Norms (English)

Click here for all of the Synod Norm Three-Year Strategic Plans (PDF 600KB)

-Compiled by Department of Diocesan Planning and Commission for Synod Implementation

Clerical and Consecrated Life

1. The Office for Priest Personnel and the Office of the Diaconate, in consultation with their personnel boards, are to review how pastors, parochial vicars, and permanent deacons are assigned. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

2. The Office for Priest Personnel, in consultation with the Priest Personnel Board, is to explore ways parish pastoral councils may help develop the parish profiles that are distributed when new pastorates are announced. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

3. The Office for Priest Personnel, in collaboration with the Presbyteral Council, is to evaluate the effectiveness of, and make recommendations about, the existing mentoring program for new pastors and administrators. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

4. To support priests burdened by administrative tasks and to increase their vital pastoral ministry, the Diocese is to provide resources for the task force currently charged with reviewing models of parish administration. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

5. The Department of Personnel in Ministry is to create a task force to study models of accountability for clergy, religious, and laity, and then is to present these models and recommendations to the Bishop. These need to include tools for evaluating how pastors communicate diocesan policies to parishioners. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

6. The Office for Religious, in consultation with the major superiors of institutes, is to develop a Personnel Policy Manual for Consecrated Life for those involved in diocesan and parish ministries. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

7. The Diocese is to establish specific requirements for the continuing spiritual and professional development of priests, deacons, and religious who are involved in diocesan and parish ministries. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

8. To foster religious vocations, the Diocese is to establish a task force to evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs and to propose new ones at the parish and diocesan levels.Click here to view the plan (PDF).

9. Because of the current shortage of priests, the Diocese is to establish a policy of pastoral partnership agreements between or among parishes within each deanery.Click here to view the plan (PDF).

10. With the increase of lay employees at parishes, pastors are to develop their own parish employee handbook modeled on The Diocese of Metuchen Employee Handbook and tailored to the needs of their parish. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

Education

11. Pastors are to appoint an adult faith formation coordinator responsible for establishing an adult faith formation program. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

12. The Office of Religious Education is to develop recommendations for the content of adult faith formation programs for parish selection and implementation and is to offer training for such program coordinators. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

13. The Department of Education, in collaboration with the Office of Communications and Public Relations, is to explore using technology to:

deliver religious news and programming (e.g., scripturally-based adult faith formation) via a cable TV channel and/or radio station;
offer interactive distance-learning for religious education via the Internet. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

14. The Office of Religious Education is to compile a compendium of relevant and effective religious education programs to provide models for adoption by parishes. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

15. The Office of Religious Education is to establish uniform standards for the formation of all catechists.Click here to view the plan (PDF).

16. The Bishop is to encourage all catechists attend the Catechist Accreditation in Religious Education (C.A.R.E.) program. This program is to be offered annually in each deanery. Additional models, using creative and flexible approaches beyond the C.A.R.E. program, are also to be made available. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

17. Pastors are to encourage and financially support continuing education beyond C.A.R.E. for their catechists.Click here to view the plan (PDF).

18. Parishes are to provide opportunities for intergenerational family faith formation as an integral part of their catechetical program.†Such opportunities will include catechesis, prayer, and service opportunities. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

19. The Bishop is to appoint a commission to create a process for establishing a system of regional and/or consolidated schools to make Catholic education available, affordable, and accessible throughout the Diocese. Click here to view the plan (PDF). Click here for a list of Diocesan Catholic School Commission Members

20. The Bishop is to direct pastors responsible for a Catholic school to form an advisory council of religious and lay professionals who have expertise in such areas as finance, development, long range planning, personnel issues, and building maintenance to assist/advise school operations. Click here to view the plan (PDF). Click here for a list of School Advisory Councils and there presidents

21. Pastors are to actively encourage all parishioners to advocate legislation supporting and promoting Catholic Schools. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

Parish Life

22. The Diocese is to establish deanery councils for parish life to help parishes work collaboratively by:

developing and sharing resources and services;
developing formation programs, particularly adult faith formation programs;
exchanging ideas and experiences about ministry, faith, and culture.

