"Continuing the Vision" - An Update to the 2012 Prophetic Plan
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Introduction
More than a decade ago, the community of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Parish came together in prayer, conversation, and discernment to reflect on the future of the parish. Through that process emerged the Prophetic Plan, a guiding vision intended to help the parish live the Gospel more fully through worship, learning, service, and community life.
That plan articulated the mission, values, and aspirations of the parish and helped shape the life of St. Francis Xavier. In the years that followed, the parish experienced growth and vitality. Ministries and facilities expanded, the school flourished, and parishioners continued to live out the Gospel through service, faith formation, and strong community relationships.
Over the past several months, the parish engaged in a structured listening and discernment process involving parish leadership groups, ministry representatives, parish staff, school leaders, and parishioners from across the community. Through a series of conversations and listening sessions, participants were invited to reflect on the future of St. Francis Xavier and share their hopes for the next chapter of parish life.
Participants were asked to consider several important questions:
- What makes St. Francis Xavier unique as a parish community?
- What strengths should we continue to build upon?
- What challenges or limitations must we address?
- What opportunities exist to strengthen the parish for future generations?
Across these conversations, several themes consistently emerged. Parishioners described St. Francis Xavier as a welcoming and service-oriented Catholic community where faith is lived in meaningful and relational ways. At the same time, participants expressed a desire to deepen spiritual life, strengthen engagement across generations, support parish leadership and ministries, and ensure that parish facilities can fully support the mission of the parish.
These conversations made something clear: the prophetic vision that guided the parish years ago remains alive today.
The following pages reflect the next chapter of that journey. They reaffirm the mission and values that define St. Francis Xavier while identifying several priorities that will guide the parish in the years ahead.
Just as previous generations invested in the life of this parish so that it could flourish in their time, we are now called to consider how we will continue that tradition of faith, stewardship, and community for those who will follow.
Together, we continue the vision.