In 2021, St. Catherine of Siena embarked on a new pastoral plan.  A parish wide survey was conducted through CARA at Georgetown University and over 1,000 parishioners participated in the survey. The pastoral council and thirty parish ministry leaders took the survey feedback and went on a retreat at Manresa Retreat House to discern the future of our parish.

After prayerful discernment, our new pastoral plan was developed with five priorities and several goals under each priority. The unifying vision around those goals...or our new slogan for this pastoral plan is “Encountering Jesus, Igniting Hearts, Transforming the World.”

Our first priority is to build a culture of invitation in which we reach out and make sure all are welcomed in the Church. Our second priority is to help parishioners deepen their relationship with Jesus. After creating a culture of invitation and helping people grow in their faith, our third priority is to transform the world by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. The first three priorities center around the fourth priority of developing a culture of active discipleship and lay leadership at SCS. To learn more about each of these priorities and how we are accomplishing them, visit scschurch.com/mission.

The first four priorities are bold. In order to accomplish all these priorities and new ministries, we need more space to do the work that we are called to do, more places for groups to meet, and additional legal parking spaces. In light of these needs, our fifth priority is to expand parish facilities.

A team of parishioners was assembled to review various options to expand our facilities and add parking. They explored many options
to accomplish these goals for our parish and developed the following plan:

• Build a NEW convent for the Sisters (A goal from the 2016 pastoral plan is finally coming to fruition: the return of religious sisters in the school.)
• Build a NEW Multistory Parish Center (where the current Melancon Center is located) which provides more meeting spaces and a new location for the parish offices.
• Move the rectory off campus
• Tear down the existing parish offices and rectory
• Build NEW Parking Lot at Bonnabel & Metairie Road (~50 parking spaces)