Family Unity Discernment
As Beacons of Light progresses into its fourth year, the Center for Parish Vitality (CPV) – after consultation with Archbishop Casey – is proposing a two-fold approach toward completing the Planning (4) and Mission (5) phases of the Beacons of Light Pastoral Planning Pathway.
It is clear (for a variety of reasons) that most Families of Parishes will not be far enough along in Phases 1, 2, and 3 (Leadership, Vision, and Culture) to complete Phases 4 & 5 (Planning and Mission) by June 30, 2027, the stated completion of the project. This would mean that most Families will not have discerned or created plans for unification by June 2027 (as required by Parameter 3).
One key milestone of the Phase 4 Planning is to “create a plan for becoming a canonical parish that is unified in vision and mission.” To support that, CPV has been creating a Family Unity Discernment (FUD) process that could be undertaken before, during, or after Phase 4. We are proposing that all Families of Parishes participate in the FUD process with support from CPV between April 2026 and June 2027, independent of the Planning and Mission phases of the Pathway.
The Process
After consulting with the Archbishop and the Deans, we believe this would best be accomplished Deanery by Deanery so that Families can collaborate at a Deanery level about their recommended canonical and facility plans. Much of the work would still happen in the individual Family, but the Kickoff and Formation steps would be done at the Deanery level and then, after Family specific discernment, recommendation collaborations with other Families in the Deanery.
The process is designed to synodally discern the best use of Family resources (buildings, revenue, staff, etc.) towards meeting the mission of bringing the Gospel to their communities. This process includes:
- Comprehensive inventory of Family churches, schools, and facilities along with analysis of financial, sacramental, and demographic trends of the Family as well as the territory served. This will require Families to have already assessed their deferred maintenance and completed an inventory of all buildings. See below for links to draft forms for this data.
- Discerning the best use of these resources toward renewal. This would include plans for unification, church usage, etc.
- Synodal reflection sessions with councils and parishioners to gather feedback.
- Synthesis of this feedback by Family Pastoral Council and Leadership Team to formulate proposals for the Pastor and ultimately to the Archbishop.
- Sharing of these proposals with other Families in the Deanery to facilitate collaboration for achieving the mission of sharing the Gospel within the Deanery.
Detail Investigation
- Financial and Sacramental Trends
- Facility Assessment
- Demographic Analysis
Discern Proposals For:
- Canonical Unification Approach and Timeline
- Best Use of Resources
Final Approach
CPV is evaluating the timing and resource requirements to support Family Unity Discernment as well as Beacons Phase 4 and 5. CPV will be positioned to begin promoting Family Unity Discernment in January 2026 and executing FUD by Deanery beginning in Spring 2026. Families can begin work on Phase 4 whenever they have completed Phase 3 but may choose to wait until the completion of FUD, the content of which will benefit their Phase 4 work anyway.
Any questions, please contact [email protected]
Important Forms
All forms should be completed by Spring 2026
Family Financial Data
This form is mostly data already in any Family annual report you share with your parishioners. It includes an overview of Revenue, Expenses, Debt, and Saving as well as Giving by Age Group and Giving per Household data. The form includes Mass attendance data which can simply be downloaded from October Count – Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Deferred Maintenance Excel Checklist
This form is provided by the Finance Department as a method to inventory all campus buildings for possible deferred maintenance. This should be completed by members of your Finance Council and or Facilities Commission. We strongly recommend that one Family level team assess all buildings across the campus to ensure consistency.