These deanery councils are to be comprised of representatives from every parish within each deanery and should include priests, deacons, religious, and laity. The Diocese is to develop a communications mechanism to ensure that deanery councils relay information promptly and effectively to various bodies within parishes, especially parish pastoral councils. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

23. The Office of Parish Leadership Formation is to establish a basic certification program for lay ecclesial ministers. This program is to follow the guidelines of the 2005 statement by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord and will be required of all serving as lay ecclesial ministers in parish leadership*. Formation programs may be offered locally or regionally and are to cover all areas of ministry including worship, service, education, formation, and evangelization. *(Lay ecclesial ministers refers to professionally trained or otherwise properly prepared women and men, including vowed religious, who are in positions of service and leadership in the Church.) Click here to view the plan (PDF).

24. The Diocese is to explore more effective ways of communicating to every parishioner, especially new and inactive parishioners, the services and programs offered by the Diocese of Metuchen and the local parish. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

25. Diocesan offices are to provide job descriptions parishes may use when hiring personnel for particular ministries, and are to maintain a database of lay ecclesial ministers and trained volunteers who have been properly formed and accredited. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

26. The Bishop is to mandate the establishment of parish pastoral councils within a definite timeline to strengthen the participation of laity in their parishes. The Department of Pastoral Life is to identify parishes that do not yet have parish pastoral councils and help them establish these councils so that all parishes in the Diocese will have a functioning parish pastoral council. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

27. The Department of Pastoral Life is to provide resources to further the training and formation of parish pastoral council members at every parish, so that members may adequately create and implement programs to foster parish life. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

28. The Office of Stewardship is to assist parishes in developing and maintaining a skills/talents database within each parish. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

29. Each parish is strongly encouraged to become a stewardship parish and to establish a parish stewardship committee to:

help parishioners recognize their talents and to encourage them to share their time and treasure with the parish community;
communicate the value and importance of stewardship through pastoral leadership, parish committees, and teaching from the pastor (i.e., through homilies, weekly bulletin columns, etc.). Click here to view the plan (PDF).

30. The Diocesan Office of Evangelization is to help each parish establish a parish evangelization committee, the purposes of which should include , but not be limited to:

training hospitality ministers to serve as greeters for weekend liturgies and all parish functions;
establishing specific groups to serve ethnic, age-related, and specific family types;
reaching out to all, especially non-practicing and alienated Catholics, through print and electronic communications, social gatherings, and prayers during the General Intercessions. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

31. The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, in collaboration with parishes, is to ensure that:

at least one qualified and compensated youth minister be available as a resource to parishes in each deanery. This youth/young adult minister would develop and coordinate comprehensive youth and young adult activities and ministries within the deaneries;
every parish, either individually or collaboratively with parishes in its deanery, develops comprehensive youth and young adult ministries;
training and formation programs are available for youth and young adult ministers;
a scale of just compensation for youth and young adult ministers is established and used throughout the Diocese. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

32. The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry is to continue researching and implementing information technology in its ministry to youth and young adults. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

33. The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry is to continue reaching out and providing faith formation for young adults through various programs in each vicariate, such as "Theology on Tap." Click here to view the plan (PDF).

Social Justice

34. The Diocese is to establish an Office of Social Justice to work with secular community organizations, Catholic Charities, Catholic Relief Services, the New Jersey Catholic Conference, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and diocesan offices to coordinate and direct efforts to promote the social mission of the church in parishes;

The Office of Social Justice is to develop practical ways for Catholics to become more involved in the work of justice through education, legislative advocacy, prayer, and outreach efforts;
All pastors are to designate a Social Justice Advocate to coordinate parish-level implementation of diocesan social justice programs. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

35. Priests and deacons are to deliver homilies that address key contemporary social issues; offer concrete ways to live the Gospel (i.e., faith in action); and promote social justice and respect for all human life from a Catholic perspective. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

36. The Department of Worship and Liturgical Formation, in collaboration with the Office of Social Justice, is to provide ongoing homiletics education to help priests and deacons address key contemporary social issues, including critical life issues, from a Catholic perspective. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

37. The Office of Communications and Public Relations is to collaborate with the Office of Social Justice to use print and electronic media to more effectively promote awareness of Catholic agencies as well as secular organizations and programs that provide social justice services (e.g., food banks, shelters, medical services, immigration services, etc.). Click here to view the plan (PDF).

