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Due to recent developments in the archdiocese’s pastoral planning process that require further evaluation and in consideration of his own personal schedule, Cardinal Dolan has decided to postpone the announcement of his decisions in the Making All Things New initiative until early November.
The announcement had originally been expected next week.
Auxiliary Bishop John J. O’Hara, director of strategic pastoral planning for the archdiocese, notified pastors of the change in the timetable of the Cardinal’s announcement in a letter he sent to them by email Sept. 9.
The bishop explained that the pastoral planning working group had recently offered “a few additional suggestions for consideration based on further input from vicars and pastors, and these have only been recently presented to His Eminence for his reflection.”
Cardinal Dolan also will be heading to Rome next month to participate in the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family, which takes place Oct. 5 to 19, and did not want to leave the archdiocese so soon after making the announcement.
“In light of these developments,” said Bishop O’Hara, “the Cardinal feels it is essential he has more time to consider carefully and thoroughly evaluate all that has been handed over to him.”
Making All Things New was first presented by Cardinal Dolan and others at well-attended meetings of priests, deacons and religious at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, in June 2013.
Beginning last September, the archdiocese has undergone a period of critical self-evaluation of its parish ministry that included extensive input and consultation at the parish, cluster and archdiocesan levels, leading ultimately to final recommendations made by the 40-member Archdiocesan Advisory Group in late June.
Those recommendations were then considered at an extraordinary three-day session of the Archdiocesan Priests’ Council, with Cardinal Dolan in attendance, June 30-July 2.
At the time, then-Father O’Hara—he was ordained a bishop Aug. 4—said the Priests’ Council would offer its counsel on the recommendations and that Cardinal Dolan would prayerfully review the recommendations during the summer.
Implementation of the decisions was to begin in 2015, Bishop O’Hara said in June.
