vision required for the old model of "CCD teachers"

• 8-11 grade to join with another Bayou church parish in meeting (about) once a month in a large group for "life night" gatherings.

• Small group "leaders" and "hosts" now trained will begin their own small groups.

• Discernment and prayer towards appointing a representative who will accompany and mentor adults who want to enter the Catholic Church (RCIA formation). 

• Hosting adult formation which takes place during the youth formation on Sunday Mornings.

Work in progress...

Work in progress...

Work in progress...