To:

All Clergy in the Diocese of London
Directors of Diocesan Offices
Superiors of Religious Communities (or Delegate)
Directors of Education / Religion Consultants
Pastoral Ministers and Pastoral Workers
Coordinators of Youth Ministry
High School and Hospital Chaplains

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

We are now prepared to move to the next stage in the development of a Diocesan Pastoral Plan. The Working Group, comprised of representatives from each of the deaneries and the Council of Priests, has considered all the input from the extraordinary deanery meetings in June and October 2003 and has prepared a draft text of a Preamble and Goal Statements. This document is enclosed with this package. It is being sent to you in advance so that you may study it in anticipation of the extraordinary deanery meetings scheduled to take place in March. A schedule of these meetings is also enclosed with this mailing.

Your participation in this next round of deanery meetings is vital to the success of the process and to the soundness of our Diocesan Pastoral Plan. I cannot urge you too strongly to be present at the session in your deanery. I myself will make every effort to be present at as many of these deanery meetings as possible to participate with you in the development of our plan. While it is preferable that you attend the meeting in your deanery, if that is not possible, I invite you to attend one which is more convenient to you. (If you will be attending a meeting outside of your deanery, I would ask that you please notify the deanery chairperson of your intent to be present at the session in that region.)

As I stated in my letter sent to you in early January, following this next set of deanery meetings, the Working Group will review the feedback and produce a second draft of the Pastoral Plan. They will then submit this second draft to the Council of Priests, who will in turn submit it, with their own recommendations, to me for final approval. It is my hope to promulgate the Pastoral Plan to the entire diocese on Pentecost Sunday, May 30, 2004.