Envisioning Team helps establish goals for diocese

The diocese continues to move forward in a strategic pastoral planning process by forming goals for the future.

A team of clergy and laity from various parts of the 23-county diocese, known as the Envisioning Team, has met several times since its formation last year. The team studied responses to an online pastoral planning survey, which was open from June to October 2025 as well as responses to focus groups and individual interviews.

The open-ended survey sought input from Christian faithful on Bishop Fernandes’ four pastoral priorities: vocations, evangelization, Catholic education and formation, and social outreach. The bishop enlisted help from the Catholic Leadership Institute in proposing to give a framework for discerning and propose actionable goals for his priorities and plan for the next five years.

READ: Pastoral planning survey continues to receive responses

The 12-person Envisioning Team read responses from faithful in the diocese to determine best steps forward. The draft goals were shared with various diocesan groups during the process for their comment and to further refine the goals.

The team formed a series of goals supporting the bishop’s priorities, which were then presented to Bishop Fernandes for his approval.

“It’s been a very deliberate process to lead us through a series of stages that’s resulting in goals according to the four major priorities of Bishop Fernandes,” said Father Jonathan Wilson, pastor at Westerville St. Paul the Apostle Church, who served as a member of the Envisioning Team.

“No process is perfect, but I think it’s a great first start, and I anticipate that we will reflect before, during and after the conclusion of this process, and that will shape the next time we do this. I think it’s a very, very positive first step.”

The survey garnered nearly 2,000 responses from 22 of the diocese’s 23 counties. Feedback helped in forming practical goals for the diocese moving forward.

The Envisioning Team was led by Father Michael Hartge. The diocese’s vicar general and moderator of the curia spoke with several members of the team in a series of recorded podcasts.

“Father Michael Hartge has offered steadfast leadership through the process,” Father Wilson said. “I’m impressed with the team that he assembled, and I believe the end result will bless our diocese with solid goals connected to our four priorities.”

The group is independent of the Diocesan Pastoral Council (DPC), a stable, consultative body for the bishop. The 22-person pastoral council was established last year.

The DPC formed a mission statement for the diocese based on Bishop Fernandes’ four priorities. The statement served as a guide for the Envisioning Team in creating actionable goals.

Subcommittees from the Envisioning Team were formed for each of Bishop Fernandes’ priorities. Envisioning Team members formulated goals that would advance the mission of the Church in each of the four areas.

“It’s my hope that, as this process moves from the goal formulation phase to the goal implementation phase, our priests and parishes and schools and institutions will embrace these goals as a positive first step in our diocese,” Father Wilson said, “knowing that it will be an opportunity for us to go through what feels like a historical strategic planning process.”

Kayla Stucke, a parishioner at Hilliard St. Brendan the Navigator Church, also served on the Envisioning Team.

Stucke is the director of communications at Shook Construction in Columbus and former president of the Young Catholic Professionals’ Columbus chapter. She also serves as a member of the DPC.

As part of the Envisioning Team, Stucke helped formulate goals. The process, she explained, included much deliberation.

“The most difficult part was, … we see the work that needs to be done, and then, how does this apply at a greater level?” she reflected.

“Could they apply this goal to their parish? Could they apply this goal to their region?” she said of pastors and deans, who oversee parishes in certain geographic areas. “And then, could the diocese also apply the goal at a diocesan level? I think that part was challenging.”

Stucke read through the Christian faithful’s survey responses to formulate goals based on the bishop’s priority of evangelization.

“We have a lot going on in the diocese; that was so clear in the surveys – and it was wonderful to see all the things we’re doing,” she said.

Stucke emphasized the benefit of having a “strategic approach across (the diocese) so that we can further our impact, bring people back to the Church, make our Catholic schools stronger.

“All of the things,” she added, “I think, are so important – to have that overarching goal that everybody here is working toward.”

The diocese will be responsible for communicating the goals, and diocesan leaders will be assigned goal ownership to help with the implementation.

The Envisioning Team’s role in pastoral planning will conclude as goals for the diocese are finalized. Finalized goals are set to be released in late September.

Related