Strategic Plan Announcement Moved Back Approximately Two Months

After consulting with diocesan priests at a May 8 Presbyterate meeting in Evansville, Bishop Charles C. Thompson has announced that the diocese will push back the official announcement of Strategic Planning for roughly two months.

The original target for communication of the Plan was July 1. However, Bishop Thompson and diocesan Chief Operating Officer Tim McGuire have elected to delay the announcement until late August or early September due to scheduling issues and a few other unforeseen factors, including the current search for a new diocesan director of communications.

“Many people have been working diligently on this Plan for a number of months, and we want to make sure that we communicate the results at the right time and in the right way,” said McGuire, who noted that Bishop Thompson and several other key diocesan representatives have ended up with very heavy travel schedules this summer, which would potentially leave them unavailable to parishioners in the days and weeks following a mid‐ summer announcement.

“Moving the announcement back a couple of months ensures that Bishop Thompson and others can be present and available for the people of the diocese,” McGuire continued. “It also allows us more time to complete our search for a new communications director who will be instrumental in helping to prepare the final Plan documents and publicly communicate the changes.”

McGuire also noted that a number of other dioceses, most recently Belleville, Ill., have experienced unexpected delays in announcing their plans. The Diocese of Belleville unveiled its Plan last month after initially intending to release the results in January.

“Much like us, they decided to take a little extra time in order to properly communicate the changes in the best, most pastoral way possible,” said McGuire. “And like others who have experienced delays, we ask for patience from our parishioners.”