All of the faithful of the Diocese of Madison had been working through the Guided by the Spirit planning process, an extended period of self-evaluation leading to the bishop's directives for all parishes of the diocese. These directives are meant to define the direction for each cluster of parishes so that as priestly assignments change, each parish has an idea of where they are heading with regard to their pastoral leadership and the sacramental life of their community. 

So now we transition into the Trusting in the Spirit implementation - not really a program, not really a process, but really a way of living into our diocesan future.

To those who either followed along or were a part of Guided by the Spirit, much of the practical aspects of Trusting in the Spirit will seem familiar, such as the implementation committees, cluster teams, and the implementation commission. Other parts won't be so familiar but will be understandable, such as the cluster implementation plan, the annual cluster evaluation, and the various checklists for mergers, linkages, and partnerships.

Please use this website to gather documents you need in the implementation process, read newsletters and articles, and find other links that will either assist or inform. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please contact Grant Emmel at 608-821-3010; send an email to trustinginthespirit@straphael.org; or send a letter to Trusting in the Spirit, Diocese of Madison, 702 S. High Point Road, Madison, WI 53719. We appreciate hearing from you and welcome your thoughts and comments.