Stewards for Tomorrow: Archdiocesan Strategic Plan

Our Mission

In union with the whole Church, the faithful of the Archdiocese of Hartford have a mission by Baptism to be living signs of communion with God, and to be His instruments for the redemption of the world.  Nourished by God’s Word and by the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we are called to live a holy life, and to bring others into our shared communion with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Our Vision

We envision a local church characterized by spiritual vitality, organizational efficacy and accountability, and social and financial responsibility – all for the sake of fulfilling our mission.
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Our vision is inspired by the call of Pope Francis for “a missionary option, that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation” (Evangelii Gaudium 27).  We know all too well how many people today no longer practice their faith; how many even reject religion and belief in God; how many people today are suffering for lack of a meaning and purpose in life that only Christ can give.

Our Strategic Priorities

  1. Create and implement a comprehensive restructuring plan for our parishes, schools, agencies and offices to ensure a vibrant and sustainable future characterized by spiritual vitality, organizational efficacy and accountability, and social and financial responsibility;
  2. Promote and leverage our Catholic identity at the service of our mission;
  3. Evaluate and reinvigorate evangelization, catechesis and the new apologetics, with a special emphasis on family life and marriage, campus ministry and young adults, and our Catholic school faculties and students;
  4. Evaluate and reinvigorate liturgical, sacramental and devotional life, providing sound opportunities and instruction for growth in the spiritual life and a life of personal prayer;
  5. Develop and implement a plan to ensure the physical health and spiritual growth of the clergy for the sake of their ministry, and mechanisms of accountability to the archbishop, the Presbyterate and the people entrusted to their pastoral care.

Our Guiding Principles

  • We are people of Catholic Christian faith, who strive to follow and imitate Jesus Christ in all we say and do.
  • We are committed to what our Catholic Church believes and teaches about faith and morals in answer to the human search for truth and love.
  • We are eager to share the good news of the Gospel with everyone, even to the “peripheries” outside our own comfort zone, in the hope of drawing them into the communion of Catholic faith and practice.
  • With due regard for charity and prudence, we pledge ourselves to be open and honest in sharing information and inviting participation.
  • We are convinced that the best solutions to challenges and difficulties come about only with the widest possible participation, locally and archdiocesan-wide.
  • We believe that the only sure sign of life is growth, and that as individuals, organizations, parishes and as an Archdiocese we are obliged to cultivate and further the Church’s spiritual and material well-being for the sake of her mission.
  • Inspired by Pope Francis, we aim to bring “the joy of the Gospel” to those living without “the strength, light and consolation” of friendship with Jesus, “a community of faith for support,” and “a meaning and goal in life.”
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