The Diocese of Columbus has created a pastoral planning survey in an effort to hear from as many Christian faithful as possible.
The survey is part of a larger pastoral planning process.
Since becoming shepherd of the diocese three years ago, Bishop Earl Fernandes, the 13th bishop of Columbus, identified priorities concerning diocesan pastoral works. The bishop’s four main priorities consist of vocations, evangelization, Catholic education and formation, and social outreach.
READ: Planeamiento Pastoral Cuestionario
The bishop wanted to engage in pastoral planning to identify actionable goals to address his four priorities.
To assist the diocese, Bishop Fernandes has turned to the Catholic Leadership Institute to provide support in developing actionable goals.
Information will be gathered from individual interviews and focus groups. Given the size and diversity of the diocese, feedback is extended to all Christian faithful, who are invited to participate in the survey.
The faithful can share their perspectives on the bishop’s four priorities, which will be the focus of pastoral planning in years ahead.
“We want to consult and we want to engage in this work of pastoral planning to be able to address the pastoral needs of the diocese,” said Father Michael Hartge, the diocese’s vicar general, Moderator of the Curia and moderator of mission advancement.
“Secondarily, we would want people to know that, because those needs are going to need some financial support, we’ll engage in a capital campaign to be able to support whatever comes from this pastoral planning.”
An online survey gives the faithful an opportunity to weigh in on Bishop Fernandes’ priorities at their convenience.
It also ties into the diocese’s Real Presence Real Future initiative, a three-year evaluation process that was designed to help shape the mission of the diocese for generations to come. The bishop received recommendations that, Father Hartge noted, were the fruit of consultation. After evaluation, decisions were made that led to parish restructuring.
“As difficult as that was, I hope people remember how much they were consulted on that, how much their feedback was considered and how much their feedback really did shape that process to get us to the point where we’re able now to talk a little bit more intentionally about this exciting work of these four priorities of Bishop Fernandes,” he said.
The diocese strives to meet vocational needs by nurturing and supporting seminarians, priests, deacons and religious men and women who answer God’s call to serve the Church. Evangelization consists of the diocese’s outreach to communities to spread the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ.
The diocese prioritizes Catholic education and formation by ensuring that schools and religious formation programs provide the best foundation in faith and academics. Social outreach is accomplished through addressing the needs of the poor, marginalized and suffering in the diocese.
The survey is accessible online at Diocese of Columbus Pastoral Planning 2025-2026 until October 17. A Quick Response, or QR code, is also available to scan and complete the survey.