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Bishop Tylka’s Two Year Pastoral Planning Process:
Growing Disciples
Since coming to the “Heart of Illinois,” Bishop Louis Tylka has experienced firsthand the faith and good works of our priests, religious and laypeople, and he has listened to the people of the Diocese of Peoria. In response to what he has learned, Bishop Tylka has commissioned a pastoral planning process called Growing Disciples, with the goal of moving further into the mission which Christ has given us: to go and make disciples.
In order to renew discipleship and enhance relationships with Jesus in every corner of our region, Growing Disciples will examine the current structure of parishes and schools in the diocese to evaluate how they can best meet the needs of the faithful and address challenges facing the Church today.
Growing Disciples
Since coming to the “Heart of Illinois,” Bishop Louis Tylka has experienced firsthand the faith and good works of our priests, religious and laypeople, and he has listened to the people of the Diocese of Peoria. In response to what he has learned, Bishop Tylka has commissioned a pastoral planning process called Growing Disciples, with the goal of moving further into the mission which Christ has given us: to go and make disciples.
In order to renew discipleship and enhance relationships with Jesus in every corner of our region, Growing Disciples will examine the current structure of parishes and schools in the diocese to evaluate how they can best meet the needs of the faithful and address challenges facing the Church today.
Videos are at the bottom of this page or you may use the links below:
- For a video message from Bishop Lou, FAQ and more, click HERE. - Each of the "Five Foundations" videos can be seen HERE as they become available. - The Growing Disciples YouTube Channel has each and every video regarding the process HERE. St. Patrick Parish, Wapella Key Parish Leaders: Fr. Derick Mwesiga Dcn. Todd Weber Parish Council VP - Rose Szymkiewicz Trustees - Patty Hermes and Mark Kingery Parish Point of Contact: Pam Elliott |
November 27, 2022
January 21, 2023
March 19, 2023
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Growing Disciples - The Five Foundations | Part 5: Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
7/13/23 Watch as Monsignor Jason Gray, Priest and Director of the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation, and Katie Bogner, Teacher for the Diocese of Peoria and creator of “Teaching with Fulton Sheen” curriculum, discuss the life of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, his first recorded miracle, and the many ways he modeled how we can pursue our lives as disciples, living and working in witness for Christ. |
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Growing Disciples Update: Key Parish Leader Meeting & Parish Models Feedback Session 5/23/23 Father David Richardson shares an update regarding the recent Key Parish Leader meetings, where those in attendance learned about this first round of “parish models” – that is, groupings of parishes that might work together as a new “unified” parish in the future as part of the Growing Disciples pastoral planning process. |
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Growing Disciples - The Five Foundations | Part 4: The Eucharist
5/16/2023 Do you believe in the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist? Did you know that the Mass is our invitation to join in Christ’s sacrifice and participate in communion with God and love for Jesus? Father Luke Spannagel, Priest and National Eucharistic Preacher for the Diocese of Peoria, and Ana Rodas, Assistant Director of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Peoria, discuss how we can come to know and experience Christ’s true presence in the Eucharist, so that our participation in the Mass produces the fruit our Lord intended when He gave us the gift of sharing in communion through the Eucharist – a foundational understanding essential to the Growing Disciples pastoral planning process. |
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Growing Disciples Update:
Priest Assembly Day 4/3/2023 Father Chase Hilgenbrinck, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Peoria, shares an update regarding the recent Priest Assembly Day and Pastoral Planning Commission meeting. |
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Growing Disciples - The Five Foundations | Part 3: Strengthening Vocations
3/15/2023 How did God make you to love? Which path will lead you to holiness? Fr. Chase Hilgenbrinck, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Peoria, and Sr. M. Bernadette, FSGM, discuss our universal call to holiness, how to listen for the path God is calling us to take, and why they each felt called to enter the religious life – a foundational understanding essential to the Growing Disciples pastoral planning process. |
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Growing Disciples Update: Catholic Schools
2/27/2023 Most Reverend Louis Tylka, Bishop of Peoria, shares an update on how Catholic schools in the Diocese of Peoria will be addressed in the Growing Disciples pastoral planning process. Read more in the statement HERE. |