38. Each parish is to develop a social ministry program that will include a needs assessment so that social services, information, and referrals can be appropriately provided to individuals and families. Support would include but not be limited to: financial assistance, pastoral counseling, annulment information, bereavement support, and support groups for specific populations. Parishes are to ensure that lay ecclesial ministers are trained to serve in this ministry. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

39. The Office of Pro-Life is to be renamed the ìOffice of Respect for Life,î a title that better encompasses the wide range of life issues it addresses. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

40. The Office of Respect for Life is to continue to expand educational programs that will address life issues from conception through natural death. Click here to view the plan (PDF). Click here to view the updates as of January 2010.

41. Each pastor is to reaffirm his commitment to support and promote respect for life by ensuring the implementation of the diocesan Respect Life program within his parish. Pastors are to appoint a parish representative to assist with the implementation. Click here to view the plan (PDF). Click here to view the updates as of January 2010.

42. The Bishop is to issue a pastoral letter concerning the Churchís teaching on the role of women in various ministries of the Church. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

43. The Bishop is to appoint a task force to expand the leadership role of women in the Church of Metuchen, both on the diocesan and parish levels. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

44. The Bishop and his clergy are to conduct listening sessions with those who declare same-sex attractions to better understand how the Church of Metuchen can offer healing to those who feel marginalized and who are struggling to live in accord with Church teachings. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

45. The Department of Pastoral Life, in collaboration with the Office of Communications and Public Relations, is to help raise awareness about existing support groups for men and women with same-sex attractions and their families (e.g. Courage and Encourage). Click here to view the plan (PDF).

46. The Diocese, while remaining faithful to Church teachings on matters of faith and morals, is to provide ongoing education and sensitivity training about gender and human sexuality issues for all members of the Church of Metuchen to create an environment of collaboration between men and women, and to provide support and guidance to anyone struggling to live in accord with Church teachings. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

Unity

47. Parishes are to establish an annual gathering so that their priests, deacons, and parish staff may plan how they are to serve the parish and one another. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

48. The Bishop is to establish an atmosphere of open and honest communication, fostering discussion and collaboration among existing diocesan offices, parishes, diocesan commissions, and agencies. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

49. The Diocese is to use all available print and electronic communication tools to highlight the ways and means by which Catholic faith is lived within the Diocese of Metuchen. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

50. The Diocese is to establish ways and means to affirm cultural diversity in worship.Click here to view the plan (PDF).

51. The Diocese and parishes are to establish systems that will help educate laity about diocesan policies and procedures. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

52. The Diocese is to review how pastors learn about diocesan policies and procedures, and is to explore how they can better communicate them to their parishioners. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

53. Parishes are to provide opportunities for couples in interfaith/ecumenical marriages to better understand and appreciate each otherís beliefs and traditions. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

54. Parishes are to seek ways to foster relationships with other faith communities. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

Worship and Spirituality

55. The Diocese is to evaluate at the deanery level what is currently offered to parishes relative to spiritual growth, formation, and renewal, and then is to create ways for parishes to collaboratively use and develop catechetical and spiritual renewal programs that account for age, gender, and cultural diversity. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

56. The Bishop, as chief liturgist of the Diocese, is to issue a pastoral letter about the importance of liturgy in the life of every Catholic, with special emphasis on the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

57. Priests and deacons are to attend ongoing instruction in homiletics. The focus of these training sessions should be proclaiming scripture, catechetical formation, preaching to youth, and conveying the Churchís stance on contemporary social issues. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

58. The Office for Priest Personnel is to assist clergy for whom English is a second language and provide further instruction in English and homiletics for them. Click here to view the plan (PDF).

59. The Diocese is to strengthen and expand the Department of Worship and Liturgical Formation so that it can promote excellent and uniform liturgical standards by providing parishes with current resources and ongoing training for liturgical ministers, particularly those involved with music ministry. Click here to view the plan (PDF).