The Diocese of Buffalo has marched into another phase in its Journey of Faith and Grace.  Between now and Dec. 31, proposals made by parish clusters will be reviewed at the vicariate level, then either forwarded to the Strategic Planning Commission or sent back to the clusters to be re-examined.

“This is what we call the Vicariate Phase,” said Sister Regina Murphy, SSMN, diocesan director of research and planning.  “The first phase was the parish, then groups of parishes, which we called the Regional Cluster Phase, and now, it’s getting bigger.

“The purpose of the Vicariate Phase is for representatives from the entire vicariate, a vicariate counsel of some sort, to look at each of the cluster proposals, evaluate them in terms of diocesan guidelines, and either approve them and pass them on to the diocese, or if they seem not to meet the guidelines for some reason, then they will go back to the regional cluster and either negotiate some point or possibly ask them to restudy something that doesn’t seem to work,” Sister Regina said.
For example, if a cluster is told they will have three priests and a proposal is submitted requiring five priests, the cluster will be told to revise the plan.

All proposals must also meet a set of guidelines for restructuring, such as making sure the parish provides quality formation programs, lay involvement and outreach to the needy, and financial stability and sufficient resources to achieve its mission.
There is also a set of diocesan values that recognize prayer, respect for every person and a preferential option for the poor.

“Whatever the vicariate comes up with has to be in line with our mission statement, our vision statement, our core values and the specific guidelines for restructuring,” said Sister Regina.
Vicariates have until Dec. 31 to submit proposals for the parishes.
School proposals will be submitted in October.  Due to contracts and advertising schedules, schools need to know their future in January.

Sister Regina said the diocese would undergo a “major change” by the time this process is over, “hopefully for the better, that we would build a stronger Church,” she added.
Having taken part in similar planning 12 years ago under Bishop Edward D. Head, Sister Regina knew the work involved in diocesan strategic planning.  She said things are moving smoothly.
“The process is moving pretty much on time.  The vicars have worked hard to make sure the cluster groups are on target, that they finish, that their vicariate level gets the cluster proposals on time.  To my knowledge that is going very well.”

One suburban cluster did ask for more time before submitting their proposal.  Since the vicar can still examine and work on other cluster proposals, an extra month was granted.  “On the whole, the process is going very well,” Sister Regina said.  “Are people all happy and cheerful and at peace with this?  No.  There is a lot of emotional turmoil.  People are unsettled by it.  Many priests are unsettled by it.  But, from a process perspective, when you are dealing with something like this, that is normal.  And we’re trying to do everything we can to help that.”

The diocese has offered Caring for God’s People sessions, with Dr. Beth Lenegan, director of pastoral care at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, to help recognize and develop an understanding of the responses that will accompany the restructuring.  The Diocesan Counseling Center has offered sessions to help priests understand how this will affect their own lives.

“You can’t do major systemic change, especially with spiritual institutions to which people are emotionally attached, without there being understandable emotional angst,” Sister Regina said, adding, “On the whole, the priests know this needs to be done.  They are cooperative.”  With 126 dioceses across the country that have undergone a change in pastoral planning, a great deal of responsibility rests on the clergy.

“Priests are essential to the process,” Sister Regina said.  “Where they are on board, understanding the need and helping their people through it, those are always very successful situations.  If you have a pastor who either doesn’t understand the need or doesn’t have the leadership skills to work well with his people, it doesn’t work as well.” Father Richard A. Csizmar, episcopal vicar of Orleans County, said that everyone in his vicariate was working within the guidelines set by the strategic planning commission.
“It’s been a very good process, a lot of give and take, a lot of great interests on the part

of parishioners,” Father Csizmar said.  “It’s been difficult at times because of the sacrifice that’s being demanded of some.  And some people do not understand the need to be willing to sacrifice for the good of the whole vicariate and the good of the diocese.” The vicariate of only seven parishes has not come across many stumbling blocks in the process. “I think the major obstacle is being convinced of the good of sacrificing for the betterment of all,” Father Csizmar said.

Early proposals in the Eastern Niagara Vicariate mesh well together, according to Msgr. Paul J. Belzer, vicar for the area.“The suggestions they made seem to work well together,” he said.  “The only wrinkle we have to work out is, it calls for six priests instead of five.  That is the only thing we have to clear up.”
Msgr. Belzer admits that many in his vicariate do not look forward to the changes that will be made.
“They would be happy to just leave things the way they were,” he said.

Many people have contacted Sister Regina with their concerns.  She suggests “trust the process.”
“There is no preconceived plan,” she said.  “A lot of people accuse us of,  ‘They know what they want.’  We are aware of what’s going on and the need for change.  Sometimes on the local level it is hard to always understand the need for change.  But we need people to look beyond their own parochial situations to the entire diocese and try to appreciate the bishop’s responsibility to be a good steward of the resources he has.”
The Strategic Planning Commission works with people from all communities to understand the local situation.
“On the diocesan level, we do everything possible to understand the local situation, like the importance of the parish in a particular community, the differences between rural, suburban and urban life,” Sister Regina said.  “We know they are very different; they have different needs, different expectations, different realities, not to mention geography.  We really do spend a lot of time looking at the local situation.”