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Growing Disciples Update:
2023-2024 Planning Process 2/15/2023 Most Reverend Louis Tylka, Bishop of Peoria, outlines the Growing Disciples planning process from now through Pentecost 2024. He discusses information about parish draft modeling milestones, timelines and key consultative bodies involved in providing feedback. A graphic which illustrates this information can be found HERE and seen below. |
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Growing Disciples Update:
More Than Numbers 1/31/2023 Father David Richardson discusses the important aspects of our parishes–aside from numerical data–that are essential to consider as we plan for the future in advancing the Five Foundations for Growing Disciples, and creating an even more vibrant, mission-driven and sustainable network of parishes. |
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Growing Disciples - The Five Foundations | Part 2: Inspiring Discipleship
1/17/2023 What did Jesus intend for all of us when he called his first disciples--and what does that mean for us as a Church today? Matt Faley Chief of Mission for the Diocese of Peoria, and Jenny Witt, Director of Evangelization at St. Philomena Parish, discuss what we mean when we use the word "discipleship," how to discern what Jesus intended for all of us, and how to live out vibrant discipleship--both in our personal apostolates and in our parishes--which is an important goal of the Growing Disciples pastoral planning process. |
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Growing Disciples Update:
Key Parish Leaders 1/17/2023 Monsignor Mark Merdian explains the role of Key Parish Leaders, and how their feedback and insights from the parish level support the Growing Disciples pastoral planning process. |
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Growing Disciples - The Five Foundations | Part 1: Empowering Evangelization
12/20/2022 What does "evangelization" really mean, and how are we called to evangelize as Catholics? What does this have to do with the Growing Disciples Pastoral Planning initiative? In this video, Bishop Lou Tylka and Father Adam Cesarek, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Pontiac, discuss their perspectives–and address common challenges and questions–related to evangelization and Growing Disciples. |
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Growing Disciples Update:
"Who's Who?" 12/20/2022 Father Chase Hilgenbrinck introduces the individuals and teams who are guiding the vision and process for the Growing Disciples Pastoral Plan in the Diocese of Peoria. |
Growing Disciples Leadership
-Core Team:
The Growing Disciples Core Team works very closely with Bishop Tylka, advising him in the pastoral planning process and helping to disseminate information to the faithful of the Diocese of Peoria.
-Tom Lenz, Leadership Consultant, Catholic Leadership Institute
-Father Chase Hilgenbrinck, Vocation Director of Recruitment, Diocese of Peoria
-Monsignor Mark Merdian, STL, Pastor of Ottawa Catholic Community, Diocese of Peoria
-Father David Richardson, Episcopal Vicar for Junior Clergy and Pastor of St. Philomena, Peoria, Diocese of Peoria
-Matt Faley, Chief of Mission, Diocese of Peoria
-Amanda Connon, Director of Information Management, Diocese of Peoria
-Pastoral Planning Commission:
The Pastoral Planning Commission is comprised of 12 team members who represent each of the 12 vicariates of the Diocese of Peoria, and act as liaisons between their vicariate and the diocesan Core Team, advising the Core Team based on local-level information.
-Parish Points of Contact (PPOC) and Key Parish Leaders:
A PPOC has been appointed within each parish of the diocese. Each parish has a team of five Key Parish Leaders to gather information and provide feedback and insights to the Pastoral Planning Commission and Core Team.
-Core Team:
The Growing Disciples Core Team works very closely with Bishop Tylka, advising him in the pastoral planning process and helping to disseminate information to the faithful of the Diocese of Peoria.
-Tom Lenz, Leadership Consultant, Catholic Leadership Institute
-Father Chase Hilgenbrinck, Vocation Director of Recruitment, Diocese of Peoria
-Monsignor Mark Merdian, STL, Pastor of Ottawa Catholic Community, Diocese of Peoria
-Father David Richardson, Episcopal Vicar for Junior Clergy and Pastor of St. Philomena, Peoria, Diocese of Peoria
-Matt Faley, Chief of Mission, Diocese of Peoria
-Amanda Connon, Director of Information Management, Diocese of Peoria
-Pastoral Planning Commission:
The Pastoral Planning Commission is comprised of 12 team members who represent each of the 12 vicariates of the Diocese of Peoria, and act as liaisons between their vicariate and the diocesan Core Team, advising the Core Team based on local-level information.
-Parish Points of Contact (PPOC) and Key Parish Leaders:
A PPOC has been appointed within each parish of the diocese. Each parish has a team of five Key Parish Leaders to gather information and provide feedback and insights to the Pastoral Planning Commission and Core Team.
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Growing Disciples:
Pastoral Plan for the Catholic Diocese of Peoria 2/20/2022 |