The Work of the Long-Range Planning Commission: Laboring over the Labor Day Weekend

Larry Fidelus, O.Carm., Director of Planning

by Brother Larry Fidelus, O.Carm., Long-range Planning Director

For those of you who have been following the development and journey of the PCM Province’s long range planning efforts you will recall that the Labor Day weekend (September 3-5, 2004) was to be a special time. At this meeting at Whitefriars Hall in Washington, DC, the Long-range Planning Commission of the PCM province was to gather and make recommendations for the Province’s future planning. And so it happened that the commission in its deliberations spent a full and productive weekend.

	Members of the Long-Range Planning Commission, James Boyce, Gregory Klein, Gregory Houck, Larry Fidelus, Donald Buggert, Joel Schever, and Quinn Conners. The dog (named Rahner) sat in on the meetings.

Using all of the information that was generated from the Province’s CARA-Study (a study conducted by the “Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate” at Georgetown University) and from each of the Province’s Regional Meetings held this summer, the Commission spent its time reflecting on the data and discerning a set of recommendations for the Provincial and Provincial Council. The meetings were highly energized as meaningful discussions on a variety of important planning topics ensued. Each member of the commission had an opportunity to offer their thoughts and feelings on this important topic.

At the end of the meeting the Commission felt that it had successfully completed its mandate and goals. The report of the commission was then given to the Provincial Council at its September meeting in Darien, Illinois.