“Rooted in Christ” Pastoral Plan for the Diocese of Grand Rapids

As Bishop Walkowiak announced earlier this year, it has been more than a decade
since the Diocese of Grand Rapids underwent a pastoral planning process. It is now
time to create an updated plan to assess more intentionally the needs and resources of
our local church, along with exploring opportunities for growth and evangelization.
The process involves data collection, parish visits, and dialogue to identify challenges
and opportunities facing our parishes, schools, and the diocese.

Spring 2025 Draft Presentation:

For the past several months, the priests of the Diocese of Grand Rapids and deanery planning committees, formed from representatives from each parish, have been working on a plan with recommendations for each deanery and parish, or grouping of parishes. This plan will propose changes and new initiatives to help parishes grow and thrive in the future. A draft is now available for parishes to review, discuss, and provide feedback.

On Tuesday, April 29, at 7 pm, in the deMazenod Room, a draft of this plan will be presented to the parishioners of Immaculate Heart of Mary for their comments and suggestions. Please join us at this meeting and help us shape the future of the Diocese and IHM so that we may become more “Rooted in Christ.”

Please review reports below from the initial findings of the Pastoral Plan: