It is not too early to talk about Tuesday, December 8. Maybe we can call it “Pastoral Plan Day”. The big event carded for that historic evening is the presentation of pastoral plans from all the parishes in the Archdiocese during the special Mass commemorating the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, patronal feast of our Cathedral.

This is in keeping with the Synod 2009 mandate and is possibly the most instructive exercise in Synod implementation, as well as being an integral component of the Parish Action Plan.

The process, in so far as Synod Corner has been informed, is that the liturgy, which is the responsibility of Msgr Michael de Verteuil, will be presided over by His Grace, Archbishop Edward Gilbert and will begin at 5.00 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Eight baskets – five for each vicariates and one each for the religious communities, the ecclesial communities and the schools – will be placed in the sanctuary. Immediately following the Prayers of the Faithful the chosen representative from each parish will go to the sanctuary and place the pastoral plan into the appropriate basket. The same procedure will apply to the religious communities, the ecclesial communities and the schools.

While it is expected that at least two representatives – one each from the Parish Implementation Team (PIT) and the Parish Pastoral Council together with the parish priest will attend, others are being encouraged to attend the Mass. It is expected, however that a minimum of two parish representatives be in attendance.

Members of the Synod Implementation Team will make themselves available to render any assistance needed to parishes still having challenges in preparing their plans. At this point it seems that the greatest challenges in preparing the plans are being faced by the archdiocesan schools.

The final session of “training the trainers” on preparation of the pastoral plan was conducted last Thursday in Scarborough, Tobago by Ramona Khan and Fr Joe Harris.

By now therefore, pastoral plans for all the parishes should be well in hand and soon to be completed.