OST for a local Catholic diocese

Lisa Heft lisaheft at pacbell.net
Sat Aug 4 13:27:18 PDT 2001


Hello, dear colleagues.

I would love your feedback on the design of two retreats for part of the
pastoral planning process for a large diocese here in California.

The dates and times are already set.  There will be two separate
retreats, one in September and one in November.  The same people will
come to both.

The idea is to identify strategies for program development, inclusion
and other issues involved in the following three areas of importance:

Youth inclusion
Lay leadership
Social teachings

The consultants working with these people feel that the three topics
should not be separated (for example, one topic per retreat), as the
issues intermingle and overlap, as do the services and approaches.  And
these are people who are used to working independently (so it's best to
have them weave into each other for mutual understanding and success)
and the consultants feel that each of these issue areas and passions can
cross pollinate in a productive way, much like our bumblebees.

So let us pretend that our theme is something like coming up with
strategies for success in these three areas.  This is s fact and idea
gathering process which will become a report -- the different leaders of
Catholic hospitals, universities, high schools, cemeteries, parishes and
programs will be given these strategies at the beginning of next year
and will be expected to develop or adjust their own programs
accordingly.

The group is rich in diversity -- in addition to representatives from
the programs and institutions above, there will be youth participants,
people who are Catholic and people who are not, community members and
others speaking three languages (English, Spanish and Vietnamese).  Plus
different factions, politically, who are sometimes at odds with each
other.  Some people who feel excited about this, some who wonder why
cohesive planning has to happen at all (don't worry -- it is still by
invitation only -- no one is required to come to the event).  Overall, a
perfect setting for OS.

The timing is thus:

Thursday -- 6:00 dinner and ... I do not have the exact hours yet -- let
us say work together until 9, maybe 10:00 in the evening.

Friday -- Let us say 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the evening.
Perhaps we will also have an evening session, too, if we want it.  I do
not know yet.

Saturday -- Let us say 9:00 to 3:00 in the afternoon.

Remember, we have two separate retreats to work on all of the above,
although there is a month or two in-between the retreats.

What are some of your recommendations for the schedule, themes and
convergence process, given that there is a short evening to start and a
major gap of time in-between the two retreats?

Thanks for your nutritious ideas,

Lisa Heft
Berkeley, California, USA

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