A pastoral plan is a guiding document that outlines a parish's mission, vision, and priorities for spiritual growth, community engagement, and service. It serves as a roadmap for living out our faith. At St. Martin de Porres Parish, our pastoral plan reflects our commitment to deepening our relationship with Christ and building a vibrant community that serves the needs of all. Below is a summary of our current Pastoral Plan.
We want everyone--longtime members, new families, and visitors-to feel at home in our parish. That's why we've created a welcoming space and church office at the church entrance, improved accessibility with ADA-approved walkways, and enhanced hospitality with greeters, ushers, and after-Mass social events. We are looking into new ways to better welcome new families in the parish.
2. Faith Formation for All Ages
Faith formation is at the heart of our mission, with programs for children, teens, and adults. For children, we offer Sacrament preparation classes supported by dedicated catechists and resources like workbooks and multimedia tools. Adults can participate in Bible studies, reflection groups, and OCIA (formerly RCIA) classes for candidates and sponsors to deepen their faith. We're working to strengthen connections between families and the parish, while exploring new programs like Spanish-language studies and youth ministry opportunities.
3. Vocations and Missionary Discipleship
We encourage everyone to explore their unique call to serve, whether through ministry, religious vocations, or family life. From hosting ministry fairs to supporting seminarians and deacons, we're dedicated to fostering a spirit of service. Sacramental marriage is also celebrated as a vocation, and we're building programs to highlight the beauty and importance of this calling within our parish.
4. Stewardship: Time, Talent, and Treasure
Stewardship is more than financial giving-it's about offering our time and talents, too. Our parish thrives on the generosity of its members, whether through fundraisers, online giving, or volunteer efforts like cleaning and maintenance, teaching, and hosting social events. We celebrate these contributions with ministry highlights and appreciation events and are planning more ways to make volunteering easier and more rewarding.
5. Eucharist and Catholic Identity
The Eucharist is the center of our parish life, and we celebrate it in ways that unite and inspire our community. From regular Eucharistic adoration and liturgical cultural celebrations to reflection groups and social events, we embrace the richness of our Catholic traditions. Moving forward, we'll continue promoting deeper awareness of the Eucharist and fostering respect for the many cultures that make up our parish family.
6. Dignity of the Human Person
We're committed to upholding the dignity of every person, especially those on society's margins. Through drives, donations, and ministries, we support the unborn and new mothers, veterans, the homeless, the incarcerated, and others in need. We also celebrate new life with baptisms and family-focused events. As we grow, we'll continue finding new ways to serve those in need and make everyone feel welcomed as a child of God.
