First printed in the Diocese of Winona Courier, November edition.

The board of directors of our diocesan Catholic Charities met recently to consider the future of our agency and how we might instill a more vibrant response to our work from Catholics, and others, throughout our 20 county diocese. Joining us for the day were our program directors along with Vicar General Fr. James Steffes and Deacon Leonard Fuller.

I was privileged to be the facilitator. As somewhat of a discussion stimulator, I asked each participant to say where she or he thought our Catholic Charities agency was on an "emerging-growing-mature-declining" continuum. You might imagine that responses were spread out along the continuum, and well they were. Some thought we were still emerging while others believed we are closer to decline.

While the results of this exercise were inconclusive, they do provide a platform for discussion. One objective of a 'strategic' planning session is to give a group an opportunity to "throw off the wraps" on impressions and opinions; in other words, we had 20 views of 'reality' with respect to our agency's health and viability. Strategically, this is the kind of honest feedback we needed as we strive to create long range and annual operating plans.

I must say, here, that we believe our clients are receiving top-flight services from Catholic Charities, irrespective of the program. The reason for this is simple: Our staff and volunteers are passionately committed to our mission and ministries.

It is the board's responsibility to ensure that the essential resources (human, physical, financial, etc) are being adequately provided. As a board member since 2004, I know that parishioners are key to the success of our Catholic Charities' effectiveness in the field. It's part and parcel why I am writing this article - so that all Courier readers get a snapshot of what happens at the board level and what we must consider doing to ensure that Catholic Charities remains viable and effective. One thing I do know for certain: Our board, staff, and volunteers cannot do this work alone. We need you - your prayers, your assistance, and your philanthropy.

Ultimately, the six hours we spent together must be translated into action items that will, throughout our diocese, enhance our existing efforts to serve those in need.

In future articles, we will try to be more precise about the steps we will take as we promote our mission, purpose and presence in the Diocese of Winona.